In the past I have shied away from using custom backup software: I have just copied the files in full to a different drive, because then I don't need special software to recover them (e.g. if my computer was stolen or destroyed, would a different computer have the correct recovery software?). So, if I use the built-in backup application in Windows 7, and I loose the computer, can I recover those files on a different computer? Does it need Win7? Will somebody else's copy of Win7 do it?
NelsonP
NelsonP,
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"The main hardware limitation for restoring a system image backup is that the target computer must have at least as many hard drives as the source system. and each drive must be at least as big as its corresponding drive in the source system.
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Other target computer hardware is irrelevant because hardware drivers are isolated from the rest of the image information and are rebuilt as part of the restore process.
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A backup image file can be stored on an external hard drive or in a shared network folder.
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You can start the image restore process from a system repair disc you create or a windows 7 installation DVD."
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Above info from Windows 7 Inside out; published by Microsoft Press.
http://www.amazon.com/Windows-.....#38;sr=1-1
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Regards,
Rick P.
Thanks Rick P, but I'm not sure it fully answers my situation. Say for example my Win7 computer is destroyed, but I have a Win7-created backup of my documents on an external drive, which I plug in to my WinXP laptop. Will my laptop make sense of the backup file? I don't want to bother with system restores/or Win7 installation disks. I just want my files back.
Nelson P
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