Is this realistic? Vista on HD and apps files etc. on another?

I want your opinion. I need to reformat and reinstall vista. A friend who
insists he is an expert told me to partition HD and put the vista operating
system on one drive and install and have everything else on another drive.
The reason he said is if I need to reinstall vista I do not have to
reinstall everything else like I am doing now. I am skeptical. (Definitely
do not want this guy touching my computer.)
Questions:
1. Assume I figure out and do this install configuration correctly. Can I
actually reinstall Vista later if needed without causing trouble with my
apps on the other drive (partition?)?
2. I use Vista Windows Mail as my email client. Does using Windows Mail
make this configuration irrelevant?
3. How easy or difficult to do this? When does "The law of diminishing
returns" start to apply? Will there be sufficient benefit for the amount of
work invested configuring this way?

Thanks for your help!
Bob

Background info: AcerAMD4400+64X2 320gbHD 4GBmemVista32bitHomePremSP2

Unfortunately, your "expert friend" is incorrect. If you were to install
your programs on a separate drive or partition, the registry values are
in the Windows Vista operating system. If you were to reinstall Vista,
the registry would no long be valid for the programs and re-installation
of your programs would be required.

I would recommend that you perform regularly scheduled backups and
consider purchasing a drive imaging program, such as Acronis True Image:
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/


On 2/2/2010 8:46 PM, Bob wrote:
> I want your opinion. I need to reformat and reinstall vista. A friend
> who insists he is an expert told me to partition HD and put the vista
> operating system on one drive and install and have everything else on
> another drive. The reason he said is if I need to reinstall vista I do
> not have to reinstall everything else like I am doing now. I am
> skeptical. (Definitely do not want this guy touching my computer.)
> Questions:
> 1. Assume I figure out and do this install configuration correctly. Can
> I actually reinstall Vista later if needed without causing trouble with
> my apps on the other drive (partition?)?
> 2. I use Vista Windows Mail as my email client. Does using Windows Mail
> make this configuration irrelevant?
> 3. How easy or difficult to do this? When does "The law of diminishing
> returns" start to apply? Will there be sufficient benefit for the amount
> of work invested configuring this way?
>
> Thanks for your help!
> Bob
>
> Background info: AcerAMD4400+64X2 320gbHD 4GBmemVista32bitHomePremSP2
>

Thank You!!
It sounded too good to be true.
I read at Download.com user reviews that Acronis damaged some users
computers and had to reinstall OS & apps. I know Acronis is considered the
best. Is it worth the risk?
Bob

"Bob" <bobbREMOVE-> wrote in message
news:...
>I want your opinion. I need to reformat and reinstall vista. A friend who
>insists he is an expert told me to partition HD and put the vista operating
>system on one drive and install and have everything else on another drive.
>The reason he said is if I need to reinstall vista I do not have to
>reinstall everything else like I am doing now. I am skeptical.
>(Definitely do not want this guy touching my computer.)
> Questions:
> 1. Assume I figure out and do this install configuration correctly. Can I
> actually reinstall Vista later if needed without causing trouble with my
> apps on the other drive (partition?)?
> 2. I use Vista Windows Mail as my email client. Does using Windows Mail
> make this configuration irrelevant?
> 3. How easy or difficult to do this? When does "The law of diminishing
> returns" start to apply? Will there be sufficient benefit for the amount
> of work invested configuring this way?
>
> Thanks for your help!
> Bob
>
> Background info: AcerAMD4400+64X2 320gbHD 4GBmemVista32bitHomePremSP2
>

