New laptop!

[KeepingRealBusy]

Hi,

I'm using my new laptop.  My 11 year old laptop just died (video quit). This is an HP Pavilion Dv76c23cl, win 7 64 bit, quad core AMD, 6 GB memory, 750 GB hd.

My laptop timings should be quite a bit better with this one, should beat my desktop now.

I guess I have to start learning 64 bit MASM and threading.

Dave,

[hutch--]

Sounds like a nice toy, certainly a lot better than a 10 year old anything. Threading is truly worth the effort, slightly different brain but you can do smart stuff with it. Nothing wrong with 64 bit assembler but the stack and seh is a pain in the ass and the tools generally are pretty crappy. Don't let it stop you from writing useful 32 bit code, with a few tricks you can use more memory than with a 32 bit OS.

[Vortex]

Hi KeepingRealBusy,

I hope you will enjoy your new computer. Don't forget to backup your system partition.

[KeepingRealBusy]

Hi KeepingRealBusy,

I hope you will enjoy your new computer. Don't forget to backup your system partition.

Vortex,

It will have a disk image backup, real quick. Speaking of which, I have a 13 year old version of Partition Magic and  and its Disk Image Backup. I think it is time to upgrade to something more current, especially since the backup browser can't handle huge backups (probably can't handle  64 bit seeks).

Anyone have any good suggestions for a replacement (that will still run on XP Pro for my desktop and the Wife's machine)?

Dave.

[dedndave]

the machine sounds nice Dave   :t

i use EaseUS Partition Master and Todo Backup
the home versions are free and very nice

http://www.easeus.com/

[clive]

Bit like my ACER beast http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/LX.PXE02.209
1600x900 LCD, would have preferred a 1920x1080, but sure beats the 1388x768 a lot of 17" models come with.
Win7 x64 Pro, 8 GB of DDR3, it would/will have 16 GB in it if the 8GB SODIMMs get realistically priced, the 4GB ones were cheap. I can't figure out why the factory config these things with mismatched modules.

The AMD-V stuff does a good job running Virtual Box.

The IT guys round here like the Acronis tools.

[KeepingRealBusy]

dedndave and Cleve,

Thank you for the suggestions.

Clive, the screen is 17.3 with 1600x900. They day before it broke, I was looking (drooling) at an HP add for a laptop. The base price was, as I remember, about $248.00 (I couldn't believe it), I played around customizing it with 3 750 GB HD's, 16 GB memory, all sorts of software and ran that up to $2000.00. Then reality sank in and I said I don't NEED a new laptop, so I blew the promo away and deleted the email. The next day, my old laptop took revenge and blew up (video went completely blank) when I clicked on the "inbox" to read my email. I killed the boot (powered off)  and tried to re-boot. Even the basic EGA startup was partially bad, vertical lines and random dot pairs all over the screen, then it went completely blank as it switched to SVGA mode for the logon.

COSTCO had this one on sale for a super price, but no customization. I had to get a new Verizon card since my old laptop had a PCMCIA slot and they don't make them anymore (well 1 FUGITSU (SP?) for $1100 at Fry's Electronics), so we talked Verizon into swapping to a USB card and not requiring a new contract (I had to pay $250 but no extended contract), and my new bill will actually be $10 a month cheaper, and this is a 4G card with about 50 times the transfer rate of the old card.

If I had had any internet access, I may have been able to find a better deal, but I was dead in the water and needed something.

Dave

[Farabi]

Whoa 10 years old. I got my laptop 5 years ago and it seems it will be broken on a few months.

[Vortex]

Hi KeepingRealBusy,

I could recommend Redo Backup

Macrium Reflect is another option.

[KeepingRealBusy]

the machine sounds nice Dave   :t

i use EaseUS Partition Master and Todo Backup
the home versions are free and very nice

http://www.easeus.com/

Dave,

I have finally got my wife's data installed on my old  system (dual AMD 4GB memory, 3GB and 5GB hard drives XP SP2) because her old-old system got jealous and crashed the video also (I think it was a 1999 system - not worth saving anything except the data). She is now dealing with learning how to use Office 2003 (was working with Office 2000 Pro).

I tried to install Office 2010 on her system. Couldn't, requires XP SP3. I downloaded XP SP3 from MS onto my laptop (an. EXE) and installed it on her system. It all appeared to work correctly, until it tried to boot the system. then it crashed. I tried all sorts of recoveries and ended up in safe mode. This gets you an 800x600 display and no way to change the resolution (probably lost the video driver in the update) so I ended up backing out the XP SP3 install. This recovered the system to XP SP2 - almost! There was a slight problem of re-naming a few files - the list looked like the entire collection of System32 .dll files. I didn't trust this "restore". I just used Drive Image 7 to restore the save I had done just before trying the XP SP3 install. What a waste of time. At least the system appears to be back to normal.

Now, I have all my data on both her drives (temporarily) and also on two external backup drives. These drives also contain Drive Image 7 backups of varying age and content, and from different systems (an early Gateway 2000, and several other systems).

I tried to install Drive Image 7 and also Partition Magic 8 on my Windows 7 laptop, neither would install.

My question is, is there a Windows 7 Drive Image version that can still read these backups?, If not, all is not lost. I can still use Drive Image 7 on her system to copy the backup image data to an external drive and move it over to my laptop and then re-save it using the new Windows 7 backup software. It would just be quicker to be able to tead the backup image and copy it to a drive.

