Hello everyone. Im sorry for a possible beginners question but basically Im running xp on a laptop. Lastweek sometime I was no longer able to boot up my laptop. Without getting into details it led me to believe it was either corrupted MBR or registry or both. When I hook my HD up via USB to another laptop i can view an access all files and folders (apps as well) no problem. My question is this.
I currently have an older version, Ghost32 ver 8 on a bartpe bootable cd. Basically what Im trying to do is to bootup through the cd (which I have done successfully), then I have a additional HD (with no problems) hooked up via usb to that same laptop and the hard drive with problems is inside the laptop as it normally is. I was hoping to image (and the term image may not be suitable for what Im attempting to do here) but I want to copy my entire HD as is, meaning program files, desktop icons n folders, etc... onto the usb HD. After it is copied or imaged up to the usb connected hd, Id like to wipe the internal HD with the possible issues. Meaning I want to run format c: /s (My cmds are a lil off but format with system files I mean), then or before (again im rusty but ill figure out the order) fdisk the partition and start from a fresh clean HD along with fresh clean sys files ( I think). After I do that, instead of loading a fresh xp install onto my blank HD, I was thinking I would drop the image I just made, back down onto the fresh HD.
My goal here is to wipeout any corrupt system files or bootfiles, or anything that could be causing my boot problem. So really I have 3 questions.
1. What is the correct choices to copy the hd image or apps already installed onto the usb connected HD? (Im not that new, Im aware of terms, just get confused between choices such as copy disk or copy image, etc.. in my specific scenerio)
2. Would I just be copying the same boot issues back down onto the clean hard drive or is there a such thing as a corrupted partition or anything where the boot process gets screwed up without having anything to do with the current windows enviroment one is running. Meaning MBR or anything. I just want to keep my apps installed and everything in tact without having to do it all over.
3. Perhaps am i better off just using a form of ghost and copying up specific apps and folders, wiping out HD, reinstalling fresh xp install, then dropping back down the apps n folders I copied up? ( I do have on the bootable cd Ghost32.exe, Ghost explorer, Ghost something else cant remember, and other stuff.
I wouldnt have a problem wiping and starting fresh but copying apps isnt as simple as going into program files and copying the folder. So Im trying to bypass this and hoping its something i can fix with a fresh partition and format then drop my image back down without re-corrupting it... I have no viruses so its not something related to that.
So can i achieve this with Ghost32, and how? I guess really question 1 is the main concern. Disk copy? Image copy? etc...?
Thank you all and Im sorry for the long thread but I wanted to make sure I explained it throroughly.
Liam