PureBasic Forum

Hi all,

just a question about copy files/folders under windows - 98/2000/ME/XP etc.)

I want to make a global copy of my main Hard Disk (wich has Win98SE as OS) on an another Hard Disk. My problem is that one file (C:\windows\Wn386.swp) can't be copied on the new hard disk. I have to go under Dos to copy it.

I just wonder if there is a way to oblige WIn98 to copy this file and by extension under the other OS to do the same ? With PB of course!

Denis

I wonder why do you want to copy the swap file, just curious (it'll be useless after copying it to anywhere). Maybe if you disable virtual memory you can read it.

No, you can't make Windows copy that file -- it's protected. Besides, as
El_Choni said, it's useless after a copy anyway as it's changed with every
bootup. No need to copy it at all.

@El_Choni:

i want to done a "complete image" of my Main Hard Disk because i have another partition with XP home edition , (Win98 is not bootable with XP) but i have many many troubles with XP. I corrected some problems but it is still unstable and i wanted to install it on my first partition (main disk) but i want to keep Win98 "as it" until i do not have problems anymore.

Windows explorer stop the copy files/folder function when it try to copy this file and you have to done it "by hand". It's boring and too longer...

After reflexion, I am saying myself that it would be interesting to be able to copy (used) open files.


@PB :
I don't remeber witch prog done this, but i was reading somewhere that some prog are able to done a copy of an hard disk even with the Os system files running. So, may be there is an Hidden way to done this...


Thansk EL_choni an PB

Denis

>>>I wonder why do you want to copy the swap file, just curious (it'll be useless after copying it to anywhere). Maybe if you disable virtual memory you can read it.

>>>No, you can't make Windows copy that file -- it's protected. Besides, as
El_Choni said, it's useless after a copy anyway as it's changed with every
bootup. No need to copy it at all.

Thanks for the info El_Choni and PB.



Denis

Denis,

The easiest way is to use "Norton Ghost 2003". (It also must go to DOS to do it's copying) I'm using Win XP Pro.

It makes a complete image of your hard drive and copies it to another location.

I have 2 drives in removable 'cages'. Every evening I copy from one to the other. If my first drive should crash, I simply remove it and install the other backup. Easy, fast and effective.

--blueb

Thanks blueb,

Norton may be will be an answer to my problem.

Denis

> i was reading somewhere that some prog are able to done a copy of an
> hard disk even with the Os system files running. So, may be there is an
> hidden way to done this...

It's most likely that the apps that do it with the OS running are copying it
by reading the disk sectors where it resides, rather than a normal file copy.
If you can remember the name of the app, please let me know. Most apps
that make mirror images of disks must do it from DOS (like Norton Ghost,
and so on).

Ok PB,

if i remember the app name i send you it.


Thanks.



Denis

There are older versions of Norton Ghost that are able to run under Windows (not Ghost 2002 or 2003) , but it seems they doesn't know ntfs .
If you save win 98 , you can use also Ace under DOS combined with doslfnbk.exe written by D.J.Murdoch(it is freeware/shareware , depending of version) .
The combination of doslfnbk+Ace is no good if you have MS Office 2000,because the deepth of directories overflows Ace's capabilities under DOS . You dont't need swap file , try to delete it under DOS and when loading Windows , it is recreated and that doesn't influence Windows at all.

> There are older versions of Norton Ghost that are able to run under
> Windows (not Ghost 2002 or 2003)

I think you'll find you set them up in Windows, then it boots into DOS to
actually do the work of mirroring.