Is there a all-inclusive backup tool for XP?

[SureKen]

I've prepared an unattended Windows XP Professional installation CD with slipstreamed SP2, patches and many customizations with nLite. However, since nLite does not allow to customize every aspect of the OS, after installing it I need to go through many steps before I can say "done!". Usually I customize the desktop, the taskbar, the start menu, some tweaks with "gpedit.msc" (for which I've posted a different thread, it's a different story anyway), some changes in System (pagefile, performance, startup & recovery etc.), some in Control Panel (system sounds). I've managed to write down a big .reg file to set the Services just doubleclicking it so now what I'm looking for is a tool to backup all those other settings and restore them whenever I need to re-install XP on a different machine.

I've never known if such a tool exists and Google didn't help, so now I'm asking here. Thanks in advance.

[Martin Zugec]

For some stuff (start menu, desktop etc.) I am using USMT in my company... There is also GUI tool in Windows XP to migrate this settings...

[SureKen]

For some stuff (start menu, desktop etc.) I am using USMT in my company... There is also GUI tool in Windows XP to migrate this settings...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, I've tried using File & Settings Wizard and it's almost perfect, but it doesn't include the changes I make in Control Panel > System and Control Panel > Folder Properties.

Is this the UMTS you're referring to?

Thanks.

P.S. Isn't it weird that among the thousands of utilities available on the net nobody has ever done something to backup ALL the settings of a XP installation? Hard to believe, to me.

[Delprat]

P.S. Isn't it weird that among the thousands of utilities available on the net nobody has ever done something to backup ALL the settings of a XP installation? Hard to believe, to me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What a good idea !

Backing up all your settings and restoring them after a reinstall !

BUT... what is the purpose of the reinstall then ???

[SureKen]

BUT... what is the purpose of the reinstall then ???  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, there are many many things that you need to be always the same, so a utility like that would allow you to save a lot of time at least.

[crashball]

I am working on USMT, but it looks like it is going to take a lot of configuring those multiple INF files to get it working the way i need.

There is a tool from Altiris called PC Transplant that works really well and it has a nice GUI. It is not free though.

http://www.altiris.com/products/pctransplantpro/

[Martin Zugec]

Again abandoned post by me I write something, forget about it and then, after few days/weeks/months I accidentally run into it

2SureKen: About USMT - you can configure it by yourself, so you can include custom .inf to migrate anything you want. I am using few custom infs in my migration scenario.

2Delprat: It is not migration like hardcopy of profile etc... It is dynamic migration, so it is ideal combination with reinstallation

2crashball: USMT is quite fine and easy, you will just need to spend some time working on templates. But after that, it is really great when you only sit down and look at your network how everything is running without any problem