nLite Backup Feature Query

[src2206]

Hello

Thank you for developing nLite.

I am complete noob in Data Backup scene, soI would grateful if you could answer my following doubts.

Background:

I am going to sell my old PC and going to buy a new one. The old one has a 40GB HDD as Primary HDD containing my OS and most of the useful programs.

My Question

I have done a lot of customization of those programs so I am really afraid to reinstall and recustomize all.....it is going to hell of a time which unfortunately I do not have.

I intend to take a complete backup of the 40GB drive and restore it back in the new PC's 160GB SATA drive.

Could some one please tell me :

1. Whether it is possible with nLite

2. If yes, then how can I do it.

3. Will I be able to perform Repair Install and Recovery of Windows using Recovery Console using the resultant slipstream CD?

I have gone through the guide at the nLite's website.

Please help.

Thank you.

Edited June 2, 2007 by src2206

[boooggy]

nlite is not a backup program....so the answer is not.

u can use backup software for your needs....i recommend acronis true image.

[jaclaz]

Besides the need for an IMAGING program, like Acronis True Image, GHOST, or similar Commercial or Freeware programs like those listed here:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...c=16534&hl=

NOT a backup one,

and definitely NOT nlite, which is an "install tweaking" program,

what you want to do is NOT as straightforward as you might believe.

Divided in steps, you are going to:

1) Image one drive to another one, and boot from the new hard disk on the SAME machine

2) Transfer the new hard disk to ANOTHER machine and boot from it

WARNING:

Depending on current licence you have, what you plan to do might prove to be NOT legal and will however need to re-activate XP.

Read here how the TWO procedures might be carried on:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

And how it is possible in case of problems repair a XP install:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

PRINT the two articles, read them thoroughfully, re-read them, make sure you fully understand the procedures, DO NOT introduce variations, if anything is not clear, or you need to do something even SLIGHTLY different from the tutorials, ask for help BEFORE.

On the other hand, if the question was if nlite can be useful to produce a slipstreamed install CD with same level of SP (and possibly KB updates) that can be used to perform the repairs, the answer is YES.

jaclaz

Edited June 2, 2007 by jaclaz

[bledd]

acronis true image, build a 'rescue disc' with it, and choose the clone drive option

nlite is for customising a windows installation disc

[src2206]

Thank you everyone and specially jaclaz and bledd for your guidance.

I hope you would welcome any question that may come up while going through the process you suggested.

Thank you again.

[jaclaz]

I hope you would welcome any question that may come up while going through the process you suggested.

Hmmm, I cannot guarantee they will be "welcome" , but rest assured we will try our best to reply them .

jaclaz

[src2206]

That will be more than enough my friend

[src2206]

Hello

I have decided to make a slipstream CD of my existing OS installation to be transfered to new SATA drive. As the original HDD is a IDE [5400rpm], what precaution I need to take while backing up the drivers of my existing installation so that I do not have to perform a repair install later due to driver conflict?

Please advise.

Thank you.

Edited June 4, 2007 by src2206

[jaclaz]

Hmmm, the "traditional" way to try to avoid the Repair was to change the IDE bus drivers with the default MS ones "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller", and the Video to "Standard VGA", both of which are however suggested, but since you are going to have a SATA drive, my guess is that a Repair will be necessary anyway.

Pardon me, but it is not very clear to me what do you mean by:

a slipstream CD of my existing OS installation to be transfered to new SATA drive.

Can you elaborate on the method you are planning?

jaclaz

[src2206]

Hello jaclaz

Thank you for your reply.

I shall be more than happy to elaborate provided you do not frown at me if you find the process rather foolish.

As there are bl**dy hell number of patches and upgrades which I need to reinstall when I freshly install my XP in the new machine, I have thought about making a slipstream CD containing all the patches installed in my present PC. In that way I will not have to get the patches again. As I have seen in nLite user manual during this process I can take a backup of all my drivers. Now as I am not sure whether PATA drivers will match with SATA or not I was wondering whether it would be prudent to take a separate driver backup rather than including that in the slipstream that I am planning to make using nLite.

As I am completely fresh in this process I was wondering whether you could possibly give me advises to avoid pitfalls.

Regards

[jaclaz]

Yes, problem is, it is not yet clear to me what you want to do.

I mean, nlite can help you make a good, up-to-date, slipstreamed, possibly partially unattended INSTALL CD.

It will not, in any way help you to TRANSFER your actual system to the new machine.

In other words, nlite is "feeded" with Microsoft Windows XP INSTALL files, being them from original CD, from a \I386 directiry on your HD, or from Service Packs and Updates, plus it can integrate Third Party INSTALL files (for example drivers), though quite obviously it is a rather unuseful waste of space on the CD to integrate drivers specific to ONE machine if the intended use of the CD is installing on ANOTHER machine, unless the two are identical.

You should get all the drivers for the NEW machine and integrate them in the nlite slipstreamed CD.

But again, on the CD built with nlite there will be not the following (currently on the HD):

1) Data

2) Installed applications

3) Settings, including Network names, tcp/ip addresses,

4) Users, Passwords, ACLs, Disk quotas and more generally everything that has or needs to be set or changed after the initial installation of XP (this can be partially covered by using unattended features, but they are a bit tricky, and definitely NOT suggested as a "first try")

That is why the idea of imaging has been suggested, though, as said it is not an easy and straightforward task, and needs ANYWAY a good known-to-be-working slipstreamed CD, which nlite can help you make, to be able to perform the Repair.

