Formating Master, Backup On Slave Does it work?

[marbar1989 0]

Hi. I have two hard drives installed currently on my computer. I am using windows Xp, if this information is relevant. What i want to know is if it is possible for me to backup my files from my master onto my slave, then format my master. Afterwards, will i be able to recover my files from the slave or will i have to format it too due to it's drivers or whatever being erased. Please help because i need to format my computer soon, it's driving me nuts. Anyways, thanx in advance.

[Johnny 1]

Hi. I have two hard drives installed currently on my computer. I am using windows Xp, if this information is relevant. What i want to know is if it is possible for me to backup my files from my master onto my slave, then format my master. Afterwards, will i be able to recover my files from the slave or will i have to format it too due to it's drivers or whatever being erased. Please help because i need to format my computer soon, it's driving me nuts. Anyways, thanx in advance.

136652[/snapback]

Well, I also have two hard drives, and I reformat my primary one VERY frequently, but I don't normally back up the entire drive, just certain files, when I reformat it, so I'm not sure if I can help too much.

 

I'd suggest looking up a program like Norton(Symantec) Ghost and backing up with that. It's quality software designed specifically for what you want. I've only used it once, but it did everything just fine...

 

Only problem is that it's not free. It's priced at $70 right now.

 

The link for it is http://us.norton.com/

 

Hope that gives at least some insight.

[Styx 0]

unless you're really sure of what you're doing, i'd suggest disabling EFS file protection (if you're running on NTFS) or make a copy of your certificate. As if you have protected files and reformat, you stand a good chance of not being able to open them again. --unless you're willing to shell out for a recovery program that might or might not help.someone here just did that on their laptop, and voila!---all stuff unopenable, even with the recovery program.

[marbar1989 0]

Hm... so basically, in order to do this i would need a recovery program, a hdd image maker or an extra hard drive? man that sucks... the reason i bought the slave in the first place was so i can format my main one. Oh well, i'll just borrow an external from a friend... thanks a lot.

[serverph 0]

Hm... so basically, in order to do this i would need a recovery program, a hdd image maker or an extra hard drive? man that sucks... the reason i bought the slave in the first place was so i can format my main one. Oh well, i'll just borrow an external from a friend... thanks a lot.

136844[/snapback]

why not simply change jumper settings for each? make the master your slave drive, then make your slave the master drive. from there, you can reinstall your OS and applications in your NEW master drive (formerly slave), and then simply access the NEW slave drive (formerly master) for documents and files you might need for the NEW master drive. just a thought.

[marbar1989 0]

to do that, i would have to format the new master when installing the OS, which would already have files on it, so i don't think that it would work.

[Styx 0]

Hm... so basically, in order to do this i would need a recovery program, a hdd image maker or an extra hard drive? man that sucks... the reason i bought the slave in the first place was so i can format my main one. Oh well, i'll just borrow an external from a friend... thanks a lot.

136844[/snapback]

naw, that's not what i meant. basically just disable EFS protection. google a tutorial for it if u don't know how. then simply copy the files u want to keep onto your slave, and then format your master. that's the simplest way to do it.

or if ur not wanting to totally disable EFS, then all stuff you're backing up, right click on the main folder>properties>advanced, and make sure the box to encrypt contents is clear. Apply and you should be safe.

[serverph 0]

to do that, i would have to format the new master when installing the OS, which would already have files on it, so i don't think that it would work.

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then clear the slave drive (transfer back to master), then swap master-slave settings.

[Johnny 1]

You should only have to format one drive. Backup to the secondary, then format and reinstall on the primary. Simple enough, all you need is something to do the backing up for you.

[iGuest 3]

Two hard drives backup utility and no joy

Formating Master, Backup On Slave

 

I have 2 drives installed in my pc and an external 1 but when I smugly thought "I can easily back up my system drive to a slave drive I have more than enough tech and software" the backup utility rather obviously stated "unable to copy files as theyre being used by another programme or utility" as if I were simply trying to copy an audio file whilst listening to it argh! what is a boy to do?

 

-reply by Taylor

[iGuest 3]

WARNING...WARNING!! About reinstalling Windows XP on Master...if you have a "SLAVE" Drive!Formating Master, Backup On Slave

As myTITLE says:  "WARNING, WARNING!"

