henriette

Just some quick comments to get this under way.

henriette wrote on Jul 8^th, 2012 at 1:06pm:


I have Win7 on a computer much slower than yours. It runs fine.

henriette wrote on Jul 8^th, 2012 at 1:06pm:


Have a look at Image for DOS. It can run from a floppy, CD or USBFD.

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/downloads-image-for-dos.htm

There is a 30 day free trial and I suggest using the GUI version as it is a little easier to use than the CUI version.

henriette wrote on Jul 8^th, 2012 at 1:06pm:


Make sure you install Win7 into a partition rather than into unallocated space. That way you avoid getting a 100 MB System Reserved Partition and your booting files will be inside the Win7 partition.

henriette wrote on Jul 8^th, 2012 at 1:06pm:


Using it will be easier than you expected.

henriette

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Well, several of the regulars here have built their own systems over the years--we can probably help you do it on your own, with on-line web *how to's*, etc. if need be.  Also, many of the new user manuals that come with motherboards are pretty good at showing the steps and have pictures to help as well.

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Ghost 2003 works just fine on systems with Win7!!!!  There are some steps involved to make using Ghost 2003 (or any imaging program for that matter) *easier*--but, those steps are not as hard as you think from reading some of the posts here--things are always harder looking than when you actually sit down and do them!

Ghost 2003 was developed in the WinXP era--before Win Vista was released.  Microsoft changed the way Windows boots with the release of Win Vista and Ghost 2003 doesn't understand that.  But, you can work around that with Ghost 2003, if you know what's needed--and you can change how you install Windows to make it even easier--and you can change the Windows boot sequence so it acts just like old WinXP--that makes things even easier yet!

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Brian has already suggested one of the most common, widely used alternate to Ghost for the consumer.  He has already mentioned that making some of the changes to the *standard* install of Win7 to make even that imaging program *easier* to use.

I'll comment on the other items later, have to run for now.

henriette

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As you have figured out--SRP is not equal to *System Restore Point*--it's the *System Reserved Partition*.

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Yes, it's a *pain*--mostly because it has no meaning or use to the average user (I'll explain that in a minute)!  But, don't let it *throw you*--it's really fairly simple once you get the reasons why it exists.

The SRP is simply a *partition*--it is used by Win7 (started with Vista--but, I think you had to create it manually for Vista--was not created by default until Win7).

It's the *boot partition*.  Why do we need a *boot partition* you ask?  *We* don't!!!!!   Beginning with Win Vista, Microsoft began offering a whole drive encryption program called *BitLocker* -- but, that program option only comes if you purchased the Ultimate or Enterprise editions of Windows--which very few average Windows consumers purchase--it does not come with the *Pro* versions of Windows.  But, Microsoft set up the installation program to create that partition for *everyone* even though it has no use, again, to the average user.

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So why the *boot partition* for the users of *BitLocker*?  Because, you can not boot a system from an *encrypted* drive--there has to be at least one partition that is unencrypted for the system to begin the boot process--i.e. has the initial boot files.  Once the user enters their password into the initial unencrypted boot sequence, then the system continues on to the encrypted OS partition.

The other *feature* of the new boot files--they are, by default, locked to a specific HDD and partition that has an identification tag associated with it.  That's where older imaging programs begin to have problems.  When they restore an image--that ID for the HDD is erased and a new one is created--and that means the partition ID number is no longer that same--because it's based on the HDD ID number.  So the boot files will not find the correct HDD and partition--and you will have a boot failure.  This can be *fixed* by using the Windows installation CD and running a *boot repair* sequence.

But, the two above issues can be *by-passed*!  If you install Win7 onto HDD that has already been partitioned--using an appropriate sequence, you can avoid having the installation program create that SRP.  (When you have the SRP that contains the boot files, and a separate OS partition--then the OS partition depends on the presence of the SRP in order to boot--even if you are not using encryption--so you have to back up both partitions--and if needed, restore both partitions if installing a new HDD--you can't just backup and restore the OS partition by itself (you can if you are restoring to the same HDD and there has been no changes to the HDD ID--if that changes (by having the old imaging program zeroing the disk ID--which is what Ghost 2003 does by default), then you will have a boot failure--again, you can *fix* that problem!

And the second problem of having the boot files *locked* to a specific HDD ID--you can do what's called *generalizing* the boot files so they no longer look for that specific HDD ID--but instead just look for the *device*--i.e. the HDD that is to be booted from based on the BIOS settings.

So, if you do the above two changes--Win7 will now act like your current WinXP acts as far as Ghost 2003 is concerned.  You can backup and restore your OS to present or replacement HDDs, and it should boot without any issues.  And, you do not have to jump through any new *hoops* or add any special settings to how you run Ghost 2003.

Making the above two changes requires jumping through some *hoops* that are not the *default* setup for installing Win7--but they are not that hard to do--just have to follow the sequence of steps in an outline.  They are easier to do when setting up and installing a new Win7 installation--harder to do if you allow the installation program to install Win7 using the default installation process first, and then trying to *fix* it!

I haven't gone into the details of how to make the above fixes--that can wait until you actually need to jump through those *hoops*!

