Compression Agent

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 2 Nov 2000 9:30 pm

Under my system tools it shows compression agent but when I click on it a message comes up saying I don't have it. But when I use the Money program it compresses it every time I shut it down and save it to hard drive or floppy. So it must be around there some place but I sure can't find it.
If someone can help me I'd be glad to remove a thorn from your foot or even give you a hair cut. I'm running Win 98, 2nd Edition on a Compaq.

Bob Carlson [This message was edited by Bob Carlson on 02 November 2000 at 09:32 PM.]

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 3 Nov 2000 3:09 am

What do you want to compress?? If you want to compress files, to either archive (backup) or to send to someone, use WinZip (downloadable as a shareware program) which has become the defacto standard.

What your Money program is doing is strictly a function of that program however I suspect Money, like Quicken, isn't compressing but rather saving it's data each time you exit.

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 3 Nov 2000 7:05 am

Thanks for the quick reply Jack, I'd like to be able to compress and backup my complete system in case I ever get messed up again like I did, i'll be able to reload it all from the backup disks. I only have 1.67 Gig's on my hard drive so if it was compressed It wouldn't take too many floppy's to back that up. Also where do I download WinZip? I don't know what I did wrong but It's runing better than It ever has and I'd sure like to have a backup of whatever it is I got. I think ME must have some upgrades that are helping.

Bob Carlson[This message was edited by Bob Carlson on 03 November 2000 at 07:09 AM.]

John Gretzinger · Post by **John Gretzinger** » 3 Nov 2000 11:53 am

Bob - there is a little more to getting a usable backup than you are looking at.

The disk compression software that Microsoft provides allows you to cram more data (and some programs)into a given area by reducing "blank space" in data files as well as some other techniques.

Compressing your data/programs for backup requires you to have something like WinZip which you can get at http://www.winzip.com

When you do your system backup, you need to make sure you backup your registry as well. That is not always automatically done.

There is a process to back up your registry as a seperate item, but I don't know it off the top of my head. If you don't have a good copy of the registry, then you can't simply restore your programs as the entries that need to be made to the registy won't be there.

My preference is to back up my data and if I have to reload my system, I re-install my programs from their original distribution media.

jdg

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'63 Gibson Hummingbird
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Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 3 Nov 2000 12:45 pm

Thanks for info John, I checked out the WinZip and I don't think that's what i'm looking for to make a complete hard drive backup. It did sound like it would compress a floppy disk. Got any more idea's as to what it is I'm looking for.

Bob Carlson

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 3 Nov 2000 1:36 pm

You should have the Windows back up. That will make a complete backup, however, don't try it to floppy disks as backing up the entire drive, even with compression, will take too many diskettes. Backup is in the system tools.

CD's are the way to go, if you have a CD burner.