HD partititioning

1) Should I contract a bug (spyware or virus), is it likely to effect any of my files/apps on D, or is it just a simple case of restoring only C?

-It depends on the type of bug. Most go after windows, so you should be okay after restoring the C partition. I would, however, update all definition files and run a complete scan of the entire hard drive.


2) If I were to restore only C, will all of my apps on D remain with their current customisation?

-Again, it depends on the applications.


3) Roughly how long would an image of the OS take to restore from a cdr (40x cdrom)?

-Depends on the size of the partition, but the speed will always be slower than the hard drive.


4) Have now configured ZA as you have instructed. Why disable Windows Explorer and IE? Are they security risks?

-Yes. I use Firefox browser.

 

Hey F - didnt realise you had already opened a new thread. Ok, I am now thinking that I should use your setup, using partitions C, D, E & F, with a larger F as I have a 76GB HDD. I will only be using XP Home, so I will use NTFS.

Question time:

1) Should I use the same cluster configuration as you?

2) You previously mentioned Drive Image 5 - should I use that?

3) When I am creating the D partition, does that automatically become the extended logical partition?

4) Is the XP Home install 710MB normally, or do you delete stuff to cut it down?

5) What is driver cache?

6) If I create an image from one machine, can it be used on a machine with different hardware?

7) Do you use any software to keep the registry clean (removing old software entries)? Is it neccessary?

BTW, been using Firefox for the past few days as I heard it was safer (Thunderbird too). They both seem to be excellent.

Thanks

FG

 

1.The default size for NTFS is 4K. I would leave it unchanged.

2.DI5 (introduced in 2001) may not support the latest PC protocols and removeable devices. If you are going to start from scratch, then I would give Bootit ng a try. If you don't like Bootit ng during the free trial period, then wipe the HD and install DI5, if you can still locate this program.

3.Nope. You need to specify an extended logical partition positioned AFTER the C primary active partition. Note that you can create an unlimited number of extended logical partitions. Again, keep them at 4K cluster for NTFS. I like FAT32 because it is a tad faster than NTFS, plus it is compatible with my W98SE partition.

4.Nope. I reduced the size of the recycle bin. Moved the swap file and driver cache folder to another partition. Deleted the contents of the ddlcache folder AFTER disabling windows file protection.

5.Drivers for windows.

6.Probably not with WXP due to the security feature.

7.I use the free version of JV16, regclean, and regscrubxp. Then go into the registry for more manual cleaning.

F.

 

Hey F - thanks again for the info. I have been putting together a collection of essential software for after the clean install. I will be getting Kaspersky AV v5.0 as I noticed you recommended it in another thread. I also found another guide to xp services ( http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm ) which should help me understand the benefits of your advised settings. That whole site seems quite helpful, so I will be reading up more whilst referring back to your posts. Just one more question about registry software: if I just use regsupreme pro (or one of the others you mentioned), will that be good enough?

Thanks

FG

 

Don't have any hands on experience with regsupreme pro. I like to take the multi-registry cleaner approach. JV16 may be the best single reg cleaner. Some programs are very stubborn...therefore, it may be necessary to manually edit the registry. As always, image the OS prior to manually tweaking the registry...just in case.

I like Avast Home (free). Kaspersky is okay but I think Command Antivirus or NOD32 may be a better choice. Let me know what your final decision is regarding the AV prog.

F.

 

I came across regsupreme on the Macecraft page after searching for JV16. But if JV16 does the job then I will just get that.

I only decided on Kaspersky after seeing your recommendation of it in another thread. But since you are now recommending Avast Home, I have just installed it as it is free. It found five "viruses" on my first (standard) scan. Three files were related to belt.exe (abetterinternet.com) and the other two are ieservice.dll and rkdxkkk.exe. I dont know what these two do, and the latter doesnt even come up on a google search. I know belt.exe, ieservice.exe, and rkdxkkk.exe have tried to access the internet because I remember blocking them with ZA.

I did a search for the Avast virus description of rkdxkkk.exe (Win32:Trojano-214 [Trj]) and found someone asking about it on another forum. I put them in the virus chest for now and will later update all of my software and run scans with everthing, then run an online Trend Micro scan and see if anything else shows up. I am not too worried as I am going to format soon for a clean install anyway. If you have any experience with these trojans, or have any AV software tips, please let me know.

Thanks

FG

 

These are not standard windows stuffs. Post your questions at the Avast forum. It is run by several Avast software engineers. You can also send them the suspect data for analysis. If you're using Firefox browser, then make sure you configure Avast to scan ALL files.

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=2

Best advice is not to visit porn sites. If you do, then make sure you create an image of the C partition just in case.... Always do a manual scan of each downloaded item.

F.

