re "Fast, effective, easy data and O/S moves is a bane for computer techs.
Are there alternatives someone can offer?. "
Yes. I use StorageCraft's ShadowProctect for backup and recovery. Like
Norton Ghost, this creates disk images -- but with the ability to perform
hardware-independent recoveries, meaning that you can restore a saved drive
image from PC #1 onto PC #2 where PC #1 and PC #2 are not identical.
Usually, I'm restoring to the same PC that created the image, but on the
several occasions where I've restored an image to different hardware, its
worked flawlessly. PC Labs extensively tested this capability and was quite
impressed.
You can dramatically reduce the time required to recover from hard drive
crash by using StorageCraft or Ghost to create a disk image after you first
loaded your PC with Windows and your applications. Assuming that you
frequently backup your data (logs, scripts, code, whatever), then recovering
from a hard drive crash entails
-- wiping the hard drive
-- restoring the image
-- applying any application updates since the image was created
-- restoring the most recent data backup(s)
StorageCraft and Ghost can both be configured to make a weekly "full backup"
and a daily "incremental" backup to an external hard-drive or to a
network-accessible drive. This reduces recovery to a single automated
operation that takes about an hour for my XP systems.
After years of using Ghost (and hating its terrible UI and many defects), I
switched to StorageCraft after seeing some very positive reviews -- and have
been quite happy with it.
I have no relationship with any of the companies mentioned above, but do
have lots of friends in the mass storage business...
73,
Dave, AA6YQ
-----Original Message-----
From: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com [mailto:digitalra...@yahoogroups.com]on
Behalf Of frankk2ncc
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2009 7:34 PM
To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [digitalradio] Re: Zapped PCs, data recovery, and Windows !
Andy,
I often need to get the data off of a dead computer and move it to the new
one. The best way to do in my experience is simply to attach the old drive
as a slave to the new one and start draggin' and droppin'.
Once the old HDD detects in your new PC, go to the appropriate folders.
You'll probably want at least My Documents, Desktop, Favorites, email files,
and odd-n-ends laying around, like saved games.
Using programs to backup and restore (i.e. Files & Settings Transfer
Wizard), or swapping old Windows HDD onto new PC, simply doesn't work as
well.
You can't move Windows over, as Microsoft deems that the license goes with
the machine ('specially OEM like Dell, etc.) And most programs have to be
installed and can't be moved. Too many files and registry entries to do so
safely. And honestly, if it's been a while since you've re-installed Windows
on the old PC, you're better off with a fresh one.
Fast, effective, easy data and O/S moves is a bane for computer techs. Are
there alternatives someone can offer?. (Something they've tried themselves,
no CNET reviews or GOOGLE search results please!)
Since this isn't a computer help forum, I'm wondering if we should take this
elsewhere?
f, k2ncc
