With Win XP I am obviously backing up all that can be found in My Documents,
I have my Outlook.pst file and I have exported my Bookmarks from IE. Am I
missing anything other than specific program settings that I can redo on
reinstallation? Would any standard programs save stuff outside My Docs? Any
help is much appreciated. I am burning everything on to DVDs and am not
using any specific backup software.

Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

Taxed Mind <TaxedMind@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> With Win XP I am obviously backing up all that can be found in My
> Documents, I have my Outlook.pst file and I have exported my
> Bookmarks from IE. Am I missing anything other than specific program
> settings that I can redo on reinstallation? Would any standard
> programs save stuff outside My Docs? Any help is much appreciated.
> I am burning everything on to DVDs and am not using any specific
> backup software.
>
> Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

Basics....

documents & settings\username\My Documents
documents & settings\username\Desktop
documents & settings\username\Favorites

Plus -

Outlook data
Outlook Express data

Personally, I like to create a folder such as c:\data.

Then I redirect My Documents there (change the target path & move the
files).
I create subfolders for Outlook & OE, and move their data files to the
appropriate folders (there are specific ways to do this).

I think it's tidier than using the built-in/default paths, and it's a good
way to know that the lion's share of your data is in a single folder. HTH.

You will have to check each installed program's folder that might have
something of interest. For example, my money.mny file that contains all the
info for the entries my MS Money program is in the program folder.
--
Regards

Ron Badour
MS MVP 1997 - 2007


"Taxed Mind" <TaxedMind@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:7E45DEF1-0FE2-4865-B724-32F5E30B60EB@microsoft.com...
> With Win XP I am obviously backing up all that can be found in My
> Documents,
> I have my Outlook.pst file and I have exported my Bookmarks from IE. Am I
> missing anything other than specific program settings that I can redo on
> reinstallation? Would any standard programs save stuff outside My Docs?
> Any
> help is much appreciated. I am burning everything on to DVDs and am not
> using any specific backup software.
>
> Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

Thanks Lanwench and Ron, great help.

Lanwench, sounds like a good idea to create another "Data" folder and to
redirect My Docs there. I actually have a whole second internal drive
currently empty which is supposed to be for data, rather than the OS
(original spec of laptop). However I have no idea how to redirect My
Documents there (change the target path), moving the files I could manage.
How should I go about doing this?

You also mentioned creating subfolders for Outlook, and moving the data
files to the appropriate folders, where would you recommend I find the
specific ways to do this that you mentioned?

Following any changes to My Docs and Outlook subfolders, will there be any
problems while programs, etc. are unable to find the new locations? Do you
think there would be any issues caused by storing the data on a separate
internal drive from the OS?

Thanks and best wishes



"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

> Taxed Mind <TaxedMind@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> > With Win XP I am obviously backing up all that can be found in My
> > Documents, I have my Outlook.pst file and I have exported my
> > Bookmarks from IE. Am I missing anything other than specific program
> > settings that I can redo on reinstallation? Would any standard
> > programs save stuff outside My Docs? Any help is much appreciated.
> > I am burning everything on to DVDs and am not using any specific
> > backup software.
> >
> > Thanks for your help, much appreciated.
>
> Basics....
>
> documents & settings\username\My Documents
> documents & settings\username\Desktop
> documents & settings\username\Favorites
>
> Plus -
>
> Outlook data
> Outlook Express data
>
> Personally, I like to create a folder such as c:\data.
>
> Then I redirect My Documents there (change the target path & move the
> files).
> I create subfolders for Outlook & OE, and move their data files to the
> appropriate folders (there are specific ways to do this).
>
> I think it's tidier than using the built-in/default paths, and it's a good
> way to know that the lion's share of your data is in a single folder. HTH.
>
>
>

Taxed Mind <TaxedMind@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> Thanks Lanwench and Ron, great help.
>
> Lanwench, sounds like a good idea to create another "Data" folder and
> to redirect My Docs there. I actually have a whole second internal
> drive currently empty which is supposed to be for data, rather than
> the OS (original spec of laptop). However I have no idea how to
> redirect My Documents there (change the target path), moving the
> files I could manage. How should I go about doing this?

You can right-click on My Documents | properties. Change the target path. It
will prompt you to move the data. However, if you have a lot of data, you
might want to move it beforehand via command line using xcopy / robocopy or
something, just to be absolutely certain it's moved properly.
>
> You also mentioned creating subfolders for Outlook, and moving the
> data files to the appropriate folders, where would you recommend I
> find the specific ways to do this that you mentioned?

Not sure which Outlook version you're using, but generally: with Outlook
closed, find & move your PST file(s). I also recommend renaming while you're
at it; outlook.pst is a bit...generic. Open Outlook, and when it complains
that it can't find the file, browse/redirect it to the new location. Close &
reopen Outlook. If you also had archive PSTs, re-point Outlook at the new
location/files as well.

OE: Tools | options | maintenance | store folder.
>
> Following any changes to My Docs and Outlook subfolders, will there
> be any problems while programs, etc. are unable to find the new
> locations? Do you think there would be any issues caused by storing
> the data on a separate internal drive from the OS?

No; people do this all the time. Most software just looks for the current My
Documents path.If you have software that insists on putting its data files
in the program files directory (Intuit does this, etc) you can move the
stuff manually to appropriate subfolders in your new My Documents, and then
re-open them in the programs.
>
> Thanks and best wishes
>
>
>
> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:
>
>> Taxed Mind <TaxedMind@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>> With Win XP I am obviously backing up all that can be found in My
>>> Documents, I have my Outlook.pst file and I have exported my
>>> Bookmarks from IE. Am I missing anything other than specific
>>> program settings that I can redo on reinstallation? Would any
>>> standard programs save stuff outside My Docs? Any help is much
>>> appreciated. I am burning everything on to DVDs and am not using
>>> any specific backup software.
>>>
>>> Thanks for your help, much appreciated.
>>
>> Basics....
>>
>> documents & settings\username\My Documents
>> documents & settings\username\Desktop
>> documents & settings\username\Favorites
>>
>> Plus -
>>
>> Outlook data
>> Outlook Express data
>>
>> Personally, I like to create a folder such as c:\data.
>>
>> Then I redirect My Documents there (change the target path & move the
>> files).
>> I create subfolders for Outlook & OE, and move their data files to
>> the appropriate folders (there are specific ways to do this).
>>
>> I think it's tidier than using the built-in/default paths, and it's
>> a good way to know that the lion's share of your data is in a single
>> folder. HTH.