I just spent a few hours hunting for a Microsoft tool for my computer, only to find out this one is standard and Microsoft just elects to not turn it on at install. My assumption would be that this Windows XP tool was so powerful, a standard lay person would not be able to handle it. That simply is not the case. The Tool you ask? Windows Backup Utility
That’s right, Microsoft and the brain trust behind Windows XP elected to not install the Windows Backup Utility component upon initial set up. Therefore you as the user have to input your Windows XP CD and manually install the file. If that is not pain enough, some people don’t have the original CD.
What do you do to install Windows Backup Utility without the CD? Well, if you are like me you search the Internet, starting with the Microsoft Website. Microsoft does not make it easy and just provide a download file for you, instead they say
“If Windows XP Home Edition was preinstalled on your computer and you do not have the original Windows XP CD, contact the computer manufacturer or visit the manufacturer’s Web site for more information.”
Now we get another Microsoft hurdle to jump through, it is too much to expect them to help us.
Anyway, long story short, my next search was for “NTBACKUP.MSI Windows XP Backup Utility” where I came across a saint. The website WinXPTutor’s XP Resources had a copy of the software that could be easily downloaded an installed.
Thanks WinXPTutor’s XP Resources for providing us the information Microsoft was unwilling to provide. Hopefully in the future others can avoid the time I had to spend searching for this file.
Here is the file you need to install Windows XP Backup Utility without CD otherwise known as NTBACKUP.MSI
Other Help with Microsoft Windows XP Backup
Thinking I was done, I started to run a backup for my application. I immediately found a few issues and I am sure I will find more. I will post solutions as they become available.
Microsoft Windows XP Backup Issue #1
My external Harddrive was formatted FAT32 which only allowed for files up to 4GB to be stored. So I had to change the formatting to NTSF. To lean how to do that I read this article.
Microsoft Windows XP Backup Issue #2
After trying to run a backup on everything on my computer, I instantly get an error message “The files for the recovery diskette could not be created. The operation was aborted.” When I generate the report I get this message:
Backup Status
Operation: Backup
Active backup destination: File
Media name: “Backup2.bkf created 12/8/2008 at 8:49 PM”
Backup Status
The files for the recovery diskette could not be created. The operation was aborted.
———————-
The operation did not successfully complete.
———————-
This message was generated because I was backing up to an external hard drive not a recovery disk. That is when the ‘ah haa’ moment hit me and I read the instructions in more detail. If you want to make a recovery disk then make sure you have a floppy disk that is prepped and ready, you will also need a floppy disk drive, if you don’t have one you can get a high quality, affordable USB Floppy Disk Drive for under $20 bucks. If you are simply trying to perform a backup try one of the other options used for backing up files and folders.
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Thank you so much for this article. It was a HUGE help!!!
Scott
“Insert floppy disk” ??? OMG. Just tell me what computer as of today comes with a floppy drive!!! This is absolutely ridiculous. But thanks anyway. Backup file didn’t work for me either.