Ok I tried to install some software both from a disk and from one harddrive to another and I get 'Error performing inpage operation.' I'm using Win2000, microsoft says it's a problem with the media but I get the error even when trying to install a driver on my main drive from my main drive. Think my main drive is dieing or is it just time to reinstall?

Probably the HDD is going.

 

Start-Run-chkdsk /r

 

Then reboot.

I'd check for a loose connection too.

 

I've had the same thing happen and all it was was a loose seated cable from all the fans in my monster box rattling it out.

I agree with Eru; the easiest, simplest and cheapest first course of action is to check your wires.

 

Now go back and do it properly.

 

Loose wires make up a large proportion of helpdesk calls. And it's free to fix.

 

Then run a checkdsk / scandsk.

 

(Of course you have backed up your files regularly, so just make your incremental backup so that your archive is completely current.)

Could anyone please tell me the name of a good backing up app?

Also is there an app that would be able to duplicate my system so i wouldnt have to re install windows and all the little tweaks and rememebr all the settings and apps that i like.

Pick up this month's PC format, there is a couple of free utilities to do exeactly that: back-up selected parts and also make a ghost of your entire harddrive.

 

I can also recommend this site for good Windows advice, except it's not there at the moment ...

 

A good technique I can recommend is to have different hardware profiles, available after you boot. For example, I have:

Default

Game - Performance

Install / Full

 

You can then edit the service profiles (type services.msc in a command line, like the Run... dialog in the Start menu).

 

 

For example, I normally boot up the performance profile, because it doesn't start RAM hogs like the indexer, so the pc boots faster and has less clutter in memory.(You can leave the service running in "default" and "Install / Full", so that when you want to install some new software it is available. There are hundreds of windows services running at any startup, and a lot of them are not needed -- like the indexer and ASP.Net extensions, etc.) You can also google the services and you will find capacious background info for all the services, too.

 

That website has a very thorough run through of this and other techniques -- I got it from the PC Format or PC Zone website, he's a regular contributor.

Could anyone please tell me the name of a  good backing up app?

Also is there an app that would be able to duplicate my system so i wouldnt have to re install windows and all the little tweaks and rememebr all the settings and apps that i like.

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Ghost is what I use, but I've heard TrueImage is also quite good.

 

It makes an exact copy of your partition. Then you can reghost a drive, and it's just like your old one.

I tried installing norton ghost once upon a time but it didn't like the fact i was using symantec anti-virus. I will check out TrueImage.

 

Thanks for the info.

Theres' a product on the DVD called HDClone.