I have a pc that I need to install a fresh OS (XP Pro) on.  Before I "nuke and pave" I want to be able to "backup" all my files and programs and have the programs operational when I restore them.  Is Ghost 2003 capable of this ...... or do I need to "clone" everything except the OS partition .... and can THAT be done ... or must I painstakingly reinstall each program?

VERY NEW to Ghost!  Thanks for any advice!

No, that's the beauty of an image. It restores your system to the exact state it was in at the time of the image. Installed programs will still be installed. Any programs installed after the image was created will need to be reinstalled after you restore the image.

Thanks for the reply, but it doesn't really answer my question.  Here's the scenario:  I am trying to add IIS to my XP Pro install (SP3).  When I attempt to install IIS I get an error message telling me files are missing.  I've followed the recommended procedures from 2 dozen folks who have had the same problem and they've all failed.  Ergo, I'm considering a "nuke and pave", but I don't want to have to reinstall the several programs I use on a daily basis.  Conversely, I don't want the current XP Pro install restored to my clean slate, figuring I'll have the same problem.  So the question is, can I Ghost everything "except" the OS Partition and reimage it back onto a clean install of XP Pro?  Someone told me I should ask Scotty to "beam me back up" when I asked them this question, but he couldn't swear it could NOT be done.  So I figured I'd come to the "brain trust'.

@ Tommy Bond

So I can understand your system, how many partitions are on your HD, sizes, how full?

@ Tommy Bond


Quote:

I want to be able to "backup" all my files and programs and have the programs operational when I restore them.  Is Ghost 2003 capable of this

No.  And, no other version of Ghost can do this either--that I'm aware of.  For that matter, I am unaware of any imaging program that will do that for you--they are *backup* programs--they record all the ones and zeros that exist on a HDD (you can control to some extent which ones and zeros you want to back up--such as file or folders, or only certain partitions, but the imaging programs do not isolate only those ones and zeros that represent an installed program and restore those exact ones and zeros so the program will be functional on another computer or freshly reinstalled OS), and they will restore those ones and zeros exactly as backed up.

Most imaging programs will allow you to restore only certain files from a backup image--so you can restore your data files from a different OS or system from the one you are currently working on--but, you will not have a *functional* program that works on those files that have been restored!

For most current WinOS's, ,most programs require that you have *Registry* entries specific to that program added to the Registry in order to have a *functional* program that works--that means you have to *install* the program so those entries are created.

Imaging programs do not track down and isolate specific programs and their Registry entries to backup or restore.

The function you are looking for is a *Migration* tool.  I believe that current Win OS's have a migration tool that will transfer your current OS settings, and maybe some Microsoft programs' data and transfer that to a new system or newly installed OS--I've not used those and have only glanced at their functionality--so I'm not sure of the full extent to which they function or work.

There is a tool by Symantec that was included in it's *Norton SystemWorks* called *Norton CleanSweep* that has a *migration* function!  I believe that program was first available for the Win98 OS--but, maybe for Win95.  I know it was included in the Norton SystemWorks 2003 Professional Edition, and that was/is for WinXP.  Here's a quote from its Help file:


Quote:

The Norton CleanSweep Backup Wizard safely compresses infrequently used programs to provide more disk space. You can move the compressed backup to a new location or copy it to a different computer. Restore Wizard ensures that all of the program's related files are restored when you want to use the program again. It also restores registry values.

So, it makes a compressed backup, and allows you to *remove* that installed program from its current installed location.  And, later restore it if you need it--on the same computer or a different computer (you have to install Norton CleanSweep on that second computer or newly installed OS before you can do the restore).  I'm not sure it specifically will backup program *Data* files that you have created--unless they are being stored in the sub-directory(s) of the installed program--some programs want to store Data files elsewhere--like under *My Documents*--so you have to *watch out* for that possibility.

I have used CleanSweep a number of times--it has always worked without any problem--even on some fairly large programs--but, I have not tried it on a lot of programs--I don't know if it would work with something like MS Word, etc.  I migrated a Win98se program to a WinXP OS that was installed on a separate partition on the same HDD that was being booted separately from the Win98se partition (i.e. I was not using the MS way of multi-booting where you get a boot menu and the boot files of the two OS's are interdependent--I switch between *active, bootable* partitions instead).

So, you're not looking for *imaging programs*, you want to do a Google search for *migration programs* to see what you come up with.

Let us know what you find out!


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When I attempt to install IIS I get an error message telling me files are missing...... Ergo, I'm considering a "nuke and pave",......... I don't want the current XP Pro install restored to my clean slate

Just out of curiosity--why do you think a clean install of WinXP will solve the problem?  If you don't have a *good answer* to that question, then, if I were you,--before wiping out your current OS on your current HDD--I'd invest in a spare HDD, remove your current HDD, install the new spare HDD, and do your clean install on that.  If it actually solves your problem, then re-install your old HDD and proceed in whatever manner you planned!