 

Yeah, I will post over at the Avast forums to find out more about these files, which are quarantined. I have done another scan with Avast (all files) which was clean, so I assume that this means these files are not a problem anymore. I tried to run an online scan with Housecall (Trend Micro) but it wont run with Firefox. Apparantly it needs to run via activex, so I can only do it with IE(?).

1) Do you think I should bother or should I not use IE at all?

I know better than to visit porn sites - to do so is just asking for trouble. As this pc was previously used by other people, I dont know where the trojans may have come from. But I dont really care as I am going to format, and since I am a conservative user, it should be easy for me to trace the origins of future spyware as I will be the only one using the pc. And on that note:

2) Would you say bittorrent is safe to use in terms of general pc security?

I was checking out your software list and want to know:

3) What do you use HD Tune for?

4) What are the benefits of Download Express compared to the Firefox download manager?

5) I set Avast to scan all files. I take it that when I see the "a" spinning in the system tray, that means it is scanning any downloaded content so I dont need to manually scan individual files. Is that right?

Thanks

FG

 

1.Need IE to run active X. Give it a try.

2.No experience...sorry.

3.Test the throughput speed of the hard drive. A much better real world test is to copy a large folder (500MB to 1.5GB) from one partition to another and record the transfer time.

4.The FF download manager is not very reliable. It may not resume after pause. That's why I use download express. BTW, download express only works with IE.

5.Well, I do a manual scan, just to be sure. Old habit.

 

I forgot to ask you a few things about reducing the OS size:

1) Which file is the swap file, and do I just drag and drop it along with the driver cache folder to another partition? Also, which partition do you keep them in?

2) I did a search for the ddlcache folder but found nothing. Where can I find it and what is its purpose?

3) Do you re-enable windows file protection after you have deleted ddlcache?

Also, about using the OS image file for a different machine; aside from the XP security feature, would it be possible considering that the image contains data for different hardware (drivers and such)?

Thanks

FG

 

1.Right click My computer\Advanced\Settings\Advanced\Virtual Memory Change. Highlight the old partition and change the initial and maximum sizes to 0 (custom size). Highlight the new partition, select custom size, and use the same value for initial size and maximum size. I use 256. You can also select System Manage Size. System Manage is probably best for most people. Reboot PC.

You can copy the cache folder to the partition containing your image files. I also keep my swap file in this partition.

2.Need to go to tools\Folder options\View and Show Hidden Files and Folders. Hit apply, ok, and reboot.

Check C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache.

3.No.

Windows normally would reload the proper drivers. You may need to delete the old drivers. There are other programs that will assist with this task...but I don't use this "shortcut" because it can result in an unstable OS.

 

I am still waiting for some progs to arrive before I begin the clean install, so I am getting as much info as possible in the mean time to prepare. I had a look at the swap file/virtual mem feature as you instructed, which seems pretty straightforward. However, I have a few more questions:

1) Do I just move the driver cache folder onto another partition (drag & drop) or do I have to instruct windows do relocate it?

2) Once you clear the dllcache folder and diable wfp, are new files ever created in this folder?

3) What are the benefits of disabling wfp?

Thanks

FG

 

1.Drap and drop will work. You may, in the future, install a program that requires data in the driver cache folder. In this case, simply tell the program to look for the data in the new location.

2.Need to disable wfp, then delete all items in dllcache folder. Nope, they will not reload.

3.Reduce the time required to image the OS. Note that without WFP, rogue programs can alter critical dlls, creating conflicts in windows. That's why I always image the OS prior to any hardware/software upgrade. Use the PC for a few weeks. If you don't encounter problems, then you can safely delete the old image file.

I maintain an "as installed" copy of windows for reference. This image file has the dll cache folder. I also keep a copy of the original the dll cache folder and driver cache folder on CD-R disc for quicker access.

You can restore the data in the dll cache folder, reactivate WFP, and instruct windows to reload the dlls if you don't have a good image file to recover from.

F.

 

1)

Will I be promted and just have to point to the new location, or will there be error messages?

2) Should I back up the dllcache folder straight after the OS install, or after I install apps, or does it make no difference?

3) Regading windows updates and service packs, do you dowload them all or are you selective?

4) I am trying to connect to my ftp site via bullletproof, but I get the message "connection refused". I tried giving the software full access on ZA, but that didnt work. If I close ZA down, then it allows me to connect. I searched for an answer for this but could not find one yet, so I thought you may know.

Thanks

FG

 

I no longer post on this forum due to unwarranted censorship by a forum moderator. There is nothing wrong with pointing out the shortcomings of True Image and recommending Bootit ng as a possible alternate solution. The forum is designed to FREELY exchange ideas, GOOD or BAD.



