Given the benefits of erasing and re-loading windows from time to time on a PC, if I were to instal windows onto 1 hard drive, and my apps and data etc onto another physical hard drive, if I re-installed Windows back onto the same drive (say after it got corrupted) how would the new Windows install on drive A know where to look for apps like skype or ms office etc on Drive B? (I don't want to go down the partitioning route btw, rather have 2 sep drives). Many thanks.
it wouldnt. the apps on the other drive wouldnt have the registry entries to run. just make an image of the windows install and restore that instead of re-installing.
Are you saying I'd need (ideally) to copy an image of my O/S hard disk AFTER I've loaded all the various apps on to the other hard disk and hopefully not added any crap or modifications at that point? Basically make the image immediately after everything has been freshly installed? Thanks again.
+1. It's the surest way of doing things and precisely what I'll be doing when I reload after installing 7.
Or you can just re-install, it just means that you have to reinstall certain apps. some apps will work without reinstalling. I always seem to forget to make an image after a reinstall too.
In unix it's normal to split out the various components: The OS: /, /bin, /sbin, /lib, /boot... etc. The Programs: /usr, /opt The user data: /home, /export The logfiles, working datasets etc.: /var, /srv That's fine for a production server environment, and gives ultimate control, robustness and flexibility, however it's overkill for a home PC. I'd merge all that to: Everything that's not data (OS, Programs, Settings): C:\ Datafiles (music files, videos, etc. not settings): D:\ I'd take an image of c:\ (google for clonezilla -- makes this too easy) after it was installed and setup as i wanted. Periodically (once every 3 months?) i'd take another image (without deleting the first). The built in backup & restore -> create system image is ideal in win7. Seperately i'd setup incremental backup of d:\
