Help on cloning/copying EVERYTHING

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drkfire4

New Member
hello, I am having a little confusion in terms and do not know exactly what to call the type of software im searching for. I have a desktop and a laptop, both high quality, both have a 500 gig HDD, and both run windows xp. I want to find a program that copies all files, applications, registries, documents, settings, everything but the windows files.

I looked into synching software and it seemed to not copy registry information, only files. I looked into cloning but it seemed like cloning was more for backing up information.

I use my desktop all the time, and my laptop is used only when I travel or visit at a friends house. I want a program that can allow me to hook my laptop up to my desktop via w/e connection is required, "update" its files, applications, everything to mirror that of my desktop's, and then take my laptop wherever I please along with all files, documents and games running perfectly.

the main issue i see is copying the registry. Any advice?
 
First of all: NEVER USE ANY PROGRAMS FOR CLONING THE HDD ESPEICALLY THOSE WHICH DO THAT DIRECTLY FROM WINDOWS ENVIRONMENT!!!

---WHY???---

Because the next time you are returning your cloned HDD back,you can get many errors of missing files and Windows will not work at all.The reason why this is happening is simple,but I am not going to explain it here otherwise my post would be too long.

What I recommend you to use is the simple Linux Ubuntu version 9.04.If you clone your HDD with it,THERE IS NO CHANCE THAT YOUR CLONED HDD WON'T WORK LATER.;):good:
I have used few programs for cloning the HDD and sometimes for no reason they just don't clone your HDD properly.But with the Linux Ubuntu version 9.04 I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS.IT ALWAYS CLONED MY ENTIRE HDD PROPERLY.Of course the cloning process would take up to 3 hours,depending on the size of your used space on your HDD,but who cares.3 hours isn't that long.

Many people will recommend you many different programs for cloning the HDD and most of them do that directly from the Windows environment WHAT IS A VERY BAD IDEA!!!
THE HDD MUST BE CLONED WHILE IT IS TOTALLY INACTIVE!!!

If you want to clone your entire HDD using the Linux Ubuntu version 9.04,(WHAT I RECOMMEND YOU TO DO),tell me and I will be glad to tell you.It's really simple and 100% safe.;)
And yes,it copies EVERYTHING.It copies EVERY single file from your HDD ---> ALL YOUR DATA SUCH AS PROGRAMS,GAMES,MUSICS,PICTURES,MOVIES,ALL TEXT FILES,EVERY SINGLE FILE AND FOLDER,ALL THE REGISTRY,ENTIRE OPERATING SYSTEM AND EVERYTHING ELSE...
In short it copies your ENTIRE HARD DISK DRIVE.So don't worry about losing the data because you won't lose a single byte.;)

One more thing: With the Linux Ubuntu 9.04 OS you can also copy your entire computer's HDD to totally different computer's HDD.And yes it will work.It will work like charm!Only you will of course need to install the drivers for that other computer since the hardware is different,and MAYBE,(not always),replace one small part of the registry.But thats very simple.

Anyway you think about it and tell me wether you would like to know how to do this.



Cheers!
 
drkfire4 said:
hello, I am having a little confusion in terms and do not know exactly what to call the type of software im searching for. I have a desktop and a laptop, both high quality, both have a 500 gig HDD, and both run windows xp. I want to find a program that copies all files, applications, registries, documents, settings, everything but the windows files.

I looked into synching software and it seemed to not copy registry information, only files. I looked into cloning but it seemed like cloning was more for backing up information.

I use my desktop all the time, and my laptop is used only when I travel or visit at a friends house. I want a program that can allow me to hook my laptop up to my desktop via w/e connection is required, "update" its files, applications, everything to mirror that of my desktop's, and then take my laptop wherever I please along with all files, documents and games running perfectly.

the main issue i see is copying the registry. Any advice?
Click to expand...

