XCOPY's capabilities

Many moons ago, before settling on Drive Image and GHOST
to make complete backup clones of my Master Operating
System, I tried XCOPY and couldn't successfully produce a
bootable cloned system on a Slave hard drive. I got good
advice here. (Thank you, Richard).

I don't want to start that research over again to answer
one of my colleagues who has asked me why I don't just
use XCOPY, with its many switches. May I have a few
answers to that question? Great details not required,
and thank you.

Shenan
Wed May 21 21:12:59 PDT 2008

William B. Lurie wrote:
> Many moons ago, before settling on Drive Image and GHOST
> to make complete backup clones of my Master Operating
> System, I tried XCOPY and couldn't successfully produce a
> bootable cloned system on a Slave hard drive. I got good
> advice here. (Thank you, Richard).
>
> I don't want to start that research over again to answer
> one of my colleagues who has asked me why I don't just
> use XCOPY, with its many switches. May I have a few
> answers to that question? Great details not required,
> and thank you.

Using it how?
- From within Windows itself - while the OS is running?
- Booting from a BartPE (or similar CD)?

Either way you will end up with a non-bootable system - but with a little
extra effort - the second one might become a bootable system. (xcopy is not
going to give you the boot sector, etc.)

Seems like a lot of work for nothing, though. Imaging programs exist that
make exact 100% images of the system and otrher drives/partitions that can
be applied later and boot fine.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

DL
Thu May 22 01:18:59 PDT 2008

Personally I find a dedicated Image app simpler
You did say 'no details'

"William B. Lurie" <billurie@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:4834CB97.6060809@nospam.net...
> Many moons ago, before settling on Drive Image and GHOST
> to make complete backup clones of my Master Operating
> System, I tried XCOPY and couldn't successfully produce a
> bootable cloned system on a Slave hard drive. I got good
> advice here. (Thank you, Richard).
>
> I don't want to start that research over again to answer
> one of my colleagues who has asked me why I don't just
> use XCOPY, with its many switches. May I have a few
> answers to that question? Great details not required,
> and thank you.

William
Thu May 22 03:52:47 PDT 2008

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> William B. Lurie wrote:
>> Many moons ago, before settling on Drive Image and GHOST
>> to make complete backup clones of my Master Operating
>> System, I tried XCOPY and couldn't successfully produce a
>> bootable cloned system on a Slave hard drive. I got good
>> advice here. (Thank you, Richard).
>>
>> I don't want to start that research over again to answer
>> one of my colleagues who has asked me why I don't just
>> use XCOPY, with its many switches. May I have a few
>> answers to that question? Great details not required,
>> and thank you.
>
> Using it how?
> - From within Windows itself - while the OS is running?
> - Booting from a BartPE (or similar CD)?
>
> Either way you will end up with a non-bootable system - but with a little
> extra effort - the second one might become a bootable system. (xcopy is not
> going to give you the boot sector, etc.)
>
> Seems like a lot of work for nothing, though. Imaging programs exist that
> make exact 100% images of the system and other drives/partitions that can
> be applied later and boot fine.
>
Thank you....my sentiments exactly, but I wanted more expert
corroboration.

William
Thu May 22 03:55:12 PDT 2008

Right you are, DL, and thank you. But Irwin's
response included just the right amount of detail.

DL wrote:
> Personally I find a dedicated Image app simpler
> You did say 'no details'
>
> "William B. Lurie" <billurie@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:4834CB97.6060809@nospam.net...
>> Many moons ago, before settling on Drive Image and GHOST
>> to make complete backup clones of my Master Operating
>> System, I tried XCOPY and couldn't successfully produce a
>> bootable cloned system on a Slave hard drive. I got good
>> advice here. (Thank you, Richard).
>>
>> I don't want to start that research over again to answer
>> one of my colleagues who has asked me why I don't just
>> use XCOPY, with its many switches. May I have a few
>> answers to that question? Great details not required,
>> and thank you.
>
>

Shenan
Thu May 22 10:25:50 PDT 2008

William B. Lurie wrote:
> Many moons ago, before settling on Drive Image and GHOST
> to make complete backup clones of my Master Operating
> System, I tried XCOPY and couldn't successfully produce a
> bootable cloned system on a Slave hard drive. I got good
> advice here. (Thank you, Richard).
>
> I don't want to start that research over again to answer
> one of my colleagues who has asked me why I don't just
> use XCOPY, with its many switches. May I have a few
> answers to that question? Great details not required,
> and thank you.

DL wrote:
> Personally I find a dedicated Image app simpler
> You did say 'no details'

William B. Lurie wrote:
> Right you are, DL, and thank you. But Irwin's
> response included just the right amount of detail.

Not seeing Irwin's response here - could you repeat it?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html