Here's the rationale posted by LowWaterMark for the deletion of my posts:

Well, reading through this thread I see plenty of "on topic" constructive criticism for Acronis to consider, and likewise with some other current threads here. The key being "on topic".

The posts that were removed were all totally "off topic" and amounted to simply you pushing a competitor's imaging product in Acronis' official support forum, and replies from other people asking you to stop doing that.


Re: I see plenty of off-topic stuffs with other posts and they were NOT removed. So why can't I respond to those Acronis fans if I mind my language? I have clearly articulated why I believe Bootit ng is a better product for the average PC users. That's not pushing! Bottomline-if you cannot resolve your specific TI issue, then you should try another software. Unlike the trial version of TI, Bootit ng is 100% functional for 30 days.




fredg115-80,
You can post an e-mail address here if you wish to continue our discussion about your setup.

F.

 

f123 if you want to discuse another product other than the one in the thread you can always start your own thread where people that are interested in what you are talking about can go and discuse it with you. Not everyone likes to have another software pushed at them when they are discusing a different one altogather.

 

And I have done so, with this thread. However, deleting my posts because they were "off-topic" is not being 100% consistent, since there were many that could have been deleted on this board if one applies this criteria.

 

f123,

I am looking for other imaging software (currently have Ghost).
I would very much like to read a thread that compares the pros and cons of: ATI, Ghost, Bootit ng, Drive Snapshot, and even Windows Backup for comparison. It should be from someone who has thoroughly tried them all and who has no axe to grind (meaning it should not be the developers).

I have found your posts to be informative and helpful.

 

F123: To mention Bootit NG (which I consider an EXCELLENT program based upon opinions of people that I respect, I have never used it myself) perhaps once in a competitors forum is MAYBE ok. But to constantly harp on it like you were doing showed no respect. I see only good coming out of it if you were to start a new thread expounding Bootit NG in the Other Software forum or whatever it’s called, I for one would enjoy hearing more about Bootit in the right setting. To sing the praises of a software program that you love, like I have also done many times, is great but not in a competitors forum, that is simply bad manners.

Devinco: If you want to discuss the various Partitioning softwares I recommend you head on over to:
http://www.pcqanda.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=2
Lots of knowledgeable folks there who I believe have used all the various partitioners. Don’t want to take anything away from Wilders, but while discussing all topics, Wilders specializes in security; PCQandA specializes in the really technical stuff.

To F123 and Devinco, good luck.

Acadia

 

I don't "love" or own Bootit ng, but I have tested NG extensively against other imaging programs and found it to be perfectly acceptable for most PC users. Since when is it "bad manners" to suggest to those with problems to "try another software", even in the TI forum? Is COMPETITION bad for the comsumers? People come here to learn and exchange ideas. All my posts are listed under F123. If you find my posts annoying, then you can skip past them with your browser's scroll bar.

I see multiple NEW threads about the same TI issues. If I believe Bootit ng has a chance of resolving these issues, then I will repost my response...this is perfectly kosher in a support forum. There are more than one solution to each problem.

It is not my intention for users who are happy with TI to spend another $35 on Bootit ng (I'm using PartitionMagic 7 and DriveImage 5 because they still work for me). But those who are having issues with TI should checkout Bootit ng because it is more robust (OS independent) and provides more software for the money (tools for partitioning, imaging, and multi-booting your computer). Additionally, Bootit ng has a very generous upgrade policy...probably one of the best in the software business. All my questions to NG's tech support were answered accurately within 1/2 a day. Again, these are my personal experiences with this company and your "actual mileage" may vary due to various PC configurations.

How much would you have to pay to obtain similar features from Acronis?

 

Thanks Acadia,
I'll check it out.

 

I am surprised that f123 has had posts removed considering the nature of his contributions to this forum. He clearly has no agenda other than to provide potential solutions, therefore it seems unnecessary to remove them.

F, my email is fredg115-80 at yahoo.co.uk

Thanks

FG

 

Fred,

Edit your email address so it is not machine readable or else you'll get spammed.

 

Thanks Devinco.

 

Ok, F123, here goes, since this is “Software & Services” then I feel free to ask you this:

I am looking for another mirror imaging backup in addition to the ones that I use. I have looked at the Terabyte Unlimited website at their Image for Windows and even downloaded a couple of their PDF user manuals to try and figure out how to use them. These products are, to put it simply, over my head (shows you how much of an idiot I am). I use to even hang out at their Usenet group but gave up. Would it be possible for you or for you to direct me to, a place or someone who can give SIMPLE, I repeat SIMPLE, I repeat again SIMPLE, instructions on how to use this excellent program, Imaging for Windows. I had basically given up but am willing to try again. I am not interested in their partitioning program Bootit NG, just their imaging program. Thank you.

Acadia