Why dont you use the tool that allready came with windows the one called
Windows easy transfer tool that copies all the files that you whant,system settings,favourites,and more but less the programs that are installed because
that is impossible without copying the windows it self.
to reach it:
Start
All Programs
Acessories
System Tools
Windows easy Transfer
Choose what you whant to backup and put in a USB pen/HDD or by network
and click start
After he did that go to the other computer, start the same program and choose restore from file backed up and click restore.
Hope that helps
 
canivari said:
Why dont you use the tool that allready came with windows the one called
Windows easy transfer tool that copies all the files that you whant,system settings,favourites,and more but less the programs that are installed because
that is impossible without copying the windows it self.
to reach it:
Start
All Programs
Acessories
System Tools
Windows easy Transfer
Choose what you whant to backup and put in a USB pen/HDD or by network
and click start
After he did that go to the other computer, start the same program and choose restore from file backed up and click restore.
Hope that helps
Click to expand...

This really is an easy way,but he might need to reinstall some programs.Thats why I didn't recommend him that.I am not saying this is a bad way or anything.It really is a good and easy way,but if he wants to copy "everything" he maybe better do that with the simple Linux Ubuntu 9.04.
But of course its his choice after all.My way and your way is good anyway :P
 
S.T.A.R.S. said:
This really is an easy way,but he might need to reinstall some programs.Thats why I didn't recommend him that.I am not saying this is a bad way or anything.It really is a good and easy way,but if he wants to copy "everything" he maybe better do that with the simple Linux Ubuntu 9.04.
But of course its his choice after all.My way and your way is good anyway :P
Click to expand...

I agree with you,but i think neither ways will be possible to copy installed programs to another computer because they are attached to the registry
of the OS,so either way are good but got limitations without copying the OS it self.
What is always an good choice is start using portable apps like i use and store them in another partition than the OS.
In that way can be stored all the config. ,registries,data that you create and use outside of the OS but when you need to use them,run them and they integrate them selfs in OS and can be copyied to another OS and run them without need of an instalation/modification of them in the system it self.
 
Last edited:
canivari said:
I agree with you,but i think neither ways will be possible to copy installed programs to another computer because they are attached to the registry
of the OS,so either way are good but got limitations without copying the OS it self.
What is always an good choice is start using portable apps like i use and store them in another partition than the OS.
In that way can be stored all the config. ,registries,data that you create and use outside of the OS but when you need to use them,run them and they integrate them selfs in OS and can be copyied to another OS and run them without need of an instalation/modification of them in the system it self.
Click to expand...

Hehe I also thought that.Anyway...it is COMPLETELY possible to transfer every single byte from one computer to another using Linux Ubuntu version 9.04 OS and make that work perfectly.Only on SOME computers you will need to make small registry changes,but all you have to do is to export registry from the first computer and import it on the second computer inside of the "Safe Mode with Command Prompt".On that way old registry is imported as much as possible.That means that ALL the programs,all games and even the entire OS will work perfectly and ALL the settings will be just like before.

NOTE: On SOME computers you might need to do a repair of the OS after this process.But thats normal...


Many people will say that this is not possible,but I have done it a million times on many computers and it works great.The OS even boots MUCH faster.Weird but true.:D



Cheers everyone!
 
S.T.A.R.S. said:
Hehe I also thought that.Anyway...it is COMPLETELY possible to transfer every single byte from one computer to another using Linux Ubuntu version 9.04 OS and make that work perfectly.Only on SOME computers you will need to make small registry changes,but all you have to do is to export registry from the first computer and import it on the second computer inside of the "Safe Mode with Command Prompt".On that way old registry is imported as much as possible.That means that ALL the programs,all games and even the entire OS will work perfectly and ALL the settings will be just like before.

NOTE: On SOME computers you might need to do a repair of the OS after this process.But thats normal...


Many people will say that this is not possible,but I have done it a million times on many computers and it works great.The OS even boots MUCH faster.Weird but true.:D



Cheers everyone!
Click to expand...

I am impressed.. Good Job S.T.A.R.S.
I gonna try that one
 
Actually, imaging software (like Ghost, True Image, etc) does block copies of the whole file system, so you can use it to create image files for back ups. If you are mass deploying it to multiple machines, then it gets a bit more tricky.

I would just fork over the cash for a commercial product like Ghost or True Image, or look up clonezilla if you want free and open source, but to be honest, Ghost is one of the better utilities I have used. Very simple to use, and it gets the job done.
 
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