Hello, everybody, I am new here.
I would like to know wether 2xplorer is the right tool in following situation:
The HD of my old and slow W98 PC has a hughe and unfunctional system of folders and files. This is where I keep a mixture of all sorts of important data (documents, pictures, music, copies of web pages, etc...) since years.
Well now I have bought a new and faster windowsXP PC plus an external HD - now is the moment to put ORDER in my files and folders!!
I want to do this in three steps:
FIRST STEP:
Copying ALL the data from my old "C" disk to the external HD.
SECOND STEP:
Connecting this external HD to the new PC, so that I can sort and organize the folders and files to keep them in the new PC.
THIRD STEP:
After sorting and transferring the data to the new PC, I will keep using the external HD for backup purposes.
Well, I was reading the very USEFUL PDF documentation of 2xplorer, and I think that 2xplorerPRO will be a good tool to build my new folder system and to synchronize my future backups, but... My PROBLEM NOW is:
How to move all the data out of the old PC??
I thought it would be so easy to manually make an exact copy of the root folder from my old PC to the external HD, but... in fact now this seems rather IMPOSSIBLE - beacause a lot of subfolders have some files inside which Windows considers it "can not copy" (maybe because of those files' attributes), so the copy process keeps stopping and stopping again and again ... And it would take at least 500 years of hardest work to copy all my folders and files that way!
So the first thing I NEED is a tool which can force Windows just to do its duty, I mean I want Windows just to COPY all my large amount of files and folders to the new location (the external HD), without asking me anything and without stopping every two minutes just to show some annoying message: "I can't copy this... I can't copy that..."
CAN I ACCOMPLISH THAT TASK WITH 2XPLORER?
Thanks a lot in advance for your answers
Jero
Can 2xplorer backup my C Drive to an external HD?
Moderators: fgagnon, nikos, Site Mods
I'm not sure what the problem is copying the files onto your external HDD. It might help to know what tool you were trying to use, or what files were causing problems.
To try & understand, I booted up my old w98 machine, and then opened 2xExplorer (the precursor to xplorer²) to the root of C: in the active pane and to a temporary folder I named oldCCopy on another drive in the other pane.
I selected everything (Ctrl+A) and then unselected just the system files in the root [msdos.sys, io.sys, config.sys, win386.swp] and the Windows folder and the Windows Update Setup Files folder.
I then hit F5, Enter to copy the whole selection to the destination in the inactive pane. ... & went & had dessert ...
When I came back everything had been copied with no complaints.
You should be able to do the same.
Once you have the files on the new HDD, the real work begins.
Then, I recommend you use the power of xplorer²-Pro to organize your files the way you want them -- after thoroughly Reading The Fabulous Manual (which you say you have started)
I hope this helps a little; but as I said at the outset, I don't know what files you have spread around your directories that are stopping the copy process -- I certainly didn't find any problem files myself (but I strategicly avoided known system files and the main Windows directories where I would not expect there to be any data files worth keeping. I DID copy the entire set of applications installed in the Program Files folder.
PS -- you should be able to effect the initial copy also with xplorer² (or even using a pair of Windows Explorer windows to drag-n-drop your selection)
The key may be avoiding system files which are in use, or identifying a common property of the problem files so they can be identified en masse and excluded from the copy process (with the powerful filtering capabilities of x2-Pro, for example).
PPS - an even easier possibility (if you new external HDD came with it, like mine did) might be just to use the backup software that came with it for your FIRST STEP.
To try & understand, I booted up my old w98 machine, and then opened 2xExplorer (the precursor to xplorer²) to the root of C: in the active pane and to a temporary folder I named oldCCopy on another drive in the other pane.
I selected everything (Ctrl+A) and then unselected just the system files in the root [msdos.sys, io.sys, config.sys, win386.swp] and the Windows folder and the Windows Update Setup Files folder.
I then hit F5, Enter to copy the whole selection to the destination in the inactive pane. ... & went & had dessert ...
When I came back everything had been copied with no complaints.
You should be able to do the same.
Once you have the files on the new HDD, the real work begins.
Then, I recommend you use the power of xplorer²-Pro to organize your files the way you want them -- after thoroughly Reading The Fabulous Manual (which you say you have started)
I hope this helps a little; but as I said at the outset, I don't know what files you have spread around your directories that are stopping the copy process -- I certainly didn't find any problem files myself (but I strategicly avoided known system files and the main Windows directories where I would not expect there to be any data files worth keeping. I DID copy the entire set of applications installed in the Program Files folder.
PS -- you should be able to effect the initial copy also with xplorer² (or even using a pair of Windows Explorer windows to drag-n-drop your selection)
The key may be avoiding system files which are in use, or identifying a common property of the problem files so they can be identified en masse and excluded from the copy process (with the powerful filtering capabilities of x2-Pro, for example).
