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Question

xp support ending

Feb 2, 2014 6:45AM PST

ok i have recently reinstalled windows xp back to original as when purchased . took days to update everything and get back to sp3 my question is how do save/ backup the updates incase i have a problem when xp support ends or can i somehow do a system backup with 3rd party software to onclude everything . Getting too old for all for this now

thanks in anticipation for any help george (oldgit)

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Remember this discussion has been done many times.
Feb 2, 2014 6:47AM PST

The simplest way to backup is to go ahead and update your windows then backup your complete system ready to restore with all the updates.
Bob

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(NT) thanks bob but thats my point how do i back up my
Feb 2, 2014 6:50AM PST
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Backup
Feb 2, 2014 7:05AM PST

I suggest you stay away from the Windows backup program and get yourself a good commercial backup program. I've seen forums fraught with problem reports for the Windows one. I know I was very unimpressed when I tried it. Two I'm familiar with and like are Easeus Todo Backup Free, and Memeo which has a 30 day free trial and you can buy it for $29.99.
The March 2012 issue of PC World was very high on the FREE program from Easeus and so is CNET. In my experience with a variety of configurations I have to say I'm very impressed. Like Ghost (which unfortunately is no longer on the market) it will back up to a networked drive, and it will create a boot CD for when your PC won't boot. See CNET's review of it at
http://download.cnet.com/Easeus-Todo-Backup-Free/3000-2242_4-10964460.html?tag=mncol;1#editorsreview .
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CNET has a lot of backup program reviews at
http://download.cnet.com/windows/backup-software/?tag=contentBody;sideBar .

Some of these are free (last time I checked there were over 300), some have free trials (over 1000), and some are purchase only (over 200).
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External hard drives are best for backup. You can get a 500 GB one for around $50 and a 1 TB one for around $60. You can also buy a 32 GB flash drive for under $20. It's the best insurance you can ever buy!

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I hope this helps. Good luck

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Just buying a backup drive
Feb 2, 2014 10:20AM PST

Is inadequate, you have to buy a real backup program. I had my seagate desktop 1.5T up and running when my Dell mobo gave up the ghost.
seagate is not compatible with win8
The backup program didn't,t work with XP media center, and when it did, it could not read more than a small fraction of the backup... Nero had a program sold with a 1T backup, but only would read 5 files.
BUY a real backup program.... Look askance at each and every so called complete backup system... They lie to you
BTW, the HDs were intact, and all but the OE files were easily recoverable, migrated with an external HD box.

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Answer
what I use
Feb 2, 2014 11:25AM PST
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xp back up
Feb 2, 2014 5:47PM PST

thanks Iv e got an external USB drive and somewhere I have a copy of ghost on a Cd From way back( windows 5 days) I've FORGOTTEN more I can remember about computing . Might give that a go