Strange backup method

[Omnituens]

OK i need to back up 22GB of info with no CD burner. I came up with this method:

1) create a 25 GB partition on my HD and copy data to there
2) format main partition
3) reinstall Windows 2000 (no arguements about OS in here please)
4) move data back to primary partition
5) delete partition

now i can see some flaws in this, because this leaves me 25GB of unpartitioned space that i cannot use. can anyone name a program that will allow me to pull this off? this needs to be done soon as possible because XP is slowly killing my machine.

Any tips or hints (no OS advise please, 2K forever for me) will be helpful.

EDIT: the program MUST work with the NTFS file system

[svenw]

Bad idea to have your datas on the same partions as your OS. You would need some prog to partion your HD without whiping your datas anyway(for the partition you create first). Partion Magic should do the trick.

I always have 2 partitions. 1 for data and one for the OS. 5-7GB for the XP partition rest for datas.

[s0apy]

as near as i recall, windows 2000 disk manager allows you to do clever things with partitions, such as add unpartitioned space to an existing volume.

[rob444]

Partition Magic, or use Windows built in diskmanager.

[J. Folsom]

I'd just continue running in two partitions, shame you'd have to divide them between 22 and 25 GB though, would be better if you could make one smaller windows partition (Say 5 GB), and the rest in a second partition, but since that seems impossible. :/

[slaughteruall]

Partition Magic, or use Windows built in diskmanager.

Yeah do that. Or you could just keep the partition for extra storage. I use a extermal 120 gig for data backup. Also burn some stuff to CD/DVD.

Slaughter

[olavski]

1) create a 25 GB partition on my HD and copy data to there
2) format main partition
3) reinstall Windows 2000 (no arguements about OS in here please)



I would leave it like that, forget step 4 and 5.

[Agent L]

Do you have 25GB of unpartitioned diskspace? If not you'll have to resize existing partition. Doing that is a risky operation, all progs that do that says "backup your data, we are not responsible of failure". This is no empty disclaimer, I've seen repartition process failing (drive wiped).
I'd recomend you borrowing second HD and moving all data onto it.
Also, do you really need to format your primary partition, I've never tried to do this with NT, but simply deleting Windir, Program Files, User Data and other system dirs should be enough to get clean new install - with all data unmoved.

[Omnituens]

if i was to go the old small partition for os rest for data i wouldnt be spilting it 25GB as i have a 80GB HD.

i would just delete the files and reinstall, but i cant do that while the OS is active. unless i install 2k onto a small HD then boot to that, then wipe the disk like that.

[Agent L]

uhm, right. Is it possible to del OS from console mode? Or boot it from diskette or CD and still have NTFS acces? Win Installer somehow *has* access to NTFS drives. (i'm guessing it is NTFS)

[jernau]

You need Partition Magic. The MS in-built one won't resize partitions.

You can also add :
6) resize main partition to include whole HDD
if you are brave (there is a small chance it will go horribly wrong - it never has for me though). I would definitely run a thorough scandisk first if you do this.