How to back up and restore selective programs and applications

[lionel326]

Hello everyone...I have this question

Let's say I have a system that contains some errors or virus or some spyware i do not want to spent time fixing, so I decide to format the drive.
Of course I would like to backup the system. But I wouldn't want to use that image type of back up (using Norton Ghost or Clonezilla ) because that would restore the back up with all it's errors and stuff right ?
So how can I back up and restore some programs and applications...like f.i Firefox, Microsoft Office, games, Adobe flashplayer etc etc, and also the printer drivers and softwares it came with, so that the next time I connect the printer, it would work just fine. I use to backup files and programs with Windows back up and restore, but I still would have to reinstall the softwares I had on the system, cause they would't work after restoration.
So, how can i do that ?

 

[Lexluethar]

What OS are you running? If you are running XP you can do a repair installation which would accomplish what you are looking for.

 

[lionel326]

It's not a problem I'm having right now
It's just a question just in case I would have to do it

I am using Vista right now...but I also have pc's running on XP

Assume that I don't have the OS Installation disk....I really like to know how to back up and restore programs/applications

 

[carnageX]

If you reformat, you'd have to reinstall all your applications. You can't really just backup the programs because they install things in different places (Program FIles, AppData, registry entries, etc). It's hard telling w here they install some of the stuff they use.

If you really want to make it easy, reinstall and install all of your applications then make a backup image with Ghost or CloneZilla, that way you'll have a backup ready.

 

[lionel326]

Hmm....thought so
thanks anyways