"Rainald Taesler" <taesler@gmx.de> wrote in message
news:uAmplH%23hJHA.3444@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Cali 54 wrote:
>
>> I am copying all my saved files to an external drive. I do not
>> save any files I generate in office or other apps in My Documents.
>> Since I will be erasing the HD and reinstalling the OS
>
> Is it really necessary??
> It's quite some work. And easy to use if one does not really have a full
> system backup ("Blessed are the fearful. They have backups" <bg>)
>
>> are there any other files/folders I should NOT migrate back
>> to the HD other than My Documents, Windows and Program files?
>
> "May Documents" normally would be the main thing to brink back.
> I do not understand your scenario and don't see where you have stored
> what (you say that your things are not stored in "May Documents", where
> else?). Nor do I know which kinds of backups you have.
>
> Ask the other way around:
> What do I need on the new system??
>
> The whole of the "Documents and Settings" normally should not get back
> to a newly installed computer - except what's needed. There are just to
> many obsolete things in there.
>
> And this can be quite many things - mail-folders (from OE f.e. or the
> Outlook.pst files.)

> In any case you should save the system's setting (using the Transfer
> Wizard) for transferring them to the new system.
>

Over the years, I have identified those things that I don't want to lose.
Those that can change daily, I backup daily. Everything else, mp3's,
videos, etc., is backed up in multiple places. When the need arises, I make
new backups, and then format the HDD. Now, I maintain a basic image that I
can restore and import data from my current back-ups.

After I restore, I install Windows latest updates and burn a new image.