Vista PC Backup and Restore

My Vista installation seems irretrievably screwed up, and I am facing the
possibility of having to format and reinstall. I have a "Whole PC Backup" on
a separate hard-drive. If I format and reinstall Vista, then restore my
"whole PC Backup", will I just restore the screwed up copy of Vista, or is
the restore clever than that - ie does it only restore my programs and data
leaving the clean copy of Vista?

Rich T wrote:
> My Vista installation seems irretrievably screwed up, and I am facing
> the possibility of having to format and reinstall. I have a "Whole PC
> Backup" on a separate hard-drive. If I format and reinstall Vista, then
> restore my "whole PC Backup", will I just restore the screwed up copy of
> Vista, or is the restore clever than that - ie does it only restore my
> programs and data leaving the clean copy of Vista?

Buy a 2nd hard disk, your honor. Hard disks are cheap these days.

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (Xubuntu 7.04) Linux 2.6.24.1
^ ^ 20:17:01 up 6:30 0 users load average: 1.00 1.03 1.00
? ? (CSSA):
http://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/index/site_...ub_addressesa/

If you are going to reinstall vista from disk, forget the complete backup!
You will only overwrite the new install with garbage.

Back up all your Data before reinstalling.
And you will have to reinstall all your extra software applications that you
have installed since purchase of computer.

"Rich T" wrote:

> My Vista installation seems irretrievably screwed up, and I am facing the
> possibility of having to format and reinstall. I have a "Whole PC Backup" on
> a separate hard-drive. If I format and reinstall Vista, then restore my
> "whole PC Backup", will I just restore the screwed up copy of Vista, or is
> the restore clever than that - ie does it only restore my programs and data
> leaving the clean copy of Vista?
>

OK, thanks. If I have to do a complete clean reinstall of everything I may
as well go back to XP and save future hassles.


"Mick Murphy" <> wrote in message
news:C981D2A5-AC76-40E1-9558-...
> If you are going to reinstall vista from disk, forget the complete backup!
> You will only overwrite the new install with garbage.
>
> Back up all your Data before reinstalling.
> And you will have to reinstall all your extra software applications that
> you
> have installed since purchase of computer.
>
> "Rich T" wrote:
>
>> My Vista installation seems irretrievably screwed up, and I am facing the
>> possibility of having to format and reinstall. I have a "Whole PC Backup"
>> on
>> a separate hard-drive. If I format and reinstall Vista, then restore my
>> "whole PC Backup", will I just restore the screwed up copy of Vista, or
>> is
>> the restore clever than that - ie does it only restore my programs and
>> data
>> leaving the clean copy of Vista?
>>

Have you tried System Restore to a point before the problem occurred?

If you post specific problems you might receive a remedy.


"Rich T" <> wrote in message
news:20804CBF-4F04-40BD-BAB3-...
> My Vista installation seems irretrievably screwed up, and I am facing the
> possibility of having to format and reinstall. I have a "Whole PC Backup"
> on a separate hard-drive. If I format and reinstall Vista, then restore my
> "whole PC Backup", will I just restore the screwed up copy of Vista, or is
> the restore clever than that - ie does it only restore my programs and
> data leaving the clean copy of Vista?

You can go back to your XP, good luck but from the way you posted I suspect
you do not know how to handle Vista.

Why is it so screwed up? Who is to blame? Why is it not screwed up in many
other hands?

To be honest I "screwed up" at least 4 or 5 installation until I finally
figured out why it happened. It was entirely my fault, due to my impatience.
I tend to forestall events and click buttons before their time.

There are many ways to handle what you've got. It could be malware (if you
navigate questionable places on the Web), it could be other things, mostly
your impatience.

One way to handle Vista, if it is bootable is to leave it overnight with
Internet on.

Try it again in the morning. You will be surprised.

"Rich T" <> wrote in message
news:90B4AC1C-0680-4A74-8CFD-...
> OK, thanks. If I have to do a complete clean reinstall of everything I may
> as well go back to XP and save future hassles.
>
>
> "Mick Murphy" <> wrote in message
> news:C981D2A5-AC76-40E1-9558-...
>> If you are going to reinstall vista from disk, forget the complete
>> backup!
>> You will only overwrite the new install with garbage.
>>
>> Back up all your Data before reinstalling.
>> And you will have to reinstall all your extra software applications that
>> you
>> have installed since purchase of computer.
>>
>> "Rich T" wrote:
>>
>>> My Vista installation seems irretrievably screwed up, and I am facing
>>> the
>>> possibility of having to format and reinstall. I have a "Whole PC
>>> Backup" on
>>> a separate hard-drive. If I format and reinstall Vista, then restore my
>>> "whole PC Backup", will I just restore the screwed up copy of Vista, or
>>> is
>>> the restore clever than that - ie does it only restore my programs and
>>> data
>>> leaving the clean copy of Vista?
>>>
>

"Bob" <> wrote in message
news:. ..
> Have you tried System Restore to a point before the problem occurred?
>
System restore was one of the first things I tried - to no avail.

I have been having repeated USB failures since I upgraded to Vista (on a
brand new "Vista Ready" Dell DImension 9200). Everything worked perfectly,
as it should on XP for a good 4-5 months, until I upgraded to Vista.

