RE: On-line registry backup
I hope someone at Microsoft reads it.
Very good points that you have made.
"300GigLoss" wrote:
> Today I had the pleasure to wiggle my mouse to bring my 3 month old PC alive,
> only to see a blue screen: hive corrupted.
>
> After three hours of trying to get the PC to repair, I finally settled on a
> re-install of Windows Ultimate. During the re-install, I was prompted to load
> my RAID drivers (so I could select the disk I want to install on). Once the
> drivers were loaded, I selected my disk and was informed that Windows Setup
> couldn't access the disk. Tried a few things, and finally - after a long sigh
> - decided to hit the "new" link - which created a new partition on the drive.
> Once that was done, Windows all of the sudden could access the disk, the
> install began, and I lost over 300 gigs of personal data, software, photos,
> and images (i.e. everything installed on the PC).
>
> Smartly, I keep important things on a device that has its own operating
> system (i.e. Network access drive system) - and luckly this OS is not windows
> (haha). The point being, I just cannot believe that a corrupted registry
> would cause sooo much damage and lost time.
>
> So, here is my recomendataions:
>
> 1) The windows repair/restore features on the install disk are pretty much
> useless when windows screws up its own database and files. So I would
> recommend you put together a way of making sure windows can recover files
> when it screws them up. First thought that comes to mind is a backup of the
> registry and other such data files (a backup that is better than the one you
> currently do, as that thing was corrupted as well...). Then provide QUICK
> (your restore tools load like snails...) restore tools that will allow me to
> browse my disks (ALL OF THEM), and grab that backup and restore it. Its
> really a simple idea - wonder when you guys will get that.
>
> 2) Give me an option of getting these critical files backed up, automaticly,
> to a location YOU host to protect your users from windows update screw ups.
> Then build great tools that get on-line, pull down the backups, and restore
> the system.
>
> 3) How about a way for me to snap shot the OS in one click? I want the
> registry, settings, drivers, everything that makes WINDOWS run (don't care
> about my applications, these I can fix easily). Then give me the option of
> putting that in various places - network drives, webservice, DVD. It needs to
> be small enough, packaged, and damnnit - you need a tool that launches from
> your install CD that can easily restore this. You guys know what Windows
> needs to run, so package it up, and put it on a disk. Give me the option to
> do it when windows is validated for the first time, give me the option once a
> month and after each application install. Remined me once a month.
>
> In any event, you need to start thinking about system repair and restore in
> a different way. Simply restoring the PC to its initial install state just
> isn't going to cut it - ever. System restore is a somewhat good idea, but
> hell, in my case that didn't even work (is it because the windows logic is so
> un-intelligent that it can't find or do anythign wihtout the registry).
>
> If you can't build a stable system, you should at least build something that
> is easily recoverable. Your pushing me back to XP (of which I use 98% of the
> time via virutal PC on my windows vista system because vista just can't
> handle anything right...). I'm am seriously going to look at alternative
> operating systems when I'm shopping for my next PC. Be it Apple, an open
> source solution, or an older windows OS. My experence so far with Windows
> Vista has been so poor it makes me think the OS was built by your entry-level
> engineers. Did you base any of this on working code?
>
> I assume Microsoft has heard all of this before, but Microsoft needs to move
> about 1000X faster in getting fixes out, driver companies to move on their
> drivers and fix the problems, and putting in features that actually help me
> keep my PC running (instead of blue screen of useless information). Oh
> another suggestion: Tell me what freakin' driver is causing the blue scree -
> it would have saved my 2 days of trial-and-error before I figured out it was
> Creative.
>
> Finally I would just like to say I was almost ready to say to family (who
> are waiting) that Vista is undercontrol now, I understand how it reacts, what
> it does very poorly, what it has lots of trouble with, and what it does well
> (not much btw). Then I could give them the "warm fuzzy" that will allow them
> to upgrade their computers. But after my 300GB loss, I'll be recommending
> they keep waiting. Only problem is, over half of my family (parents, brother)
> have given up waiting and instead bought new Apply machines and making the
> statements "screw windows... this is much better". Thanks for that...and
> hey...what is the deal that Vista runs faster ona Mac than on any other
> laptop? You guys really screwed up this time....
>
> Hello memories of the Windows ME disaster. I hope you guys lose your jobs
> over this.
>
>
> ----------------
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> http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.mspx?mid=94c69fcd-be13-407b-a4f5-d09e0e641453&dg=microsoft.public.windows.vista.general