Do the backup versions you mentioned work on Windows 7 systems? I need to get something to do a save before disaster hits.

Dave.

[clive]

if the 8GB SODIMMs get realistically priced, the 4GB ones were cheap

Prices of 8GB DDR3 SODIMMs have dropped to $55 (USD), need to check if the CPU/BIOS actually support them.

[KeepingRealBusy]

Hutch, dedndave, clive, Vortex,

Thank you all for the help, I now have my backups.

Hutch,

I have included you because the forum has a wee bit of a problem. I typed this reply and tried to attach some screen shots. It rejected the attachment because it would only accept .zips. I then had to find out how to create a .zip in Win 7, created the .zip, then cleared the two attachments, then attached the .zip. The forum refused to accept a Post. I tried a Preview, then tried to Post again, it still would not accept the Post. I had this nagging feeling that I should save all my typing, but didn't do it. I hit Back and it threw out everything. Back to ground zero (at least I have my 256KB .zip). I will now try to recreate the text and try to attach the .zip again (you can bet that I will save a backup of the text before I try to post). (Hutch, Happened again, it may not be you, Firefox seems to have timed out and would not re-connect so I started a new reply and pasted in the saved content).

dedndave,

I tried EaseUs backup, but accidentally downloaded the trial version not the free version. It worked and I got a backup on my hard drive, and copied two copies to my backup drives and validated the content. Then I discovered that I would have to purchase the trial with an upgrade within 15 days. I uninstalled the EaseUs, and downloaded and installed the free version. I tried with the free version to do the same save. The interface is different and I had some other problems (don't remember what) but I was dissatisfied with the free version. I tried to uninstall this, but it wouldn't completely uninstall, it kept one driver in system32 and kept popping up the backup. I finally figured that I could rename the driver (don't remember the exact name, but I renamed driver.dll to driver1.dll). Then booted the system. It came up without problems, and I could then delete the EaseUs directory. I didn't try to use regedit to clean up the directory - there are about 4 references to that .dll. The system seems to be running fine.

I couldn't find a way to purchase EaseUs except on-line. I do NOT shop on-line. I do not trust the merchants to properly secure AND encrypt the user data (ACL lists don't cut it)! Countless incidents exist of hackers getting user data. I decided to get Norton Ghost from Frys Electronics ($5.00 with a rebate for buying a 500 GB USB 3.0 external drive as well to use for my coding data since the transfer speed is much higher than USB 2,0).  Norton is part of Symantec, and Symantic bought PowerQuest several years ago. I have been using PowerQuest DriveImage since 1999 and still use it for my old system (the wife's new system).

I used the Symantic Recovery Disk (the install disk) and booted from CD and saved my system on both of my backup drives. Ghost is just DriveImage with a little bit of front end gloss - the main save engine seems to be the same as DriveImage, including the screens and the animated graphics!

Several problems with Ghost. The Symantic Recovery Disk does not support the MS Mouse ( interestingly, EaseUS did support the MS Mouse with the created boot CD).

Next problem. I tried to use Symantec/Norton help to find out why. I got into help on a site named "Symantic..." and stated my problem. They responded in 10 minutes or so with a message that they had an answer for my problem, but that it would cost me $38.00 to get that answer. I blew that job shop connection away. I played around for a bit and discovered that the MS Mouse would work if I used the USB 2.0 ports. Symantic Recovery Disk does not support USB 3.0 ports.

I read the documentation on the CD and found out that I could build a custom recovery disk by adding the required drivers. I first tried to build the disk using the system drivers, but it would not accept the drivers. Symantic Recovery Disk requires 32 bit drivers and Win 7 uses 64 bit drivers. I will have to contact HP and try to get 32 bit drivers (if available) and then try to build up the custom recovery disk with specified locations for the drivers. I have not gone down that road yet. At least my system has 2 USB 2.0 ports and 2 USB 3.0 ports, so I can use one port for the MS Mouse and the other for my backup drive.

I then booted the system and started checking out Ghost. Another problem. I run my system with the display set to extra large fonts and large icons. Ghost partially supports the extra large fonts, but it causes the headings to be too long and overrun the display area, so the system splits the line to a second line which is pretty much totally overlayed by the following list (see the two screen shots I have attached).

I tried to use Email to report this error, and got another Indian job shop with a reply that they did not support accessibility options (this is not an accessibility option, it is a Windows Control Panel Display option), and that I should use normal fonts and then use the magnifier tool to read the text. What a crock!

They then had the nerve to send me an email requesting feedback on my help experience, from yet another job shop! I have not responded to that feedback, don't know if I will, any answer will probably be ignored.

The attachment is a zip of several of the on-line displays as well as the legal disclaimer that they post in reference to Symantic's forums. They admit that they don't monitor the forums, so why should  I try to report problems there.

At least I have system backups.

Dave.

[dedndave]

sorry you had trouble with the EaseUS programs
i had no trouble at all
as for uninstalling - you can go into admin tools and disable any services
that is the right way - you can then unregister using regsrv.exe
i think EaseUS has a forum where you can get info about uninstalling completely

[KeepingRealBusy]

dedndave

I did not have any problems like that when I uninstalled the trial version, only the free version. At least it's gone now and I have a backup.

I noticed from other MASM32 forums that other people (clive) have had attach/post problems as well.

Not happy with Symantic customer support, that's for sure. You have no way to contact Symantic corporate directly.

Dave.