In a nutshell, to try the TRANSFER you will need BOTH:

a. A slipstreamed (with nlite or other program) Install CD

b. An imaging program

If you want to re-INSTALL, you need just point a. above.

jaclaz

Edited June 5, 2007 by jaclaz

[src2206]

In a nutshell, to try the TRANSFER you will need BOTH:

a. A slipstreamed (with nlite or other program) Install CD

b. An imaging program

If you want to re-INSTALL, you need just point a. above.

Great jaclaz

Now it is clear to me what I want to do.

Little queries:

1. As the new disc will be four times the size of the old one, will be able to resize partitions while performing the restoration of image if a use a imaging program?

2. Is there any other imaging program beside Acronis and Ghost which is user friendly [to be precise n00b friendly]?

Regards

[jaclaz]

1. As the new disc will be four times the size of the old one, will be able to resize partitions while performing the restoration of image if a use a imaging program?

Yes, "Commercial" programs should all have such a provision.

2. Is there any other imaging program beside Acronis and Ghost which is user friendly [to be precise n00b friendly]?

Since, to be accurate, you do not actually need an image, but rather you only need to clone the disk, this Freeware one could be just right for your scope:

http://www.miray.de/products/sat.hdclone.html#free

http://www.miray.de/download/sat.hdclone.html

The FREEWARE version is slower than the Commercial ones, of course, but since noone is chasing you, it might be worth at least a try, on the other hand, as it offers less options, it might be easier for a novice.

I think it will only expand the OLD "small" partition to a "bigger" one, but I guess it will be allright, there are other programs to resize/create expand partitions, that you can use later.

With reference to my previous post:

Divided in steps, you are going to:

1) Image one drive to another one, and boot from the new hard disk on the SAME machine

2) Transfer the new hard disk to ANOTHER machine and boot from it

Since your new HD is SATA and most probably you do not have a SATA interface on the old machine, the above won't be possible, you'll need to do something different:

1) Burn a bootable CD from the downloaded HDclone file, TEST it on BOTH the new and old PC to make sure it boots properly, do also test the "nlited" INSTALL CD, ideally you should try to install XP from THAT CD on the NEW machine (and later format the drive) to make sure that everything works as expected

2) "Prepare" the OLD IDE HD on the OLD machine by removing all devices from Device Manager, IMPORTANT do some preventive tries with just removing, say, the video card or PCI IDE driver and see if at next reboot it is redetected correctly, it is ESSENTIAL to be able to revert back if something goes wrong (one OLD working PC is still better than one non-working NEW one and definitely better than having two computers BOTH non-working). As soon as you are sure that the removal and re-detecting works (it is OK of a "standard" driver is re-loaded instead of the "specific" one, do the complete removal.

Do read this (Win2k, but most can be applied to XP too):

http://www.motherboard.windowsreinstall.com/win2k.htm

with particular attention to solution #4 and #6

3) Shutdown the OLD PC and DO NOT RE-BOOT IT, take the IDE HD out of it.

4) Go to the new PC and MAKE SURE that in the BIOS boot order is setup so that CD boots first, if possible disable booting from ANY HD alltogether

5) Try once again booting from CD to make sure

6) Shutdown new PC and install on it the OLD HD

7) Boot from the HDclone CD and perform the cloning

8) Once cloning is over, remove HDclone CD, shutdown the PC and remove the old HD

9) Power ON PC, go in the BIOS and set it to boot from CD first then HD, insert the "nlited" CD (WITH the SATA drivers for the new PC or be ready with a floppy with the "F6" drivers)

10) Boot from it and do the Repair as in:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

11) you might need to go through a series of re-boots, with a bit of luck, everything should work

The procedure above has the advantage that should anything go wrong, your OLD hard disk has got no modifications of any kind, so it will work if put back on the OLD machine, and you can start anew, maybe with a different software/procedure.

NEVER, and when I say NEVER, I mean NEVER allow the new machine to boot XP from HD when BOTH hard disks are connected to it.

If anything is not clear, do post your perplexities before starting the cloning.

A final advice:

take your time, possibly during a weekend, tell friends and relatives you are somewhere else, switch off your telephone, if possible have an alternate machine connected to the internet to be able to google your way or ask for help.

jaclaz

[src2206]

Thank you very much Jcalz

I tried to make a slipstream CD for unattended installation, but I could not understand where is the hotfixes/ update patches in my computer that I am supposed to point to this program. More over is it possible to include the .NET frameworks in this slipstream cd?

Any idea?

[jaclaz]

src2206,

with all due respect, my guess is that your falling in the basic error of newbies, i.e. wanting to do everything at once and in one step.

Unfortunately, most probably this way it won't work.

You should try making things one at a time, though a slower process, it is the only one that allows for easier troubleshooting and, ultimately, for success.

Specifically, an unattended CD is, well , UNATTENDED , there is NO WAY you can perform a Repair with an UNATTENDED CD, one fuction excludes the other, unless you make an UNATTENDED REPAIR CD, which you can ONLY use as Repair CD, pretty much useless to have .NET silently install with it....

I NEVER found anyone being able to create a fully working UNATTENDED CD in the first, say, less than 5 attempts, and only after a great number of tests in VM's.

Another thing is a PARTIALLY unattended CD, i.e. one where only some of the more "boring" things, like Serial number, Computer Name and Network, etc. are pre-set, but even this is not as easy to do as it might seem.

What you need is a "normal" NON-unattended slipstreamed CD, and (maybe later) another CD that can be UNATTENDED.

About .NET unattended install, start here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/Add_NET_framewor...tal_t60638.html

jaclaz