scott wrote:
> Why can't you just copy all the files while the OS isn't running?  eg 
> from another PC/OS/LiveCD/boot disc?

You could if you have the permissions, of course. You just can't copy the 
drive you booted off of because of the registry. Most specifically, you 
can't copy *to* the drive you booted off of.

There are a few immovable files (like the one holding the boot code, the 
MFT, etc). There are a couple types of unmovable files (like the system 
restore checkpoints, which have coded in their data the cluster numbers they 
represent). There are permission systems designed to keep you from writing 
to the file that holds the security information. You can't use the normal 
access mechanisms (i.e., "copy") to copy the registry files around because 
of security concerns.

It's just much more complicated than Linux. It's not impossible, or nobody 
would be able to back up their computer. But the only software I've found 
that actually will make a complete backup and then *restore* it uses imaging 
techniques, not per-file copying.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   There's no CD like OCD, there's no CD I knoooow!

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