{"id":1669,"date":"2009-12-19T17:46:00","date_gmt":"2009-12-19T17:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1669"},"modified":"2021-11-12T02:57:04","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T02:57:04","slug":"windows-xp-backup-restore-procedure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/2009\/12\/19\/windows-xp-backup-restore-procedure\/","title":{"rendered":"Windows XP Backup-Restore Procedure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On occasion, you may need to re-install Windows XP because a system has become \u2018unhealthy\u2019 due to malicious software (e.g. viruses) or just general cluttering. For the last decade, I have, on an annual basis (at least), had to backup files from my Windows drive, save them elsewhere, re-install Windows and then put the files back in Windows.<br>It\u2019s not enough, it would seem, to backup up the \u2018My Documents\u2019 folder, only to find that later, you\u2019re missing those vital Microsoft Word templates. I\u2019ve developed a guide to this procedure for the following reasons\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>This process can be risky because of the potential for data loss by not capturing all the files you should have backed up.<\/li><li>The process of searching through folders for potentially needed files (often involves finding out what file extensions mean) is tedious. The guide contains common file locations so you just need to worry about those folders.<\/li><li>This process is time-consuming, therefore some step by step instructions (removing the need to re-think) should help speed things up for now and any subsequent times.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I don\u2019t claim this procedure to be a definitive guide and I make no assumptions bout your level of knowledge or expertise. It\u2019s a work-in-progress and I will gratefully up-date it with any suggestions I receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"first-things-first\">First things first<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t assume that everything will go to plan. Hopefully, by reading this guide you will be more prepared for the process. If this is an emergency Windows re-install, you probably need to get going asap. If however, this is to improve system performance etc: Make sure you set time aside, make sure you have access to another PC if required whilst your first is out of action and don\u2019t do this before a project deadline \u2013 the process may run over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>STEP 01<\/strong>&nbsp;Run a disk cleanup utility such as the Windows utility Disk Cleanup commonly found in Start &gt; Programs &gt; Accessories &gt; System Tools &gt; Disk Cleanup to delete unnecessary data.<\/li><li><strong>STEP 02<\/strong>&nbsp;Run a full system anti-virus scan to remove viruses etc. You don\u2019t want to be backing up, and then subsequently restoring, malicious software.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, take a deep breath, relax because you will miss things if stressed and have a think about what files are important to you and what you will need to backup. Okay, onward\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-ideal-backingup-folders\">The ideal: Backing-Up folders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ideal way to handle this whole procedure is to take a backup of all the files on the partition where Windows is installed (and will ultimately be overwritten). Then you can retrieve files from your backup as when required, from your newly installed Windows. There are two issues with this approach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>You may not have the storage space for a full partition backup. At the time of writing, the data on my Windows partition is 40GB in size.<\/li><li>It may be time-consuming for you to trawl through your backed up files and folders, from the \u2018new\u2019 Windows, looking for that that&nbsp;MS&nbsp;Word template.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Depending on available storage space, however, I do often copy the following folders:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>STEP 03<\/strong>&nbsp;C:\\Documents and Settings\\&lt;any relevant user folder&gt;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A lot of a Windows user\u2019s data is stored under their username in this folder. The folders can get big so before you copy them, you can delete some of the bigger folders within that you don\u2019t need to reduce their overall sizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>STEP 04<\/strong>&nbsp;C:\\Windows\\Fonts<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a designer, I keep an extensive catalogue of fonts and install new ones all the time. I like to make sure I\u2019ve got all the fonts I could have used in previous projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"backing-up-your-obvious-files\">Backing up your obvious files<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your \u2018My Documents folder is, by default, found at<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">C:\\Documents and Settings\\&lt;your username&gt;\\&lt;your username&gt;\u2019s Documents\\. <\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you performed step 3, then you\u2019ve copied that folder already. If you didn\u2019t perform step 3 or the location is different, you will need to find the folder. If you dump files in random places (e.g. all over your desktop or in some random folder you\u2019ve made in C:\\) group the files together in one place e.g. in the \u2018My Documents\u2019 folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>STEP 05<\/strong>\u00a0Find all your obvious files and folders and back them up e.g. \u2018My Documents\u2019.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"backing-up-applications\">Backing up Applications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no hard and fast rule as to where the software on your PC may store its data. This data can consist of, for example: documents saved, configuration files, profile files, temporary downloaded files\u2026 the list is endless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>STEP 06<\/strong>\u00a0Take a screenshot of applications in your Start Menu (or copy the Start Menu folders) so you will know what to re-install ready for use on the \u2018new\u2019 Windows. Also see what applications are listed in\u00a0<em>C:\\Program Files\\ as well.