Hi Everyone, my name is David and I live in Melbourne, Australia! davidmahoney ATT live.Com.Au

NOW...Everyone please take heed of this warning and it is DEADLY SERIOUS:

If you have an "original" main hard drive (as I do...C:) with your Windows operating system on it (which simply, by "default", becomes your "Master Drive") and then you have another added, say a much larger one...Because you need more storage/working "space" (as I do...E:), then this second hard drive becomes your "Slave Drive"...More or less like a Slave TO the Master Drive!

If then after a year or two...Due to the Operating System (in MY case XP Pro.) slowing down...You decide to do a complete reinstallation of the operating system on your first (Main/Master) drive...You will MOST LIKELY...Totally loseALL connection with your "Slave Drive" and be unable to read it...NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO!

TRUST ME!  I have recently suffered this problem and on my "Slave Drive", I had backed up EVERYTHING:  Registry; eMails; all Music; all Videos; all "My Documents"; all "Program Files"; all eBooks...EVERYTHING! Close to 140 gigabytes of information that I have been gathering on that second (or "slave") drive for the past three or four years!

It has been one MONTH now and still I am no closer to solving this problem and I have spent countless hours surfing the internet for an answer...Only to discover that HUNDREDS of people all around the World are having the EXACT same problem!!

TheREASON was beautifully explained in one Forum Post (by an I.T. Pro.) and I will summarise it here for all to see:

Basically, what happens is this: The "Master Drive" (on which we all tend to install our operating system) "sets up" and REMEMBERS the "geometry" of the "Slave Drive" and in doing so, is able to "read" and to "write" TO that Slave Drive. This situation continues...Uninterrupted...That is until WE come along and make the "stupid" mistake of re-installing our operating system...On the "Main Drive", either by a "repair install" or a "reformat and clean install".

It turns out to BE that 'stupid mistake' because we don't realise (and I doubt that even Microsoft realises!) that the re-installation of the operating system WIPES ALL MEMORY...ALL KNOWLEDGE of that ALL-IMPORTANT "Master-to-Slave, Drive Geometry Relationship", so, just like a "new kid on the block"...Your lovely clean, fresh and super fast NEW operating system has no idea about that "other" Hard Drive in there...Nor what to do about it/with it!

The "geometry" was originally set-up BY the previous Windows installation and with the NEW installation...That , as I said...ALL IMPORTANT "geometry" is lost!!

I will keep searching for a "definitive" answer to this VERY annoying problem and if I find one, I will post it for all to see (if possible!?) on the internet! I said 'definitive' because thereARE actually some, shall we call them "answers"...Out there...But they are "guesses" at BEST and some of them actually do more harm thangood I have discovered!

Let us ALL make a "Pact": If anyone DOES find a "definitive" answer...Write to Microsoft and TELL them that they need to address this in the "Support" area of their website! ALSO...We should post articles GIVING the details of that "definitive" answer...To as many support forums as we possibly can!

All we need DO really, is copy the "description" of the fix...Into a Word.Doc (or similar), then it would be a relatively simple matter of just "Pasting" it in tech-forums EVERYWHERE!

Well..I hope people get to READ this rather looooooooong post from ME and also I hope that readers of it that have suffered the same problem, will write to me directly at either of the eMail addresses I have supplied above, so we can discuss this matter!!  

Perhaps we should start a "support forum" dedicatedJUST toTHIS PROBLEM and finding a solution to it!?

Kind Regards:  DAVID MAHONEY.   P.S. "Happy New Year 2009" everyone!

[Saint_Michael 3]

For the guest/David where is this original forum post from? Because after reading your post I did some googling and what your describing is not possible and even if it were, there are solutions for this problems. I would think that disconnecting the slave drive before reinstalling the operating system would work, but since I never ran into this sort of problem I am not sure.

[cemeteryrecords 0]

Are you trying to copy an exact of the master to slave, or just certain files? Because you can just copy what ever files to the slave. Then reinstall windows on master, then copy files back from slave to master. OR change jumper settings to switch the to visa-versa, then install windows on the (original slave) now master, then copy your files from (original master) now slave. Or, maybe I'm mistaken on what it is exactly you are trying to accomplish?