How to Back Up Windows XP

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Learn how to backup your Windows XP computer quickly. This is a down and dirty full system backup. This will allow you to restore everything on your system if you had a system crash.

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  • Question
    What do I do if the computer says it can't find ntbackup.exe?
    Community Answer
    You probably have a Home Edition of Windows. Windows XP Home Edition does have the backup utility on the install disc, but does not install it by default. You need to insert your Windows XP installation disc into your CD-ROM drive and navigate to D:\VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP - assuming your CD-ROM drive has the drive letter D: assigned to it by Windows. In that folder is a file called NTbackup.msi which, when you run it, will install the ntbackup program.
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  • Question
    I have the XP PRO back-up utility installed and it recognizes E and F drives, but saves only 4 GB of files on 128 GB USB 3.0 drive before Windows pops up saying "Tape is full". Can settings be changed to store all files?
    Community Answer
    Likely, your USB drive is formatted using the FAT32 filesystem. This filesystem only supports files up to 4 GB in size. You will either need to format your drive with NTFS or exFAT, or use another drive already formatted with one of these filesystems. Keep in mind, exFAT will require additional drivers to be installed for Windows XP to support it.
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  • Question
    Where can I find the operating system information on my PC?
    Community Answer
    To find many settings directly based on the hardware of your Windows PC, press the Windows key + R, which will launch the "Run" window. In this window, type "dxdiag" (without quotations) and press Enter, and a new window will pop up showing you various specs on your computer's hardware. For operating system and other settings, go into any windows explorer page (My Documents, My Computer, etc) right-click on an empty portion of the page, and click Properties. This will show the computer settings, as well as your operating system and Product ID code.
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      Tips

      • Make sure the location you are backing up to has enough storage space to backup your entire computer.
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      • Full System backups can take extended amounts of time depending on how much data you have to backup so be prepared.
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      • You will have to be certain you won't have to turn off your computer during the backup.
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