"Bob" <bobbREMOVE-> wrote in message
news:...
> Thank You!!
> It sounded too good to be true.
> I read at Download.com user reviews that Acronis damaged some users
> computers and had to reinstall OS & apps. I know Acronis is considered
> the best. Is it worth the risk?
> Bob
>
> "Bob" <bobbREMOVE-> wrote in message
> news:...
>>I want your opinion. I need to reformat and reinstall vista. A friend
>>who insists he is an expert told me to partition HD and put the vista
>>operating system on one drive and install and have everything else on
>>another drive. The reason he said is if I need to reinstall vista I do not
>>have to reinstall everything else like I am doing now. I am skeptical.
>>(Definitely do not want this guy touching my computer.)
>> Questions:
>> 1. Assume I figure out and do this install configuration correctly. Can
>> I actually reinstall Vista later if needed without causing trouble with
>> my apps on the other drive (partition?)?
>> 2. I use Vista Windows Mail as my email client. Does using Windows Mail
>> make this configuration irrelevant?
>> 3. How easy or difficult to do this? When does "The law of diminishing
>> returns" start to apply? Will there be sufficient benefit for the amount
>> of work invested configuring this way?
>>
>> Thanks for your help!
>> Bob
>>
>> Background info: AcerAMD4400+64X2 320gbHD 4GBmemVista32bitHomePremSP2
>>
>

Acronis True Image won't damage anything. You don't even have to install
it, as there's a CD iso file available for download to purchasers of the
latest version, so you can boot from the CD and take a full snapshot of one
or more partitions to (for example) a connected USB drive. And it's well
worth doing - if your disk fails you can simply buy a blank replacement and
restore the image to it. Keeping your image up-to-date is naturally a good
idea.

There is a case for moving your data to another partition. If you have
jugabytes of photos, downloads, etc you may want to back them up separately
(and more often) than your "System" which won't change so often. In XP, you
could change the Properties of the "My Documents" folder so that it referred
to a different location anywhere on your computer. In Vista, you can do
this for any of the folders underneath your Profile name: Documents,
Downloads, Pictures, etc. If you partition your machine (or have an
additional disk) you should be able to have a System partition with Windows
and Applications on it, with the greater proportion of data elsewhere, which
makes for convenient imaging (of the System partition) and backup (of your
data). I'm assuming that True Image doesn't follow these links - I'll
verify this for myself next time I create a disk image!

Worth noting you can also fool Windows into thinking that a folder's
location is in a different place: see the "junction" utility on the
Sysinternals.com site. I've done this with the folder used to synchronise
my Windows Mobile device - the software, inflexibly, demands that the
synchronisation folder is within your Documents folder. I've used a
junction point to have it where I want it (on another disk, for backup
purposes).

Phil, London

"Philip Herlihy" <> wrote in message
news:#...
>
> "Bob" <bobbREMOVE-> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Thank You!!
>> It sounded too good to be true.
>> I read at Download.com user reviews that Acronis damaged some users
>> computers and had to reinstall OS & apps. I know Acronis is considered
>> the best. Is it worth the risk?
>> Bob
>>
>> "Bob" <bobbREMOVE-> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>>I want your opinion. I need to reformat and reinstall vista. A friend
>>>who insists he is an expert told me to partition HD and put the vista
>>>operating system on one drive and install and have everything else on
>>>another drive. The reason he said is if I need to reinstall vista I do
>>>not have to reinstall everything else like I am doing now. I am
>>>skeptical. (Definitely do not want this guy touching my computer.)
>>> Questions:
>>> 1. Assume I figure out and do this install configuration correctly. Can
>>> I actually reinstall Vista later if needed without causing trouble with
>>> my apps on the other drive (partition?)?
>>> 2. I use Vista Windows Mail as my email client. Does using Windows Mail
>>> make this configuration irrelevant?
>>> 3. How easy or difficult to do this? When does "The law of diminishing
>>> returns" start to apply? Will there be sufficient benefit for the
>>> amount of work invested configuring this way?
>>>
>>> Thanks for your help!
>>> Bob
>>>
>>> Background info: AcerAMD4400+64X2 320gbHD 4GBmemVista32bitHomePremSP2
>>>
>>
>
> Acronis True Image won't damage anything. You don't even have to install
> it, as there's a CD iso file available for download to purchasers of the
> latest version, so you can boot from the CD and take a full snapshot of
> one or more partitions to (for example) a connected USB drive. And it's
> well worth doing - if your disk fails you can simply buy a blank
> replacement and restore the image to it. Keeping your image up-to-date is
> naturally a good idea.
>
> There is a case for moving your data to another partition. If you have
> jugabytes of photos, downloads, etc you may want to back them up
> separately (and more often) than your "System" which won't change so
> often. In XP, you could change the Properties of the "My Documents"
> folder so that it referred to a different location anywhere on your
> computer. In Vista, you can do this for any of the folders underneath
> your Profile name: Documents, Downloads, Pictures, etc. If you partition
> your machine (or have an additional disk) you should be able to have a
> System partition with Windows and Applications on it, with the greater
> proportion of data elsewhere, which makes for convenient imaging (of the
> System partition) and backup (of your data). I'm assuming that True Image
> doesn't follow these links - I'll verify this for myself next time I
> create a disk image!
>
> Worth noting you can also fool Windows into thinking that a folder's
> location is in a different place: see the "junction" utility on the
> Sysinternals.com site. I've done this with the folder used to synchronise
> my Windows Mobile device - the software, inflexibly, demands that the
> synchronisation folder is within your Documents folder. I've used a
> junction point to have it where I want it (on another disk, for backup
> purposes).
>
> Phil, London

