Hi,

I was wondering if it is possible to backup a pc game on win xp?

I have a box that has so much spyware and absolute garbage on it, but there are a few games that have many hours on them too.

I would really like to wipe this box as it has over 300 account of malware in just spybot.

Also it has major registry problems and it can't even do system restores with good created restore points.

I mean it is bad shape. Most of these problems are due to the use of IE and those silly downloadable bejewled and such that come with loads of craptacular software.

The most important game is battle for middle earth.

Is it possible to just burn some directories to a cd or what?

Also can anyone point me to alternatives to these spyware loaded games.

TIA

You know what sucks.
Is when people answer posts
with assumptions.

Why not just clean up your mess? Since system restore doesn't work anyway, disable it...that will delete any infected restore points that you may have.

If you know you have over 300 malware programs, why don't you get rid of them? What do you do, run Spybot just to count them up? lol.

If you don't have CCleaner, install it to help clean up your accumulated garbage. Pay attention during the install & make sure you uncheck the box for Yahoo Spybar, I mean, toolbar. Click the ISSUES button to clean up the registry.

Look I really need an answer to my question. I have done all this already.

I have ran spybot, adaware, trend online and such plus the bootable windows (or bart pe) environment.

I am trying to convince them to switch to linux but it is not an option.

Don't mean to be rude, but I really need an answer to the question.

You know what sucks.
Is when people answer posts
with assumptions.

What I'm trying to say is you could simply clean up the mess & not have to be concerned about backing up games, not to mention the hours of software installation you have ahead of you. Don't mean to be rude, but generally speaking, people who don't know how to fix, format.

Anyhow, I would think all you'd need to do would be copy the game directories to a CD, then when you reinstall the game again (after partitioning, formatting, installing XP, installing all the device drivers, running Windows Update, installing security programs & updating them, installing all the 3rd party programs, etc), just copy the contents of old directory into the new directory of the same name. I've never found it necessary to do it so I can't tell you if there'll be any glitches or not.

Dude I have a slipstreamed windows with all my apps and everything on it.

Even if I did it the other way it would be less effort.

Thanks that's what I figured it was just wondering if anyone knew for sure.

You know what sucks.
Is when people answer posts
with assumptions.

Every game is different. Some store the saved game data in the program folder, others save it to a folder in the user directory. You would need to research each game you are interested in to be sure. Shouldn't take that long to find out the backup procedure for each game.

Michael J

My problem is that every search string I enter thinks I mean backing up the cd-roms I know how to burn iso's make iso's make boot disc's and such.

I am having problems finding the right sited.

Thanks

You know what sucks.
Is when people answer posts
with assumptions.

Just fix the freaking spyware problem. With all this time wasted on research & asking questions, you could have been done already! What exactly seems to be the stumbling block to cleaning the system...is it that you don't know how?

Why are you so stubborn?

Is it that you how when you ask many programs to fix the problems for you. It is too tedious to try and fix using the registry. Windows does not have configuration files that can make life happy.

I also wish to repartition the drive from scratch and dual boot with linux so keeping telling me what you think I should do as opposed to answering the question, sucks.

So I could say in response to you is,,,

Do you not know how to answer my question oh wait you already did tell me that, so why is it that you are still posting?

I am not trying to be rude but merely trying to get the point across.

It is way more than just spyware, imagine for the sake of games and sites asking you to install various helper programs and such you just went ahead and installed everything you came across. It is a catastrophe there are missing win files all sorts of things. And I know sfc /scannow I know all about it. I just sometimes stumble on things and would like to know answers to them.

I think this is called learning, and then I look and can not find the answers so I ask in forums and see if anyone else has asked the same question.

I also recall that you have entered threads and told people that the question being asked is not what they (people responding) are answering so I ask you to rethink your last response. see signature

You know what sucks.
Is when people answer posts
with assumptions.

I don't need to rethink anything nor do I give a crap what your signature says. Either run the scans & whatever else it takes to clean the system up & keep the games intact, or take your chances copying the game directories to disc. Then repartition, reformat, & reinstall everything & hope for the best. No one can answer your question(s) with any certainty because we have no idea what you're up against or which games you're trying to save. And as Michael J wrote in response #5, "every game is different. Some store the saved game data in the program folder, others save it to a folder in the user directory."

I find it odd that you say you know the PC is infected but you won't or can't clean it up. I get PCs in for repair that are exactly as you describe...so full of crap that they'll barely run & I know that if it was my own PC, the quickest way to correct it would be to reformat/reinstall everything. But when working on someone else's PC, it's usually not practical. It takes time either way you do it.

What exactly do you have slipstreamed to your disc? I'd be interested in hearing the list.

"My problem is that every search string I enter thinks I mean backing up the cd-roms I know how to burn iso's make iso's make boot disc's and such."

Well, as I stated each game is different, so there is no one-size-fitsall answer for you. If you are unable to find the specifics for the apps you have, the best approach (if you are going to do a reformat and install) would be to backup the entire system beforehand. After you do your reinstallation you can try to restore the "saved games" if any do not work, then do additional research. I would guess that the vast majority of games can be restored be retoring the program directory and/or any custom folders for the application in the user directory.

Michael J

http://pcpitstop.invisionzone.com/l...

I thought that I may have found the answer to my problem there but the thread remains unfinished.

Thanks for the reply though.

You know what sucks.
Is when people answer posts
with assumptions.

Don't confuse the answer to your question with the solution to your problem, as those are two distinctly separate things

I'm not one of those who think Bill Gates is the devil. I simply suspect that if Microsoft ever met up with the devil, it wouldn't need an interpreter.

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