PPS - an even easier possibility (if you new external HDD came with it, like mine did) might be just to use the backup software that came with it for your FIRST STEP.
I will try it!!
THANK YOU very much FGAGNON for your very thorough answer!Now I will try
to do it with 2xplorer!(So far I had not tried to do it with 2xplorer -only with Windows.)
When Im done, I will follow-up the thread, to let you know how it worked out.
Have a nice day!
Jero
jero,
I don't know that I have helped a bit ...
For one thing, I am confused about which product you mean when you say "2xplorer" (there is no such animal)
And "-only with Windows" is not specific, as there are different ways to use the supporting applications provided with the Windows operating system to attack your problem. (I assumed that you tried to use Windows Explorer.)
As far as nikos' file managers go, there is
2xExplorer - freeware precursor to xplorer², but no longer supported
xplorer² - a powerful new file manager, shareware-licensed and sometimes referred to as xplorer²-Pro to distinguish it from the "Lite" version
xplorer²-Lite - the slightly less capable freeware version of x2-Pro
(The new and old file managers are often referred to by their shorthand monikers: 2x or x2, for 2xExplorer and xplorer² respectively.)
The verbose point I am trying to make is that there are differences between the 3 products, and if you need detailed help, you should specify unambiguously which you are using.
You posted here in the 2xExplorer forum, so I did my initial 'test' with 2x -- but If you have questions about x2 or x2-Lite, then you will be better served by posting in the corresponding forum (and your requests will be less confusing to the denizens on the board who volunteer their help)
I don't know that I have helped a bit ...
For one thing, I am confused about which product you mean when you say "2xplorer" (there is no such animal)
And "-only with Windows" is not specific, as there are different ways to use the supporting applications provided with the Windows operating system to attack your problem. (I assumed that you tried to use Windows Explorer.)
As far as nikos' file managers go, there is
2xExplorer - freeware precursor to xplorer², but no longer supported
xplorer² - a powerful new file manager, shareware-licensed and sometimes referred to as xplorer²-Pro to distinguish it from the "Lite" version
xplorer²-Lite - the slightly less capable freeware version of x2-Pro
(The new and old file managers are often referred to by their shorthand monikers: 2x or x2, for 2xExplorer and xplorer² respectively.)
The verbose point I am trying to make is that there are differences between the 3 products, and if you need detailed help, you should specify unambiguously which you are using.
You posted here in the 2xExplorer forum, so I did my initial 'test' with 2x -- but If you have questions about x2 or x2-Lite, then you will be better served by posting in the corresponding forum (and your requests will be less confusing to the denizens on the board who volunteer their help)
backing up with xplorer2 - follow up 2004/aug/09
Thanks a lot for your comments, Fgagnon!
Well, I can tell that with your first answer you already helped me realize some things:
The first and most important thing for me at that point was to get an answer to the question about the capability of Mr. Nicos' exploring utilities to perform backups. From your first answer I understood that even the oldest one of the three applications is indeed capable of making a back up of a C: drive. (At least under the standard conditions of the test that you run. -Thanks again for that.)
And that encouraged me to download the trial Pro version, and I started experimenting myself with... "2xplorer"... Oops!, as I wrote "2xplorer" I actually had a big confusion in my head about those names... What I actually meant was "xplorer2". Sorry for the mistake and thanks for the correction.
Even now I am still not correctly writing the name of the application! (By the way, if Mr Nicos could see what happens with the name of his new application in the title bar of a japanese Windows98 like mine, I guess he too could feel some temptation to use a normal "2" instead... but anyway, I promise I will start writing "xplorer2" the correct way as soon as I get used to the whole series of steps necessary to produce the smaller and higher "2" in my keyboard.)
Well, as for having omitted the words "lite" or "pro", I am very sorry if that made my request confusing. I just thought that not mentioning the version would be a fair way to ask wether both of the products would be able to perform backups, or wether there were some differences between them referring to that point (but asked just in lesser words.)
But surely confusing was the fact that I sent a question about xplorer2 (Lite and/or Pro) to the forum of 2xExplorer! Sorry, folks, I can understand that was confusing. But I can tell I will try to improve my attention and precision in writing further help or information requests.
Consequently I will start by following-up THIS ISSUE in the corresponding forum (which, as I now learned, is the xplorer2-Pro forum).
Thanks again, Bye - See you there!
Jero
Well, I can tell that with your first answer you already helped me realize some things:
The first and most important thing for me at that point was to get an answer to the question about the capability of Mr. Nicos' exploring utilities to perform backups. From your first answer I understood that even the oldest one of the three applications is indeed capable of making a back up of a C: drive. (At least under the standard conditions of the test that you run. -Thanks again for that.)
