Quick backup question
 

If I use XP's built in backup utility to create a .bkf on my network storage, could I then come back and restore from that .bkf to an entirely different machine?

So here's how it would go:

Lappy 1 creates a .bkf on NAS

Lappy 2 (new machine without much on it) restores from the same .bkf

NOTE: I don't currently have Lappy 2, but I do need to back up Lappy 1. Lappy 2 is coming in 6-8 weeks or so and will run XP. So there will be an initial backup, then a number of incrementals between the initial backup and the transfer to the new machine.

Does it work this way? If so, any gotchas? If not, what's the preferred way to handle such a transfer?

Providing the laptops are configured the same then yes it should work. If they are different configurations you could have troubles, blue screens etc.

Thanks for the response. Could you elaborate on the kinds of configuration differences that might cause problems?

Different network cards, different video cards, different sound cards etc etc. Unless its the same make and model chances are there will be trouble. How much trouble is the determining factor, if they are completely different I would say probably not a good idea to try it, if they are close you could try it and see what happens, you may only end up with a few things in device manager that are not recognized and may be able to fix by updating the appropriate drivers.

Generally speaking its always a better option to start fresh and just restore your data. Restoring applications and registries are not always the most successful unless its to the machine you backed up from.

OK. I should have made it clear that I intend just to back up user data e.g. My Documents, Roboform passwords, Firefox settings, etc.

lol in that case it should all be fine.

I would just copy the directories and not deal with any backup stuff, you can write a batch file to do it for you, just xcopy the stuff over at a regular interval, then anything can use it if it's just the data you mention.

Full system settings and the registry that wouldn't work for, but for data, nothing is much easier, as there isn't anything needed to use the data.

This program is good

http://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/freeware-hub.html