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Windows Vista/Windows 7 Backup and Restore Center, by far, hasn’t done anything for me or any of my neighbors of who I am friends with that use Windows Vista or Windows 7 every day. When a serious error occurs, forcing one of us to re-install our Operating Systems, we fail to bring back the files because the Windows Vista/Windows 7 backup/restore software, pre-loaded on the operating system, won’t bother restoring it and the outcome of it all would be “no files restored.” I’ve performed OS reinstallations almost every 1.5 years to ensure safety, stability, and reliability of my operating system (and to fix up anything I might have messed up during the 1.5 years of use, including system files and settings.) Of course, I, myself, will never sacrifice my files for a smooth reinstallation of my operating system.

Second, here’s a question: Why pay for some online backup service per month when you can just get an external hard disk drive and backup all you need with it, using it in combination with Windows Easy Transfer? Actually, there’s a truth to it too. Remember, the Internet is NOT completely secure (the government may be another case, but look on the consumer and business side of this.)

So one day, I thought to myself…

Hey, either way, I’m going to have to re-install my programs and updates, right? Well, why don’t I just go to plan B and use that other method Windows Vista/Windows 7 has here…

Plan B might have been slightly costly, but actually, it’s foolproof! I ended up NOT using Windows Backup and Restore Center and used Windows Easy Transfer. You do not have to be a user who is transferring data to a different machine to use this tool. However, you will need some sort of network storage or external hard drive to fit the data in, depending on the size of your documents and other files you wish to preserve.

I’ve worked with machines using Windows Easy Transfer that didn’t require any more than 6GB of space on a removable media device (their 8GB flash drive was able to handle it, believe it or not.) A flash drive can handle the light computer user (one who just uses the computer to browse the web, works on word/excel documents, view and store pictures, etc.) On the other hand, the normal and intermediate computer users in the family may need an external hard drive. No, nobody will be asking you to go as far as a 500GB external USB hard disk drive (unless you really need that much capacity.) If it’s 50GB or 100GB, that should be the ideal size (and shouldn’t be as costly as one may think before dealing with which retailer to purchase it from.)

Windows Easy Transfer will transfer program settings, windows settings, individual user settings, documents, and much more. However, Windows Easy Transfer will NOT transfer your contacts, downloads, and certain files that are in the AppData folder. There may be some pop-up notifications along the way. If a certain file that you don’t know cannot be copied for any reason, try again. If it doesn’t work, click continue. Those files might not be 100% necessary, but do pay close attention. As for downloads and contacts, just copy it somewhere in the removable storage media and copy it back into the folder.

Also, regardless of whether you use Windows Easy Transfer or some other backup service online or offline, you won’t get your software back installed the way it is. Even if the service lessens your worry by promising that your software will be re-installed and given back to you the way you left it before the backup, I personally guarantee that a file or files, as well as the installation, may be corrupted or damaged (it’s like stopping time: if you stop time, made a building disappear, and started time again, everything would be completely haywire.) Windows Easy Transfer does not transfer files from the Program Files folder. From my discoveries, there’s a way to truly bring your installations back in order. After using Windows Easy Transfer to restore files and settings, your programs will not be re-installed using Windows Easy Transfer (and your desktop/quick launch/start menu shortcuts will be deleted if the system doesn’t have the actual software installed.) However, if you install the software first (remember: you do NOT have to re-install EVERY single software you had before re-installing the operating system) and run the Windows Easy Transfer software, your settings will be as if they were untouched*!

Once again, I can’t guarantee that every single file transferred will make it, but most of the files that don’t make it might not be important. Keep in mind that no backup service will work 100% (at least for a mass of files.) Neither I (nor Microsoft) will be in any way responsible if something is done incorrectly or if a file cannot be backed up or restored for any reason at all. Perform all backups at your own risk over any software or service.

Not everyone may have realized it, but Windows Vista and Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions) include the Snipping Tool. It came to be useful for those who would rather show only a particular window (than to use the Print Screen & Paste-to-Paint method) and make annotations and edits. Some people would be satisfied with what the Snipping Tool can do, but it apparently didn’t satisfy every single user. Windows Vista is the first Operating System to utilize the signature Aero Glass, where the windows become transparent (for the unique looks.)

What did that mean? That called for a good upgrade for innovative features, which updated the way people took excellent screenshots. Read More…

It’s been two days since my reinstall, a clean install, of Windows 7. If you have read the last post I wrote, “Endless Problems with Windows 7” you can see that I had a great deal of issues. So with all of that in mind, I decided that it would be best for me to simply do a clean install of Windows 7, just to get out the bugs from the last install.

Now, two days after the second install, Windows 7 seems to be working great. No errors, no major issues, it’s finally starting to act how Windows 7 should act. Although I have gotten one issue, minor of course. I was on the IRC client, Xchat, and it somehow threw Windows into Basic. Don’t know what caused it, but I hear that this has been happening with the IRC client mIRC as well. No big issue, just closed out Xchat, and it was fine.

So, so far everything is running very well, I will keep everyone updated.

Today, I was going to my PC to burn some audio files to CD. I start up Windows XP on my PC that I built myself. Now, mind you, this is the third PC I have built with no problems. And yes, it has the neon glow, blu-ray burner, etc.

The specs on this particular PC are as follows:

Intel Core 2 Duo @ 3.66 GHz
3 GB of Ram
Two 160GB Hard Drives and a 40GB Backup drive
Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3
I go to start up Nero, and burn the first CD with no problems. I go to insert another CD, and I get a bloody welcome to a BSOD. So I reboot.

I do the same process again, and BSOD #2 appears. I reboot.

I makes it to the Windows XP welcome screen, and BSOD #3 appears. I reboot, this time with a Windows 7 disc in hand.

I install Windows 7, with no trouble, and finish my CD burning tasks.

I think Nero may have killed my Windows XP OS. And if that’s all it takes to kill an OS, thanks Microsoft. So here’s to Windows 7!

It’s a good thing I have several Macs. Those are my primary systems. And they never fail. NEVER.

But I am still a fan of Windows. I grew up on Windows, mostly. My father had a Macintosh Performa in the early 90’s, which I still have to this day.