2nd part ASRock board specs attached!

henriette 

henriette

So, a continuation of the last post:

Quoting from the  Windows Vista editions--re:  64 bit :  (I know--it's not the Win7 entry!)

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Gives you some idea of the pluses and minuses of 64 bit.

With 32 bit, you can access only approximately 3.5 GB of RAM.  You are only going to gain, with your 4 GB of RAM--about 0.5 GB of usable RAM by using the 64 bit version of Win7.  So unless you plan on adding more RAM (this would allow you to work with larger files that can be loaded into RAM--I suspect, unless you are doing video or photo editing, CAD design programs, huge spread sheets, etc., you probably will not actually need those large amounts of RAM! 

So, it's a tough decision--64 or 32 bit--I think I will stay with 32 bit for now, until I run into a *must have* feature or program that *requires* 64 bit--so I will have to be *pushed*  !

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Not familiar with that--links?

henriette

Just a couple quick comments--I don't have more time this morning--but, I'll come back later with other comments on the other points of your post:

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Just to be clear--we're talking about the *monitor* here--there's no system interaction between the two systems!  You unplug the monitor hooked up to the WinXP system, move it if needed to where the Win7 system is sitting, plug it in to the graphic's port of the Win7 system, use it until you're done on that system, then unplug and move it back to the other system!  *Sharing* doesn't mean the two systems access the same monitor at the same time in this case!  You will not have both systems up and running at the same time!

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Sometimes I have no idea what you have just said  --*aso. aso. - EXCEPT BIOS upd nothing yet*--I'm sure this means (meant?) something to you--but I'm lost for what you're trying to tell us here!

Had to do some searching--finally figured out that *graca* is slang for *graphics card*!

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So, you already have a monitor that can only use digital input?

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I assume you are talking about PCIe v1.x vs v2.x vs 3.x--and not the *x1* slot vs the *x16* slot?

If you're talking about an *x1* card, that might not be the *best* option for an add-on graphics card--2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots) . 

Read here:  What kind of expansion slot should you use for your video card?

Unfortunately, your user manual does not specifically say whether your PCIe slots are v2.x or v1.x!  Based on this thread, you probably have PCIe v1.x:  What pcie slot version i have? (Chipset:NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430) .  It talks about how to run software to determine what you have--but the system has to be up and running for this!




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You might want to get a small brown paper bag, crumple up the opening, and hold it to your mouth--breath in and out slowly     --(just kidding  !)  But, you often times sound like you're *hyperventilating* over things that you have not even began to do!  Sit back and relax--you can hook everything up, install Win7,.--you can set your system up *as is* and it will probably run without any additional intervention on your part.  And then, as time permits--do updates and upgrades--add various add-on cards, tweak the Win7 OS, etc., etc!

More to come later.

henriette

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Made me laugh  !

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I understand--but, you said you were limited by spending more $ on hardware and software for now--you have a motherboard that has a built in Graphics Chip, but it has only an analog output--so you do not have to buy a Digital Output Graphics card for now (although, you can probably get a good one for around $50.00 USD)--that could be a future upgrade.  If your current monitor will accept an analog connection--an analog cord is probably *cheap*!

In the past, I have tried both analog and digital outputs on the same system--honestly, I could not see a difference in quality or rendering speed.  Maybe there are some circumstances where one can see a difference--I couldn't!

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You should be able to use any 2.0 or 2.1 version of the PCIE (x16) graphics card--they are all supposed to be *backward compatible*--so should work fine on your motherboard--just won't have the v2.x capabilities--but, that's the limitation of the motherboard--not the PCIE card!

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I mentioned a link above--is this the correct one:

NightOwl wrote on Jul 16^th, 2012 at 9:59am:


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Well, you switched from talking about the *communication* cable to the *power supply* cable for the floppy drive--two different things!  The floppy drive uses it own separate, specific *communication* cable--not the same as the HDD or optical drive  com cable--in older floppy drives, you could connect that cable either way in the receptacle--if you reversed it, you could fry the floppy drive and/or possibly the motherboard--newer floppy drive are *keyed* so the cable can only go one way--so be careful about that hookup!

Also, floppy drives have their own special power input connector--but most power supplies come with at least one power outlet connector for floppy drive type connectors.

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Correct--you should be able to download everything that's needed.  Often older boards don't have any new drivers after a couple years on the market.

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Well, that's what I said I was going to do    --didn't necessarily mean you should:

NightOwl wrote on Jul 16^th, 2012 at 10:13am:


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You don't *need* a graphics card--that could be a later upgrade as mentioned before. 

You don't need a LAN card--that's also available as a built in on your motherboard!  Specifications

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You can not hook up two PATA HDDs and two PATA optical drives--you have only one PATA communication cable hookup on the motherboard.  Each PATA com cable can have a max of two PATA devices--mix or match HDDs or optical drives.  You will have to use the 4 SATA ports for SATA devices if you want more than the two PATA devices.

Or, you could buy a PCI PATA controller and hook it up to one of the PCI slots to add additional PATA devices--there's always one more way to do things on a computer!