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Wandering_Youth · 2006-11-12, 23:36

I've got my Windows OS on one hard drive and the rest of my games and misc programs are on another. Is there a way to save or backup the settings, Start Menus, file associations and file paths for Windows? I hate having to reinstalling and re config every program I have whenever I run in to a fatal error.

The reason I'm asking this is because I was trying out Windows XP x64 trial version and the darn thing corrupted my original Windows XP OS. I installed the two OS on two separate hard drives thinking it would be ok but one corrupted the other and I had to reinstall Windows XP after the x64 trial time was over.

Truenofan · 2006-11-12, 23:38

i cant think of anything. besides a backup of the registry, but its highly unsuggested that you do that. especially when going to a new version of windows.

Wandering_Youth · 2006-11-13, 01:25

Backup the registry, eh? I'll look that up thanks.

I have not decided on buying x64 yet, I'm just curious to see how it'll run on my PC since I do have a AMD 64 X2 3800 CPU. I was checking it out if it has any issues running any of my 32bit programs because I heard horror stories about that particular problem.

bayoab · 2006-11-13, 01:49

The start menu is just a file folder so you can copy/paste the folder from a backup as long as all the paths are still the same.

If you dump certain parts of the registry that contains just the file associations, you can directly reimport it without an issue.

There is also the file and settings transfer wizard but i've never used it.

Wandering_Youth · 2006-11-13, 18:47

Question. Is there a way to manually restore or fix executables for programs already installed on my computer? I had to reinstall my OS so it doesn't have any of executables in the start menu and I when I try start a program using the original executable in it's folder I get errors. For example, when I try to start Photoshop CS using the original executable in its folder it gives me an error and won't start up. Is there a way to manually tinker with the registry so Photoshop will work again without me having to install a fresh new one?

Epyon9283 · 2006-11-13, 20:04

Not that I'm aware of and thats the exact reason I hate the registry. Its a large mess with stuff everywhere. Give me an /etc filled with config files over a registry any day.

I think the best option for restoring stuff would be to use an imaging program such as ghost or trueimage.

Tursiops_G · 2006-11-14, 00:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wandering_Youth

Question. Is there a way to manually restore or fix executables for programs already installed on my computer? I had to reinstall my OS so it doesn't have any of executables in the start menu and I when I try start a program using the original executable in it's folder I get errors. For example, when I try to start Photoshop CS using the original executable in its folder it gives me an error and won't start up. Is there a way to manually tinker with the registry so Photoshop will work again without me having to install a fresh new one?

If you performed a FULL Reinstall of Windows, then No... You will have to RE-Install your Applications all over again from Scratch.

The only way to "Reinstall" Windows WITHOUT losing all of your installed Applications, is to do a "Repair Install" of Windows, or by restoring your system from an existing HD Image Backup (using Norton GHOST, Acronis TrueImage, etc.)

-Tursiops_G.

Wandering_Youth · 2006-11-14, 00:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tursiops_G

If you performed a FULL Reinstall of Windows, then No... You will have to RE-Install your Applications all over again from Scratch.

The only way to "Reinstall" Windows WITHOUT losing all of your installed Applications, is to do a "Repair Install" of Windows, or by restoring your system from an existing HD Image Backup (using Norton GHOST, Acronis TrueImage, etc.)

-Tursiops_G.

Whoops! What I mean to say is I repaired my Windows not reinstall it.

2006-11-12, 23:36	Link #1
Wandering_Youth lost in wonder forever... Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: edge of my dream in the land of twilight...ZzzZzZ	Restore Start Menus, file association... I've got my Windows OS on one hard drive and the rest of my games and misc programs are on another. Is there a way to save or backup the settings, Start Menus, file associations and file paths for Windows? I hate having to reinstalling and re config every program I have whenever I run in to a fatal error. The reason I'm asking this is because I was trying out Windows XP x64 trial version and the darn thing corrupted my original Windows XP OS. I installed the two OS on two separate hard drives thinking it would be ok but one corrupted the other and I had to reinstall Windows XP after the x64 trial time was over. __________________

2006-11-13, 01:25	Link #3
Wandering_Youth lost in wonder forever... Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: edge of my dream in the land of twilight...ZzzZzZ	Backup the registry, eh? I'll look that up thanks. I have not decided on buying x64 yet, I'm just curious to see how it'll run on my PC since I do have a AMD 64 X2 3800 CPU. I was checking it out if it has any issues running any of my 32bit programs because I heard horror stories about that particular problem. __________________

2006-11-13, 18:47	Link #5
Wandering_Youth lost in wonder forever... Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: edge of my dream in the land of twilight...ZzzZzZ	Question. Is there a way to manually restore or fix executables for programs already installed on my computer? I had to reinstall my OS so it doesn't have any of executables in the start menu and I when I try start a program using the original executable in it's folder I get errors. For example, when I try to start Photoshop CS using the original executable in its folder it gives me an error and won't start up. Is there a way to manually tinker with the registry so Photoshop will work again without me having to install a fresh new one? __________________

2006-11-12, 23:38	Link #2
Truenofan Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Camp Striker, Baghdad, Iraq Age: 28	i cant think of anything. besides a backup of the registry, but its highly unsuggested that you do that. especially when going to a new version of windows.

2006-11-13, 01:49	Link #4
bayoab Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003	The start menu is just a file folder so you can copy/paste the folder from a backup as long as all the paths are still the same. If you dump certain parts of the registry that contains just the file associations, you can directly reimport it without an issue. There is also the file and settings transfer wizard but i've never used it.

2006-11-13, 20:04	Link #6
Epyon9283 Geek Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New Jersey Age: 29	Not that I'm aware of and thats the exact reason I hate the registry. Its a large mess with stuff everywhere. Give me an /etc filled with config files over a registry any day. I think the best option for restoring stuff would be to use an imaging program such as ghost or trueimage.