Backing up huge files....

[raden0887]

Hi,

Im working on a this computer, and I would like to reformat and reinstall the OS. I also have about 22GB of files that I need, music, videos, pictures, and such.

What are my options to do this.



PS: This computer has USB 1.1 which is the same transfer speed as my 802.11b network. All PC's in the house use XP.


Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Zxian]

There are several ways of doing this.

One way is to transfer the needed files over to another computer in the house (if it has the storage space). You can do this either by a USB transfer cable (not a standard USB cable), or via your network. One very helpful thing when transferring files over the network is to disconnect the router (I'm guessing that you have one) from the internet, and disable any AV software that you have running on each of the computers in question. Only do this once you have disconnected the internet!!!!

Another way of doing it is to partition your hard drive and store the files on the other partition(s). For me, I have 3 partitions on my hard drive, 1 for Windows & programs, 1 for music, and 1 for general stuff. That way, if I need/want to reformat and install Windows, my data is still available once I've completed the reinstall. Another advantage of this, is that my computer is independent, i.e. I don't need another computer to backup onto and copy files to.

If you want, you can transfer your files and then use the WindowsXP setup to create the partitons you want on your hard drive. Just note that once you have set the size of your partitions you will not be able to change the size of the system partition (the one Windows is on) from within Windows. You will be able to resize the other partitions provided that they have enough free space. You can also do this using third party software, such as PartitionMagic (highly recommended). PM will allow you to resize the system partition even after Windows has been installed.

Just to be safe, transfer your files to another computer and set up the partitions the way you want them. Then, you can transfer your files back to the partitions as you please. You can even use the partitions to organize your files (like I've done with my music).

As for transferring all that data... set it up over the network and then go and grab a coffee, read the newspaper, watch TV... whatever... and come back a couple of hours later... 22 gigs will take a while.

Hope this helps.

[raden0887]

Yeah, thanks dude, what you told me worked out well, I hooked up to the 2 computers with a router and took out the internet, I left the AV on just to keep the system secure. It took me just under an hour to transfer the 22 gigs of files.




Thanks