So, my XP has been running like **** recently. I just bought a new hard drive to throw into the machine and really want to re-install for a nice fresh start. Question is this:

How do I save some of my information such as Favorites (in IE), Outlook express stuff (I keep a LOT of messages saved, addresses...etc).

And one main issue is that I purchased a downloaded version of Norton. Once I use the new drive, that will be gone.

Thoughts?

Thanks a ton!
Ara

Hi Arastar,

The easiest way I can think to do it would be to a backup of selected files and folders. You can pick and choose what you need to keep. The only problem then would be a target location to backup to. Do you have an external hard drive? A USB Pen? As for Norton, you can copy the program files across for that too. Another way around it, would be to do your new install on your new hard drive, and add your current hard drive as a slave. Then copy the information across to the new drive.

Hope this helps.

Hi Arastar!

Backing up Outlook and Internet Explorer files can be difficult. I managed to back-up Outlook Express files, transferring them to Microsoft Outlook (not Express), and save them to a file. Outlook Express does not offer this function.
On which of the two drives are you going to install XP?
It could be an idea to copy the files that you want to back-up to your new drive, then reformat your old drive and install XP on that one, but I don't know if that's what you want.

Blue

Hya Ara. Hows it going?

As said above , You can just back up the files/folders , and place them in the new installation. I.e. for Outlook express just go to:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{3143EB71-261C-4D5F-B9D6-2E2CBA9949CA}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

Then you can backup the folders from there. For the stored addresses go to: (in outlook express)

Tools/address book , then go to: file/export/address book and save it where you want.
To import it again its file/import/address book.

For youre favorites:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Favorites

Burn it to cd/dvd or an usb stick ect. and youre done.

You should be able to download it again from there website , install and then use the serial you got the first time from them when you bought it.

Hiya Joe~

It's going pretty well.

Basically I did what you suggested and have come along pretty good. I decided to re-install because Windows was just so unstable recently.

I'm still not too happy though. I've installed a game after I reinstalled XP, updated, got my firewalls back up and Norton back in. And the game still crashes. It just freezes.

Not sure what else it could be unless my MB is on it's last legs. With a fresh install I shouldn't be having any registry issues...correct?

Thanks for the info.

Hope things are well.

ara

Nope , if you had registry errors befor then they are gone now.

Have you made sure that you installed the latest drivers for youre hardware? Mainly motherboard , videocard and sound card.

Also have you already checked the tempertures and voltages of youre pc? If not , then you can use this app for that:

http://www.almico.com/sfdownload.php

And report back the temp and voltage readings please.

I updated all drivers for vid and audio (on board) but I haven't updated the BIOS on the MB because I'm a bit afraid and also not 100% sure which type I should be using. On the SOYO site there are 6 differant ones to choose for my MB. So I'd hate to burn the MB.

As for temps and voltage. I'll list what is shown on the app although I'm not really sure what it all means either.

Vcore1: 1.65
Vcore2: 3.25
+3.3V: 2.91v
+5V: 5.05v
+12V: 9.98v

Temp1 32
Temp2 42
Temp3 41
Temp 6
HD0 35
HD1 23
Temp1 40

I'm running 3 hard drives and the Geforce video card. Not sure what is what. Hope that helps.

Also, I'm weirdly having a similar problem already that I was having prior to me installing the new HD and that is that Windows starts loading then just does an automatic restart before it finishes. It askes if I want to start in Safe Mode, I choose no and it starts fine. Must be something somewhere I'm missing.