At first, Vista would simply just fail to find USB drivers, so I had to help
it out by pointing it at windows/system32 folder, and deleting the
infcache1.inf file. This worked for a while, until USB accessories started
to fail at random. This got progressively worse. I followed all advice on
this forum, adding all the microsoft patches etc, but problems still
worsened becoming more regular and profound. Now I get repeated failures of
really basic accessories like mouse and keyboard, which is hugely
inconvenient.

I think from widespread reading around the internet of Vista/USB problems
that Microsoft just don't know what is going on any more.

There is still no fix for other Microsoft induced conflicts - eg if you have
digital fingerprint reader it conflicts with sidebar. Microsoft has just got
too big and one end doesn't know what the other is doing.

Make sure there are such files in this folder:

Directory of C:\Windows\Inf
angelusb.inf angelusb.PNF
irstusb.inf irstusb.PNF
stusb2ir.inf stusb2ir.PNF
usb.inf usb.PNF
usbccid.inf usbccid.PNF
usbcir.inf usbcir.PNF
usbport.inf usbport.PNF
usbprint.inf usbprint.PNF
usbstor.inf usbstor.PNF
usbvideo.inf usbvideo.PNF
wceusbsh.inf wceusbsh.PNF
wdma_usb.inf wdma_usb.PNF
winusb.inf winusb.PNF
26 File(s) 1,113,306 bytes
3 Dir(s) 53,645,410,304 bytes free
[usbhub]

Make sure there are such drivers:
Directory Windows\System32\drivers\
usb8023.sys USBAUDIO.sys
USBCAMD.sys USBCAMD2.sys
usbccgp.sys usbcir.sys
usbd.sys usbehci.sys
usbhub.sys usbohci.sys
usbport.sys usbprint.sys
USBSTOR.SYS usbuhci.sys
14 File(s) 857,472 bytes

In one of my Vistas 6 files were missing in the first directory and one
driver in second.

Although I fixed that it did not resolve the story completely. I had this
problem for many years in XP and then in Vista.

What I ended up doing after a person from another forum suggested me to do
was to purchase a Belkin Internal 5-Port USB PCI card. He purchased
Belkin's. I did not quite trust the maker but went for his pointer. It
resolved the eissue completely. I removed a firewire PCI card in the back
that I never used and plugged in Belkin. It isntalled itself and I've never
had any problems since.

This card and similar cards by other makers allow for the 5-th USB port to
be engaged. It is not exposed to the elements. It faces the internals of the
computer. However, if you have a floppy you do not need you can buy another
External USB card (not PCI) and mount it up front ripping off the floppy
drive. Thus you will have 8 fully functional USB ports and they will all
work.

I did it on 2 machines so far. I do not need to use the 5th, internal port.
I now have plenty.
"Rich T" <> wrote in message
news:29A59662-49C7-4BE9-A897-...
>
> "Bob" <> wrote in message
> news:. ..
>> Have you tried System Restore to a point before the problem occurred?
>>
> System restore was one of the first things I tried - to no avail.
>
> I have been having repeated USB failures since I upgraded to Vista (on a
> brand new "Vista Ready" Dell DImension 9200). Everything worked perfectly,
> as it should on XP for a good 4-5 months, until I upgraded to Vista.
>
> At first, Vista would simply just fail to find USB drivers, so I had to
> help it out by pointing it at windows/system32 folder, and deleting the
> infcache1.inf file. This worked for a while, until USB accessories
> started to fail at random. This got progressively worse. I followed all
> advice on this forum, adding all the microsoft patches etc, but problems
> still worsened becoming more regular and profound. Now I get repeated
> failures of really basic accessories like mouse and keyboard, which is
> hugely inconvenient.
>
> I think from widespread reading around the internet of Vista/USB problems
> that Microsoft just don't know what is going on any more.
>
> There is still no fix for other Microsoft induced conflicts - eg if you
> have digital fingerprint reader it conflicts with sidebar. Microsoft has
> just got too big and one end doesn't know what the other is doing.

On Sat, 9 Feb 2008 14:55:15 -0500, "AlexB" <> wrote:

>One way to handle Vista, if it is bootable is to leave it overnight with
>Internet on.
>
>Try it again in the morning. You will be surprised.

Alex

If there's a firewall in place etc
How could anything change?

David W

The "Whole PC Backup" is an image of your entire system, operating system
plus everything else. IF your system was screwed up when you made the image,
you will restore the same mess you had. In answer to your question "If I
format and reinstall Vista, then restore my
> "whole PC Backup", will I just restore the screwed up copy of Vista, or is
> the restore clever than that - ie does it only restore my programs and
> data leaving the clean copy of Vista? " DO NOT DO THAT! Instead, use the
> "Back up files" option and BE CERTAIN that you back up all user documents,
> favorites, and E-Mail files. ANYTHING you do not wish to lose! YOU WILL
> have to re-install all third party programs which are not part of VISTA.
When you restore from the "Back up files" routine AFTER you re-install
Vista, you are not likely to experience major problems. Be sure you store
your backups to a separate partition or hard drive.
Gene K
"Rich T" <> wrote in message
news:20804CBF-4F04-40BD-BAB3-...
> My Vista installation seems irretrievably screwed up, and I am facing the
> possibility of having to format and reinstall. I have a "Whole PC Backup"
> on a separate hard-drive. If I format and reinstall Vista, then restore my
> "whole PC Backup", will I just restore the screwed up copy of Vista, or is
> the restore clever than that - ie does it only restore my programs and
> data leaving the clean copy of Vista?