And that encouraged me to download the trial Pro version, and I started experimenting myself with... "2xplorer"... Oops!, as I wrote "2xplorer" I actually had a big confusion in my head about those names... What I actually meant was "xplorer2". Sorry for the mistake and thanks for the correction.
Even now I am still not correctly writing the name of the application! (By the way, if Mr Nicos could see what happens with the name of his new application in the title bar of a japanese Windows98 like mine, I guess he too could feel some temptation to use a normal "2" instead... but anyway, I promise I will start writing "xplorer2" the correct way as soon as I get used to the whole series of steps necessary to produce the smaller and higher "2" in my keyboard.)
Well, as for having omitted the words "lite" or "pro", I am very sorry if that made my request confusing. I just thought that not mentioning the version would be a fair way to ask wether both of the products would be able to perform backups, or wether there were some differences between them referring to that point (but asked just in lesser words.)
But surely confusing was the fact that I sent a question about xplorer2 (Lite and/or Pro) to the forum of 2xExplorer! Sorry, folks, I can understand that was confusing. But I can tell I will try to improve my attention and precision in writing further help or information requests.
Consequently I will start by following-up THIS ISSUE in the corresponding forum (which, as I now learned, is the xplorer2-Pro forum).
Thanks again, Bye - See you there!
Jero
Jero,
No need to bother with trying to make the little "²" {ascii char#178} ... that's entirely cosmetic, & no apologies are necessary.
The only real confusion was 2xExplorer (2x), vs either flavor of xplorer2 (x2).
(I used the full "official" names in the post only to serve as a general purpose tutorial for other folks who may browse the forum and find the explanation helpful.)
Regarding backups ... that topic can be rather involved, and often implies something more sophisticated than simply copying entire disks or directories (folders).
There is usually no benefit in copying the operating system or installed applications: if files have been corrupted, they should be reinstalled from their source material in most cases to work properly -- not to mention the fact that the operation system will usually have many of its files open, which will cause a variety problems when trying to copy them (perhaps you saw some of that on your first attempt at FIRST STEP).
And it is often the case that you are really only interested in preserving the latest version of works, or the clutter from your working folders will propagate to your backup medium. Then it will be even more confusing to retrieve at a later date, when you have not been working with the information for a while.
And sometimes you will only want to backup files which have no backup copy until now -- i.e., files for which "archive" bit is set ... and if you do this, then you will want to clear the archive bit when you make a backup copy (if your backup software doen't do this automatically).
etc. ...
etc. ...
So, as I read from your first post, you are already doing well to be reading the user manual. ... If you follow its suggestions, and put in the work to organize your files, the result will be its own reward.
No need to bother with trying to make the little "²" {ascii char#178} ... that's entirely cosmetic, & no apologies are necessary.
The only real confusion was 2xExplorer (2x), vs either flavor of xplorer2 (x2).
(I used the full "official" names in the post only to serve as a general purpose tutorial for other folks who may browse the forum and find the explanation helpful.)
Regarding backups ... that topic can be rather involved, and often implies something more sophisticated than simply copying entire disks or directories (folders).
There is usually no benefit in copying the operating system or installed applications: if files have been corrupted, they should be reinstalled from their source material in most cases to work properly -- not to mention the fact that the operation system will usually have many of its files open, which will cause a variety problems when trying to copy them (perhaps you saw some of that on your first attempt at FIRST STEP).
And it is often the case that you are really only interested in preserving the latest version of works, or the clutter from your working folders will propagate to your backup medium. Then it will be even more confusing to retrieve at a later date, when you have not been working with the information for a while.
And sometimes you will only want to backup files which have no backup copy until now -- i.e., files for which "archive" bit is set ... and if you do this, then you will want to clear the archive bit when you make a backup copy (if your backup software doen't do this automatically).
etc. ...
etc. ...
So, as I read from your first post, you are already doing well to be reading the user manual. ... If you follow its suggestions, and put in the work to organize your files, the result will be its own reward.
easy answer
I didn't read all the details,but all you need to do is have both hard drives connected to the same computer.The external will easy connect to the old 98.
Then useing equal panes(on any version).Put the old hd on the right,new on the left and copy or cut and paste to new drive on left,all your personal data.
I recommend you create a partitin for this,and another for new Windows installation.
P'S.we all make typing mistakes like 2xplore instead of 2xExplorer.My goodness
Then useing equal panes(on any version).Put the old hd on the right,new on the left and copy or cut and paste to new drive on left,all your personal data.
I recommend you create a partitin for this,and another for new Windows installation.
P'S.we all make typing mistakes like 2xplore instead of 2xExplorer.My goodness
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