Q: You said earlier that there may be trouble when putting a System Image onto a different PC. I always thought that when my PC finally goes kaput, I could put the old PC’s System Image onto the new one. That way I’d be right where I started. What should I do? A: First, a […]

Q: What’s the difference between a System Image backup versus a backup of the registry? When should we back up the registry? A: The Windows registry is simply a database: a bunch of text and numbers, as shown to the left. It’s a mighty powerful database, though, because Windows stores thousands of important settings inside […]

Q: I tried to create a System Image on my external hard drive, but Windows came up with this message: “This drive cannot be used to store a system image because it is not formatted with NTFS.” The hard drive already has some files. How do I format the drive to NTFS? A: Creating a […]

Q: What is the difference between the Windows 7 System Recovery disc that came with my computer, and the System Image you describe how to make in Windows 7 For Dummies? And in what order do I use those if something goes wrong? Do I have to use them all? A: Earlier, I explained how […]

(This is the first of a series of posts covering information taken from my latest book, Upgrading and Fixing Computers Do-It-Yourself For Dummies.) Windows 7’s Backup and Restore program lets you create a “System Image,” as well as a regular backup. Different from a regular backup, System Image contains everything on your computer’s C drive: […]