Please help find backup solution for my case.

[junglemike]

Hi eveyone. I'm new here.
I hope i post in appropriate thread.

I'm a student. And I use my old laptop on daily basis. It is P-II - 300mhz laptop, I doesn't have floppy , network, and cd-rom.
I use external pcmci cd-rom.

I need some solution to backup my data, and ability to restore windows installation.

In windows crashes on my desktop computer - I just can boot from Win2000 (or linux) cd and reinstall/repair windows/linux installation.

The problem with this laptop - is that i CANNOT boot from floppy, coz there is'nt one. and It is impossible to boot from pcmci cdrom, coz bios doesn't support that. So the only solution is - to open my laptop, take out harddisk, come with to a friend (or pc shop) that has any laptop with built-in cd or floppy, and start win2000 installation. Than go back to my laptop, put back harddisk, and continue installation.

This is very problematic for me. I need some sort of solution. I have a friend with new IBM laptop. He says that there is some hidden partiotion on it that has pre-installed winxp with all needed programs. So in case his existing XP partition crashes - he just activates some option in bios , and default clean XP installation is restored automatically (w/o need for XP cd).
I would like to have something like that. Some hidden partition with pre-installed win2000 (or mdk 9.2) so i can reinstall it w/o need for cd.
Any ideal?
Tia.

 

[brady]

You can't have a floppy put in ?

 

[brady]

another thought...

You have USB ports ?
Get an external HD and back up there.

 

[BASSMASTER]

All your friend probably has is a dual boot system, and he's taken the entry out of his boot.ini file so it automatically boots to the installation he wants.

Having a dual boot system isn't going to spare your friends data if it crashes. For example if he gets a virus on his MBR, neither of his OS's will boot.

Why not get an external hdd? You don't need another installation of your OS somewhere, what you need is a backup media for all of your data. Your OS can be re-installed easily, your data can't.

 

[junglemike]

Thank you guys for replys.

You can't have a floppy put in ?

This is more than 10-yaear old ultra slim laptop. It originally had some sort of port replicator with external floppy ethernet - but i don't have this port replicator. And there's no way to find it anywhere since spare parts aren't being sold for P-II laptops anymore.

another thought...

You have USB ports ?
Get an external HD and back up there.

Yes, it has USB ports, but I cannot boot from external hard-disk connected to usb port (no such option in bios).
I don't have problem of backing up data. Because i can always transfer important files to my home pc when i'm at home. The problem is that i have no option to boot system when it crashes, and I have to ask friend to open his laptop (again) or go to shop and pay money just to install win 2000.

All your friend probably has is a dual boot system, and he's taken the entry out of his boot.ini file so it automatically boots to the installation he wants.

Having a dual boot system isn't going to spare your friends data if it crashes. For example if he gets a virus on his MBR, neither of his OS's will boot.

Why not get an external hdd? You don't need another installation of your OS somewhere, what you need is a backup media for all of your data. Your OS can be re-installed easily, your data can't.

I'm not concerned about viruses. I use this laptop many hours a day, when i'm in university. I record my liectures, etc. Sometimes happens that windows is unable to boot. Than i have to disassemble mine and friend's laptops, swap hdds ,and install. or pay money in the shop.

All i want - is that i will be able to install win2000 w/o any external source.

Any ideas?