PC Fear Factor questions and answers

This page contains answers to disaster prevention and recovery questions posed by people who visit this web site. I do not have time to personally answer your questions, but I will periodically select questions and post them along with the answers here. To submit a question, click here.

Question About Removing Background Processes With Windows 2000

Question:

I have your book and cannot find the answer to this question: How do I removed background programs in Windows 2000? They are preventing other programs from running because they take up memory. Microsoft has not been of much help and Dell will not support problems with Windows 2000.

Richard DeGroodt

Answer:

There's a very good reason you didn't find the answer to this question in PC Fear Factor. My book covers only consumer based versions of Windows, specifically, Windows 98, Millennium, and XP. Windows 2000 is not a consumer based version of Windows, and your question highlights one of the reasons why this is so.

Microsoft inexplicably chose not to include msconfig, the system configuration utility that allows you to accomplish your desired task easily, in Windows 2000. The only way I know of to accomplish this task in Windows 2000 is to hack your registry. Have fun.

Addendum:

Windows 2000 users can download and install the msconfig utility from Perfectdrivers.com.

Question About Taking System Backups With Norton Ghost

Question:

I have the following setup:

An external Micro Solutions Backpack CD writer.
A CD disc of Norton SystemWorks 2002, which contains Norton Ghost.

I want to back up my system onto CD discs.

In the past I did my back up using the Iomega Zip Disks and as each disk fills up I would get a message telling me to insert the new disk. I would like the same results with the CD.

Can I use Norton Ghost and if so--how do I do it without causing any problems? If I can't use Ghost is there a software I should look at--or is there something within the Iomega family I might download to use?

I was looking at Nero, but they said (or at least I read it this way) that with their software you backup the entire hard disk (22 gb in my case) including free space. Not too smart, if this is correct.

You advice and help will be greatly appreciated.

Ray Feldman
Hollywood, Florida

Answer:

To use Norton Ghost with an external CD writer, you will need to get Norton Ghost 2003. Earlier versions cannot communicate with external CD writers. Furthermore, you will need to make sure that your CD writer is compatible with Norton Ghost. For a list of compatible CD writers, click here.

Norton Ghost will automatically span CD media and prompt you for the next CD. It only backs up the consumed space on your hard disk - not your free space.

For detailed instructions on how to use Norton Ghost to backup your system, refer to chapter 7 of PC Fear Factor.