backing up the computer

Hello everybody,
I've got a little problem with backing up a computer with XP on it. There is a CD burner in the system but when I go to back up the system, it asks for floppies. I drop the drop down window and the cd writer doesn't show. Is there a way to make XP see this cd writer as the writing drive to back up to? I've talk to a few others about this, and they say go and get an outside program to make back ups. Well if XP is the best MS has as an OS, then way can't it back up to the cd writer? There has to be a way to fix this. Anybody out there know? Thanks.

Freddy

I know that with Windows 2000 it defaults to the floppy, but you can change the destination drive.

Click the "Browse" button to the right of Backup Media or file name and either enter in a file name, or browse to your cd writer.

Are the CD writer drivers 'seen' in the 'add remove programmes' window ? basic, but if not, maybe reinstall ? I had a similar prob in W2K Pro, with the CD RW and the CD ROM, had set the master / slave wrong ? and it wouldn't play along. So check the wiring / links ?

Sorry I don't have anything else, and I suppose that you have already done the above.

I dont know for deffenite but i`m pretty sure that backing up to CD in WinXP is unsurported. Your better off looking for another program, microsofts free bundled software aint the best around.

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Originally posted here by homenet
I dont know for deffenite but i`m pretty sure that backing up to CD in WinXP is unsurported. Your better off looking for another program, microsofts free bundled software aint the best around.

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It is supported by XP. On my system if I right click on a file, the popup menue appears and I can send to......CD-RW. I don't know if you are having a problem with your configueration or not, but you said,

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There is a CD burner in the system but when I go to back up the system, it asks for floppies.

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: Are you using the backup feature of XP? If so, then just try right clicking on the file you wish to backup and the use the 'send to' feature and see if it gives you the option for sending it to your CD writer.

CXGJarrod,
I did all that and this is what I'm getting....

The backup file name could not be used
"E:\Backup1.bkf"
Please ensure it is a valid path, and that you have sufficient access.

The cd burner works. We've been burning mp3 and other stuff with it. I dislike e-machines. Everybody I've talked to doesn't like them. But this is an XP issue, I think. maybe I should do the un install and reinstall AGAIN. I completely redid the system with a complete reinstall. There's got to be a way to open that path without a complete reinstall. I hate to have my kids system lose all of it's files without a backup. I've got a firewall and AV software in there and an anti-spyware, so thier in shape there. I just need to get the system backupped on cd's. Thanks for your help.

Freddy

Moxnix,
I'm trying to backup the os onto cd's, so my kid will not lose any of the files. I want a complete system back-up.

Freddy

I may be wrong but as you want to do a complete back up i think you will need an application to do that with. You can back up files and settings with the inbuilt back up wizard but not a full system back up to cd.

You will need something like Nero Burning rom which will burn a complete drive image to cd's. You may be able to use the inbuilt backup app but to do that i think you would need a second hard drive of equal or greater size. Or a zipdrive or tape drive.

So then what I think you are saying I would need to run the disc that e-machine gave us, then run the backupped files from the backup feature in XP? OK that is a great idea, but I still need to be able to backup to cd. That's the problem. XP should be able to back up all the files in the backup feature to cd. Maybe I'm asking to much of windows.

Freddy

I think you are Fred. If you havn't got a stand alone burning package and you are just using xp's built in burning ability you may be asking to much of it.

You may be able to download Nero Rom though, It will only be a time limited trial but you may be able to achieve what you want. Not sure of the url but its made by Ahead just put that in a search engine. From within the app you will be able to burn a complete backup.