You may find this one-day-only free offer of interest:
http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/hard-disk-manager-2009/

Alternatively, disk manufacturers often provide a basic disk-imaging tool
(in many cases a cut-down version of True Image) on their websites. You can
see what your disk is by drilling down in Device Manager (right-click My
Computer and pick Manage).

Phil

On Tue, 2 Feb 2010 20:46:29 -0600, "Bob"
<bobbREMOVE-> wrote:

> I want your opinion. I need to reformat and reinstall vista.


Why? How do you know? It's very often the wrong thing to do.


> A friend who
> insists he is an expert told me to partition HD and put the vista operating
> system on one drive and install and have everything else on another drive.
> The reason he said is if I need to reinstall vista I do not have to
> reinstall everything else like I am doing now. I am skeptical. (Definitely
> do not want this guy touching my computer.)



Your skepticism is very appropriate in this case. Your friend is *not*
an expert and is completely wrong, Except for an occasional, typically
small, program, all programs have entries and references within the
registry and elsewhere in \windows. They can't be run under Windows
unless they were installed in that copy of Windows. So if you
reinstall Windows or cleanly install another version of Windows, you
will have to reinstall your programs from the original media after you
reinstall Windows.



> Questions:
> 1. Assume I figure out and do this install configuration correctly. Can I
> actually reinstall Vista later if needed without causing trouble with my
> apps on the other drive (partition?)?


No.


> 2. I use Vista Windows Mail as my email client. Does using Windows Mail
> make this configuration irrelevant?


I'm not sure I understand the question, but if I do, the answer is no.


> 3. How easy or difficult to do this?


Two partitions, with everything but Windows on D:? It's very easy, but
still a poor idea.


> When does "The law of diminishing
> returns" start to apply? Will there be sufficient benefit for the amount of
> work invested configuring this way?


No benefit at all.

You might like to read this article I've written: "Understanding Disk
Partitioning" at
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=326

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

On 2/2/2010 8:46 PM, Bob wrote:
> I want your opinion. I need to reformat and reinstall vista. A friend
> who insists he is an expert told me to partition HD and put the vista
> operating system on one drive and install and have everything else on
> another drive. The reason he said is if I need to reinstall vista I do
> not have to reinstall everything else like I am doing now. I am
> skeptical. (Definitely do not want this guy touching my computer.)
> Questions:
> 1. Assume I figure out and do this install configuration correctly. Can
> I actually reinstall Vista later if needed without causing trouble with
> my apps on the other drive (partition?)?
> 2. I use Vista Windows Mail as my email client. Does using Windows Mail
> make this configuration irrelevant?
> 3. How easy or difficult to do this? When does "The law of diminishing
> returns" start to apply? Will there be sufficient benefit for the amount
> of work invested configuring this way?
>
> Thanks for your help!
> Bob
>
> Background info: AcerAMD4400+64X2 320gbHD 4GBmemVista32bitHomePremSP2
>

