using a dell laptop, windows xp professional, w CD, DVD but no floppy drive

i have to install a new hard drive as a repair from dell.

i have done a complete back up on my current drive using the MS backup
utility which says it will create a boot disk. when the back up is done, i
get a notice that says: no floopy found (yup, that is true there is none)
and i have to press ok and the back session is ended. the back up file is
created but the notice says i need the disk to restore

so, how do i get the disk to help restore? i give up

please help as i need to get this done so i can get the new drive put in
before this one dies completely.

when i do run the restore will i get all settings, drivers ect back and will
the computer boot off the hd

x-no-archive: yes
On Thu, 5 Jan 2006 05:18:02 -0800, "badger man"
<badgerman@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>using a dell laptop, windows xp professional, w CD, DVD but no floppy drive
>
>i have to install a new hard drive as a repair from dell.
>
>i have done a complete back up on my current drive using the MS backup
>utility which says it will create a boot disk. when the back up is done, i
>get a notice that says: no floopy found (yup, that is true there is none)
>and i have to press ok and the back session is ended. the back up file is
>created but the notice says i need the disk to restore
>
>so, how do i get the disk to help restore? i give up

Invest in an ide to usb adapter. Or invest in an
external hard drive enclosure. In either case, you will also
want a 2nd hard drive to back up to. Get one adequate for a
40 Gb or 80 Gb data set. They're truly not that expensive
these days.

My recommendation is that you get the ide to usb adapter
cable. It's cheap, and it works.

And if you find yourself still needing to use a floppy
drive, you can get the floppy drive for about $5 brand new,
and that will require a 2nd ide to usb adapter. Just be
sure-- in the case of the floppy drive-- that you get the
two-headed ide adapter. That way, you have the SMALL adapter
for the Floppy signal connector.

Good luck!

Tallahassee
>
>please help as i need to get this done so i can get the new drive put in
>before this one dies completely.
>
>when i do run the restore will i get all settings, drivers ect back and will
>the computer boot off the hd

i already have a usb hard drive - that is what i am doing the back up too.

but when MS gets done writing the back up it says it can not find a floppy
to make the restore disk.

this is crazy - most notebooks do not have floppies any more!

so to do a full back up, using windows XP backup utility, i have to go out
and buy a usb floppy drive?

this can not be true

advice please - and thanks again

"Talahasee" wrote:

> x-no-archive: yes
> On Thu, 5 Jan 2006 05:18:02 -0800, "badger man"
> <badgerman@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >using a dell laptop, windows xp professional, w CD, DVD but no floppy drive
> >
> >i have to install a new hard drive as a repair from dell.
> >
> >i have done a complete back up on my current drive using the MS backup
> >utility which says it will create a boot disk. when the back up is done, i
> >get a notice that says: no floopy found (yup, that is true there is none)
> >and i have to press ok and the back session is ended. the back up file is
> >created but the notice says i need the disk to restore
> >
> >so, how do i get the disk to help restore? i give up
>
> Invest in an ide to usb adapter. Or invest in an
> external hard drive enclosure. In either case, you will also
> want a 2nd hard drive to back up to. Get one adequate for a
> 40 Gb or 80 Gb data set. They're truly not that expensive
> these days.
>
> My recommendation is that you get the ide to usb adapter
> cable. It's cheap, and it works.
>
> And if you find yourself still needing to use a floppy
> drive, you can get the floppy drive for about $5 brand new,
> and that will require a 2nd ide to usb adapter. Just be
> sure-- in the case of the floppy drive-- that you get the
> two-headed ide adapter. That way, you have the SMALL adapter
> for the Floppy signal connector.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Tallahassee
> >
> >please help as i need to get this done so i can get the new drive put in
> >before this one dies completely.
> >
> >when i do run the restore will i get all settings, drivers ect back and will
> >the computer boot off the hd
>
>

badger man wrote:

> i already have a usb hard drive - that is what i am doing the back up
> too.
>
> but when MS gets done writing the back up it says it can not find a
> floppy to make the restore disk.
>
> this is crazy - most notebooks do not have floppies any more!
>
> so to do a full back up, using windows XP backup utility, i have to go
> out
> and buy a usb floppy drive?
>
> this can not be true
>
> advice please - and thanks again

It *is* true because NTBackup is old. It was originally used with NT
systems to back up to tape. It is really not the best solution for
backup software today. Acronis makes good software, and I've heard good
things about BackUpMyPC. Another nice program to use is SecondCopy from
www.centered.com.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User