Restore options

Blackstar_solar · 22 Aug 2006 at 09:56

My gf has a laptop with a fairly small HD, 60GB. Of this 10GB is drive c: with windows and programs on it. 50GB is drive D with everything else, documents, music etc.

However, on the 50GB HD are 13GB of restore installers for windows office and all the other software that came with her laptop. The files are not in a seperate partition but are just in hidden folders.

She's running out of space, approx 500mb left so that 13GB could be really handy, but obviously we don't want to lose the ability to restore.

I originally thought of trying to create a restore CD from the installation files, but that would be a real pain. A mate suggested using something like norton ghost to ghost the c drive and back that up on dvd, and just restore that if things go pete tong.

I like the ghost idea but does anyone else have any other ideas...?

modo77 · 22 Aug 2006 at 10:14

Personally what i do is disable all the sys restore options. (uses a lot of room, slows your comp down a bit, and hides viruses). As long as you (or your girlfirend) isn't likely to do something stupid there is no point in having it. Even if you do need it it doesn't always work correctly/fix the issue.
Also remove the office installation files if they are still on the pc.
ghost is a good option if you think you might need to reinstall often, but if you make sure you pc is looked after then you shouldn't need to.
use a DVD to backup all your personal files. mp3s, pics, savegames, emails, etc.

Blackstar_solar · 22 Aug 2006 at 10:28

modo77 said:
Personally what i do is disable all the sys restore options. (uses a lot of room, slows your comp down a bit, and hides viruses). As long as you (or your girlfirend) isn't likely to do something stupid there is no point in having it. Even if you do need it it doesn't always work correctly/fix the issue.
Also remove the office installation files if they are still on the pc.
ghost is a good option if you think you might need to reinstall often, but if you make sure you pc is looked after then you shouldn't need to.
use a DVD to backup all your personal files. mp3s, pics, savegames, emails, etc.

Not sure I was entirely clear. The restore installation files that are hidden on drive d are the manufacutres restore method. They are not, for example, the temp installation files created when you install office, nor are they the system restore stuff.

Hope thats clearer

modo77 · 22 Aug 2006 at 10:37

Ah

Ignore me then.

I take it you don't have the cds for the apps then. Cause if you did then I'd just remove the restore folders.

Blackstar_solar · 22 Aug 2006 at 10:48

modo77 said:
I take it you don't have the cds for the apps then. Cause if you did then I'd just remove the restore folders.

Exactly the problem. No CDs. Poo! sucks!

Anyone any other ideas?

Belly · 22 Aug 2006 at 22:12

Was the laptop made by MultiVision? (now out of business). Mine has a 10GB - 50GB split too.

I bought mine from them and they have a similar system, of C Drive and D Drive. When mine started playing up, I backed-up all my data to an External Maxtor HDD and on boot-up selected MultiVision Restore. Lucky for me Multivision did not stick a load of useless programs on the machine so when I restored I still had plenty of room on the D Drive.

It is interesting to note that on restore all temporary files are restored as were the contents of IE Explorer (probably populated when the makers were installing the drivers and modem), so I always have it in the back of my mind that these files are always on the computer!

They gave me the Windows XP disk but no drivers, they are in the C Drive, but I can't tell one from another as they all seem to be in the same directory. I don't know if they are hidden on Drive D also?

Of course you could always backup your data, get rid of the partitions completely then install the OS? That way you should gain an extra 10 GB because you wouldn't have the space occupied by C Drive? My desktop computer only has a 12.7GB HDD so most of my data is held on the Maxtor.