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"backing-up-application-data\">Backing up Application Data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>STEP 07<\/strong>\u00a0Backup individual application data using the chart below of common applications and common data that may need backing up. Typically, you will lose application configuration settings.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><th>Application<\/th><th>Data possibly required<\/th><th>Comments<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Mozilla Firefox<\/td><td>Bookmarks<\/td><td>Use the \u2018Organise Bookmarks\u2019 feature in the Bookmarks menu to export bookmarks as a&nbsp;HTML&nbsp;or .json file<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mozilla Firefox<\/td><td>Add-Ons<\/td><td>Go to Tools &gt; Add-ons to see what useful add-ons you\u2019ve been using. Take screenshots so you can re-install these.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mozilla Firefox<\/td><td>Downloads<\/td><td>Find the folder where your downloads head to and copy any files you require from there.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mozilla Firefox<\/td><td>Certificates<\/td><td>You may need to backup security (encryption) certificates.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mozilla Firefox<\/td><td>You will typically lose any passwords saved in Firefox, browsing history, cookies.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Remote Desktop Connection<\/td><td>Any URLs cached<\/td><td>Copy any cached URLs used in the RDP app<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Microsoft Outlook<\/td><td>PST Files<\/td><td>Backup the PST files found in: C:\\Documents and Settings\\Administrator\\Local Settings\\Application Data\\Microsoft\\Outlook<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>NewsGator FeedDemon<\/td><td>Feed List<\/td><td>Export the list of feeds from menu File &gt; Export Feeds\u2026<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Google Earth<\/td><td>KMZ Files<\/td><td>In the menu on the left, right-click on the folders etc. and save as *.kmz files<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Lockcrypt<\/td><td>Backup Database<\/td><td>If using a text file, find the *.ice file and copy it to the backup location<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Microsoft OneNote<\/td><td>Unfiled Notes<\/td><td>Right-click on the OneNote taskbar icon and open OneNote and then go File &gt; Save as<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>uTorrent<\/td><td>Downloads<\/td><td>Be sure to get a copy of your uTorrent downloads and any .torrent files<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Windows Media Player<\/td><td>Licenses<\/td><td>Are there any file licenses that need backing up? You may not be able to play DRM-files without the backed up license.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Windows Media Player<\/td><td>Library<\/td><td>Do you have an extensive media library catalogue that needs backing up?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you have finished backing up your data; double-check, triple-check that you\u2019ve got what you need. Have a look through the Start Menu and the folder C:\\Program Files\\ as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"backing-up-windows-components\">Backing Up Windows Components<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>STEP08<\/strong>&nbsp;Now you want to backup the settings particular to Windows\u2026<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><th>Component<\/th><th>Description<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>Security Certificates<\/td><td>If you use any encryption certificates for emails, websites and using NTFS encryption.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Device Drivers<\/td><td>Be familiar with the hardware in Device Manager and copy any necessary driver files.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Display Settings<\/td><td>Be familiar with your display settings (resolution, refresh rate) and if custom, copy your wallpaper\/themes so that you can preserve the look and feel of your current windows.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Firewall<\/td><td>Familiarise yourself with any firewall settings e.g. port forwarding<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Anti-Virus<\/td><td>Be familiar with any AV settings e.g. files\/folders ignored<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Networking<\/td><td>Are there any proxies\/passwords\/WEP keys you need to remember? Does the PC have a&nbsp;DHCP&nbsp;assigned IP? Subnet\/gateway\u2026<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shortcuts\/Mapped Drives<\/td><td>Any shortcuts in the file system that are useful? Any network resources mapped as drives?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On occasion, you may need to re-install Windows XP because a system has become \u2018unhealthy\u2019 due to malicious software (e.g. viruses) or just general cluttering. For the last decade, I have, on an annual basis (at least), had to backup files from my Windows drive, save them elsewhere, re-install Windows and then put the files back in Windows.It\u2019s not enough, it would seem, to backup up the \u2018My Documents\u2019 folder, only to find that later, you\u2019re missing those vital Microsoft Word templates. I\u2019ve developed a guide to this procedure for the following reasons\u2026 This process can be risky because of the potential for data loss by not capturing all the files you should have backed up. The process of searching through folders for potentially needed files (often involves finding out what file extensions mean) is tedious. The guide contains common file locations so you just need to worry about those folders. This process is time-consuming, therefore some step by step instructions (removing the need to re-think) should help speed things up for now and any subsequent times. I don\u2019t claim this procedure to be a definitive guide and I make no assumptions bout your level of knowledge or expertise. It\u2019s[&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stem"],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"james","author_link":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/author\/james\/"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p89zH1-qV","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1669"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1670,"href":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1669\/revisions\/1670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jameshatton.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}