Paragon Backup & Recovery; version 10.1.19.(22.11.12 ) Free: Am an absolute "greenie"

Please help. I need instructional guidance on how to do a complete backup of my root drive: (C to a DVD or if must USB. Running XP HE w/SP1,2,3 installed and all of the MS Framework (1,2,3.0 (et al) and 4) in place. The machine in question is a Toshiba laptop (1.8 GHz Pentium T1350) made to run XP and Vista ('capable'). I never toyed w/Vista. I waited for Windows 7 to issue most of its "OS first aid" (cumul. KB's, patches, SP's) and now after "dodge & parrying" with XP's various versions I feel Windows 7 & I are ready for 1 another. I find Paragon software the most amiable and comforting SW developed for recovery & backup. Unfortunately I am truly unfamiliar with creating any sort of full sys bckup other than with Ghost. Ghost of late could not be used w/laptop HDD's directly . Very limiting. Who can assist me? I have purchased the Hard Disk Mngr 12 Suite (personal edition) to be certain that I would receive the best functionality from Paragon's Backup & Recovery 2013. I have made a copy of the primary partition (C - excluding the usual (problematic files, swapfile, along with hidden partitions - I'm aware I can unhide w/Gdisk, Delpart, various older utilities, etc. - ie. hibernation part.(most often a hidden partition).I have no previous experience w/creating boot media for other than DOS -->Win98OSR2. OMG! Boot media is just the vehicle for digital data - as in: CD/DVD/USB/Floppy 2HD -- boot disk(s), zip disks, etc. I remember tape backups. My pardons for distracting support forum for such a blunder. I was not familiar with the terminology. Thank you for not making fun or writing some snappy quip in response to my redundant query. Very respectful of all moderators and participants. Appreciate the advisement provided by senior moderator, JT. I have visited the above indicated URL's and parsed them accordingly. I rescind my previous request (seeking "boot media") . Need I say more? Thank you kindly for your patience and refraining from riddiculing my ignorance or the terminology. I believe my best bet for this particular laptop is to use emulator CD/DVD architecture as my primer for boot media. Would this be unorthodox? HoneyQ

 

Attached are a few guides which should assist you in creating, backing up, and restoring backups, as well as creating bootable media for the paid editions of Paragon Software.

 

Great time o' day, Matt, you pulled me out of the proverbial quagmire of disk jargon and geometry - hugely thankful you replied to my post - I'd been clumsily hammering away with pARAGON's BckUp & Rcvry Free. I meant to thank you at 1st op. The comprehensive instructional guides ("Guides.zip") archive was a tremendous "parachute" - no less. The compilation & level of instruction was definitely a beacon for me - especially since my archaic circa 2001 - 20 GB 2.5 Serial ATA HDD started the a.m. badly the previous a.m. w/a ominous whirring "white noise" I call "platter chatter". Those foreboding sounds , to me more dreadful than the sound of nails whisking across a chalkboard . It had been my bleakest wk in computing history - static discharge, 'nother HDD..gone (near brand new) - clearly the wk for HW mishaps. Your gracious post reached me right in the "nick o' time". IMO, you are a stainless chap :thumb . I purchased, HDMste 2013, just a bit ago, but since studying the info you shared I have thrown myself into all the more Paragon free trial sftwr - extolling the virtues of "try B4 buy" -- I am. My mate reco'd Acronis. No Acronis for me, thank u (tried it - I will just say this - NO!) - Now I purch'd a 120 GB Intel SSD. Go directly to HDMste 2014..OMG! Paragon saved my migrating the SSD, as well. The "Guides" are like a "binky to a baby"..I was mucking about it - making a mess with small but significant errors (I now have 15 DVD's - gratis - as momentos of my blundering = coasters for my cup of Grey) - CRE's came up (I omitted to re-setup OS alignment, s'well - was using Paragon's BkUp/Rcvry Free version) I kindly thank you for taking the time in pointing the way for me via the "Guides". Rescued my data, made my last 2 wks in coping with Microsoft's XP rollup tolerable. Respectfully, A rather cheerful & much wiser, honeyBQ P.S. May you, yours and all @ Paragon Forums, & co have the happiest of holidays.

 

Me, again. Have a question which is not addressed in the "Guides" (.PDF's). Is it possible to save a backup copy of a Hard Disk and/or a Partition on a piece of HW (storage media) known as WD "My Book". It is a USB device as recognized by uPNP. It utilizes software entitled "WD Smartware" which performs incremental backups on such HW? Also, my mate that reco'd the Acronis (a good sort of friend who's a long time comp sci mentor to a "green dabbler" such as myself) has now, switched to using pARAGON utilities & bestowed upon me (humbly) a new tin of fine Earl Grey tea. Life is sometimes so generous when there are those who would altruistically help the blunderers of the globe - so that we do not wander about aimlessly wasting perfectly good "boot media" & healthy disc partitions. Respectfully, honeyBQ (forum "lurker")

 

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Thank you, again, dear boy, for saving me from mucking things up (BAR = beyond all recognition).