Planning Ahead

Belly · 2 Mar 2013 at 12:02

Hi. I might have to reinstall Windows XP on my system. I've read that it's better to run Kill Disk after backing everything up.

I have two HDD on my computer one 250 GB, the other 150 GB, the operating system is on the 250 drive. I keep most of my music, videos (NOT those ones) and downloaded programs on a partition on the second drive.

The main drive is NOT partitioned, the second one is.

If I run kill disk would it delete all the data on both disks?

I have an External Maxtor Drive and would be able to back up the data from the main drive (My Documents, My photos etc) but there might NOT be enough space for the data from both disks.

Thanx

marc2003 · 2 Mar 2013 at 12:34

there's no reason to run kill disk at all. a quick format is all i ever do when re-installing windows.

Belly · 2 Mar 2013 at 12:43

Thanx Marc and how would I do that?

marc2003 · 2 Mar 2013 at 12:49

Belly said:
Thanx Marc and how would I do that?

i just noticed you mentioned your main drive isn't partitioned. you'll have to create a partition first. windows setup will guide you through it. you can't go wrong really.

but to be on the safe side, i'd disconnect your data drive before starting setup - just unplug the cable temporarily. the reason i say this is because windows occasionally does funky things will drive letters and boot files. it may place files on your data drive or even give it letter C: which you don't want.

Belly · 3 Mar 2013 at 13:31

Thanx again Marc - I have Partition Magic on the computer, that's how I partitioned the second drive. I've been deleting a lot of the stuff from the data drive, so I might be able to back the lot up to my external Maxtor Drive.

If as you say Widows partitions the main drive does it delete the partition on reinstall?

marc2003 · 3 Mar 2013 at 13:37

Belly said:
If as you say Widows partitions the main drive does it delete the partition on reinstall?

you can do whatever you like. if a partition already exists, windows can format it. or you can delete it and create a new one (or more). or just create one if none exists. you don't need any 3rd party tools for this. windows setup can do it all.

gareth170 · 3 Mar 2013 at 16:06

a partition must already be on the 250 GB drive because it already as xp on it

Belly · 3 Mar 2013 at 21:42

Thanx Guys

Gareth, please believe me when I say I don't know much about these things. When I look on Partition Magic it has two long horizontal boxes, the first one my main HDD just shows one long rectangle and to the best of my knowledge I didn't split-it-up. The second drive has four partitions which I made at the time of purchase (2008) one large area for PhotoShop scratch, the others for storing music, purchased download programs etc.

You obviously know much more about this than I do......

I'm going to try to sort out the problems I'm having without a reinstall (if I can) as I don't fancy reinstalling all the Windows Updates (which I've done over the years), putting Adobe products back on, MS Office etc.

I should have imaged the main disk and that way I'd have a point to go back to. I'm unable to do system restore even from a month ago, and my computer just recently takes a long time to boot up. It get to the blue screen and hangs for some considerable time, and the list of programs at start up (Bottom right icons) suddenly displayed in a different order (KAS used to be last, now it displays third from the left). A local computer company said they would do a system restore, including all drivers for sixty quid and I suppose if it has to be done I might as well have a go at doing it myself and if I can't do it myself I can get them to do it for me.

I'm also concerned about the time it will take to upgrade Windows whilst being out on the net with no Anti Virus Protection especially as quite often Kaspersky tells me I've been attacked by the Helkern Worm. I'd have to find out if the built in Windows Firewall would prevent such an attack.

Thanx again.

gareth170 · 4 Mar 2013 at 00:16

@ Belly. I wasn't directing my above post at you really, mate

the built in Windows Firewall won't prevent you from worm virus's. you will need a Anti Virus Protection

KIA · 4 Mar 2013 at 12:27

Belly said:
I'm also concerned about the time it will take to upgrade Windows whilst being out on the net with no Anti Virus Protection especially as quite often Kaspersky tells me I've been attacked by the Helkern Worm. I'd have to find out if the built in Windows Firewall would prevent such an attack.

Nothing to worry about if you're behind a router.

gareth170 · 4 Mar 2013 at 18:29

KIA said:
Nothing to worry about if you're behind a router.

but let's say if he was already behind a router and Kaspersky told him he has been attacked then surely just being behind a router without any internet security Protection software wouldn't be enough?

KIA · 4 Mar 2013 at 20:54

gareth170 said:
but let's say if he was already behind a router and Kaspersky told him he has been attacked then surely just being behind a router without any internet security Protection software wouldn't be enough?

False positive/AV scare tactic. A "worm" is not going to penetrate his router, this is why routers are so useful.

gareth170 · 4 Mar 2013 at 23:15

KIA said:
False positive/AV scare tactic. A "worm" is not going to penetrate his router, this is why routers are so useful.

but a "worm" can be in a downloaded file / program, no router would stop that. has I've downloaded a program which had a "worm" in it only my Kaspersky stopped it but your saying my router should have stopped it? I don't think so

KIA · 5 Mar 2013 at 10:00

gareth170 said:
but a "worm" can be in a downloaded file / program, no router would stop that. has I've downloaded a program which had a "worm" in it only my Kaspersky stopped it but your saying my router should have stopped it? I don't think so

Point is, an external worms ability to do damage is reduced if you're behind a router.

If you download an infected file, it's game over.

gareth170 · 5 Mar 2013 at 10:49

KIA said:
If you download an infected file, it's game over.

hence why i'm saying a software base Anti Virus / firewall Protection is still important.

let's say if a friend a comes to your home with their laptop which let's say it was infected with a worm and if that laptop connects to your network all of your pc's/laptops on your network will be infected if your pc's/laptops didn't have software base Anti Virus / firewall Protection. router firewall would only protection incoming attack from the internet.

Belly · 5 Mar 2013 at 13:19

Thanx for your pointers........... I actually don't know if I've got a router (I did say I don't much about these things). I've got a NTL modem and I plug my computer directly into it with an Ethernet Cable, so I don't know if that's a router too? I don't have any laptops or other devices connected to anything which travels through space (if you see what I mean).

My supplied Windows XP disc is up to and including SP1, so I suppose, if I have to reinstall I would put the disc in the drive without being connected to the internet, then install KIS which has over two hundred days left to run, then go out on the net to upgrade the Windows Updates?

I found that by disabling items in msconfig start-up that things are speeding up and I have a sneaking feeling that Extensis Suitcase Font Manager was causing problems. I uninstalled it and did a fresh install and for some reason it immediately recognised the registration number. When I looked at msconfig start up the location was shown as Windows Installer with a long string of numbers, so I took it off and I'll look for something else.

Thanx

KIA · 5 Mar 2013 at 15:29

gareth170 said:
hence why i'm saying a software base Anti Virus / firewall Protection is still important.

let's say if a friend a comes to your home with their laptop which let's say it was infected with a worm and if that laptop connects to your network all of your pc's/laptops on your network will be infected if your pc's/laptops didn't have software base Anti Virus / firewall Protection. router firewall would only protection incoming attack from the internet.

Windows firewall has been on by default since forever. There shouldn't be any issues as long as Windows automatic update is enabled.