1) Do not trust the Backup and Restore in XP, it is notorious for failing.
2) your use of the word "indispensible" is the key. You need more than one backup, and more than one type, and stored in more than one place.
3) there is a difference between the application, and the data created with the application.
Although you said you would not want to reinstall an application if the hard drive failed, it would be possible to do so if you have the installation disks.
If you don't have the data backed up when the hard drive fails, it is lost.
4) Begin by making backups of the data you can't live without. Just copy the data to CD or an external hard drive. Store the data in a safe place away from the computer.
5) Consider making a second copy of the data and storing it in another location. Take it to work, or take it home, store it at your parent's house, put it in a bank deposit box, or whatever.
6) Consider running a constant data backup to an online service, like Carbonite.
7) Once the data is secure, start making disk "images" of your hard drive. In the event of hard drive failure, you can use these to restore the image to a new hard drive. Pay a few bucks for a reputable imaging software like Acronis's True Image.
8) Make mulitiple images and store them in more than one location, in case of fire, flood, theft, etc.
9) If your data is "indispensible", get started right away. Your current hard drive is already failing.
rogerX
--- In simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com, "Robert L.L" <bobllee@...> wrote:
>
> I have several indispensable applications/programs on my Win XP hard disk which I want to backup in case the hard disk fails for any reason.
> What options do I have in Win XP to backup the system information that
> has been imbedded inside the applications and can be recovered if I need to reinstall the application on a new hard disk? Preferably I would like a "restore" the application to the original state without having to re-install the entire application itself.
>
> Can anyone suggest what is the best way for me to backup either : (1) All applications; or (2) Only specific applications?
>
> Win XP has a Backup Utility with a Backup Wizard that has options for backing up "System State" from the main bootup drive/partition. Would this do the job of backing up all the applications loaded on the main boot drive into a file with extension *****.bkf. If I restore this ***.bkf files into a new hard disk, would I need to re-install any of the applications that were on the original hard disk?
>
> Thanks in advance for any comments.
>
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