that's not accurate. If you had to reinstall your OS, even if the apps
are on another drive, you would more than likely STILL have to reinstall
them as some programs place files in your system folders as well as
makes registry changes that would not be there any longer with a fresh
install. The other suggestions in this thread of using Acronis True
Image to back up to a external drive is a great idea.

Thanks again!!
Bob

"Bob" <bobbREMOVE-> wrote in message
news:...
>I want your opinion. I need to reformat and reinstall vista. A friend who
>insists he is an expert told me to partition HD and put the vista operating
>system on one drive and install and have everything else on another drive.
>The reason he said is if I need to reinstall vista I do not have to
>reinstall everything else like I am doing now. I am skeptical.
>(Definitely do not want this guy touching my computer.)
> Questions:
> 1. Assume I figure out and do this install configuration correctly. Can I
> actually reinstall Vista later if needed without causing trouble with my
> apps on the other drive (partition?)?
> 2. I use Vista Windows Mail as my email client. Does using Windows Mail
> make this configuration irrelevant?
> 3. How easy or difficult to do this? When does "The law of diminishing
> returns" start to apply? Will there be sufficient benefit for the amount
> of work invested configuring this way?
>
> Thanks for your help!
> Bob
>
> Background info: AcerAMD4400+64X2 320gbHD 4GBmemVista32bitHomePremSP2
>

I have had Acronis damage my system (this one under Vista, before I
upgraded to 7) and now I use the somewhat similar program Macrium
reflect, which I am happy with.

Belt and suspenders: I also use Casper to create clones on a different
backup disk. One problem (really two): (1) the rescue CD won't boot on
my laptop, and (2) Tech Support didn't support...

On 2/02/10, Bob posted:
> Thank You!!
> It sounded too good to be true.
> I read at Download.com user reviews that Acronis damaged some users computers
> and had to reinstall OS & apps. I know Acronis is considered the best. Is
> it worth the risk?
> Bob

> "Bob" <bobbREMOVE-> wrote in message
> news:...
>>I want your opinion. I need to reformat and reinstall vista. A friend who
>> insists he is an expert told me to partition HD and put the vista operating
>> system on one drive and install and have everything else on another drive.
>> The reason he said is if I need to reinstall vista I do not have to
>> reinstall everything else like I am doing now. I am skeptical. (Definitely
>> do not want this guy touching my computer.)
>> Questions:
>> 1. Assume I figure out and do this install configuration correctly. Can I
>> actually reinstall Vista later if needed without causing trouble with my
>> apps on the other drive (partition?)?
>> 2. I use Vista Windows Mail as my email client. Does using Windows Mail
>> make this configuration irrelevant?
>> 3. How easy or difficult to do this? When does "The law of diminishing
>> returns" start to apply? Will there be sufficient benefit for the amount
>> of work invested configuring this way?
>>
>> Thanks for your help!
>> Bob
>>
>> Background info: AcerAMD4400+64X2 320gbHD 4GBmemVista32bitHomePremSP2
>>

--
Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com

"Gene E. Bloch" <> wrote in message
news:...
>I have had Acronis damage my system (this one under Vista, before I
>upgraded to 7) and now I use the somewhat similar program Macrium reflect,
>which I am happy with.
>


I completely agree with you. I bought Acronis a few months ago and most of
the program worked, a little buggy, but OK. Some of the back up options
(email) never worked. Then it stopped being able to back up. I installed
Macrium Reflect and it worked flawlessly. I even had to restore a 2 day old
back up when I found I couldn't repair Vista's current problem any other
way. Reinstalled the image and it was like the machine 2 days prior. I
could have saved the $40 I spent on Acronis!

John