readme.txt

                   +--------------------------------------+
                   |           Partition Saving           |
                   |                                      |
                   |   http://www.partition-saving.com    |
                   | Copyright (c) 1999-2007 D. Guibouret |
                   +--------------------------------------+

                                    Manual

Table of contents
-----------------

  1- Preface
  2- Introduction
  3- System Requirements
  4- Interface features/functions
     a) Textual windows interface
     b) Command line interface
  5- Using the program
  6- Saving an element
     a) Support choice:
     b) Source element choice:
     c) Part to save:
     d) Swap files directory:
     e) File choice:
     f) File size choice:
     g) Compression choice:
     h) Saving window:
     i) Options file creation:
     j) Examples:
  7- Restoring an element
     a) Backup file choice:
     b) Destination element choice:
     c) Restoring window:
     d) Examples:
  8- Copying an element
     a) Support choice:
     b) Source element choice:
     c) Part to save:
     d) Destination element choice:
     e) Copying window:
     f) Examples:
  9- Copying a backup file
 10- Verifying a backup file
 11- Updating Windows 2000/XP/Vista registry
     a) Support choice where Windows is installed:
     b) Element choice where Windows is installed:
     c) Directory where Windows is installed:
     d) Disk choice where partition to update is:
     e) Partition to update choice:
     f) Drive letter of partition to update:
     g) Confirmation:
     h) Example:
 12- Updating Windows Vista boot configuration
     a) Bootable support choice:
     b) Bootable element choice:
     c) Disk where partition to update is choice:
     d) Partition to update choice:
     e) Boot entry to update choice:
     f) Confirmation:
 13- Updating BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file
     a) Support choice where BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file is:
     b) Element choice where BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file is:
     c) Confirmation:
 14- Simulating an element
     a) Use of driver:
     b) Simulating an element:
     c) Remarks:
 15- Creation of files on NTFS drive
 16- Reset bad sectors in filesystem
     a) Support choice where bad sectors shall be removed:
     b) Element choice where bad sectors shall be removed:
     c) Confirmation:
     d) Execution:
 17- Explore a partition
     a) Choice of support where partition to explore is:
     b) Choice of partition to explore:
     c) Exploration window:
     d) View window:
     e) Edit window:
     f) Copy destination:
     g) Copy execution:
 18- Explore a backup
 19- Options file contents
 20- Mounting a partition
 21- Notes on what elements can be saved
     a) The complete disk:
     b) The Master Boot Record (MBR):
     c) First sectors of disk:
     d) Partition table:
     e) Partitions (all sectors):
     f) Partitions (only occupied sectors):
     g) FAT (12, 16 and 32) partitions (DOS/Windows):
     h) Ext2fs/ext3fs partitions (Linux):
     i) NTFS partitions:
     j) Floppy disks:
     k) DOS devices:
 22- What is not supported
 23- What can not be tested
 24- Acknowledgments


1- Preface
----------

This program may be copied and freely redistributed. It may not be sold in any
way, either alone or included in another program. All that is in this package
must be kept together in its original form.

This program is offered as-is without any guarantee. No pursuit can be engaged
against its author in case of damages due to this program.

All remarks are welcome.


2- Introduction
---------------

The goal of this program is to achieve saving, restoring and copying of disk
elements (whole disks, Master Boot Records, partition tables, partitions).
This permits saving hard disk contents to restore it later in case of a
problem, without losing time reinstalling and reconfiguring software.
This program allows running the following tasks:

  - saving an element (hard disk, partition, floppy disk, device).
  - restoring an element that was saved before.
  - copying an element.
  - copying a backup file created by this program, modifying its size or
    compression rate.
  - verifying created files.
  - updating partition definition in Windows 2000/XP/Vista registry.
  - updating BOOTSECT.DOS/BOOTSECT.BAK file.
  - exploring a partition.
  - simulating elements with created files.
  - creating files on a NTFS drive under Windows for use in saving.
  - cancelling bad sectors information of a filesystem.

For detailed information about partitioning and this program, please read
additional information.


3- System Requirements
----------------------

Hardware:

  - 386 or better.
  - 4 Mb of memory (could work with less, but data compression might not
    work). Free DOS memory must be at least 300 Kb.

Software:

  - DOS (version >= 3.3).

This program does not work under Windows (see chapter 4 of additional
information) and using it with an emulator is not recommended(especially if it
runs in a multitasking environment).
This program shall be used after a boot of computer without leaving any OS
into some hibernation mode because in this case modification made by this
program could disallow this OS booting back or OS could undo what program
does.
You will need also a FAT, NTFS or ext2 partition (or any other filesystem for
which you have a DOS driver that allows access to it) to create backup file
(this is not needed if you merely want to copy a partition, since no file is
created).


4- Interface features/functions
-------------------------------

Two interface types are available:

  - a textual windows interface that presents information in windows that can
    be navigated with the keyboard or mouse.
  - a command-line interface that presents information in a basic way and can
    be used only with the keyboard.

The default interface is the first one. The second one is here to resolve some
incompatibility issues on some computers.
To decide which interface to choose, please read chapter 5.

  a) Textual windows interface

Interface can be used with keyboard or mouse. Keys common to all windows are:

  - Tab, bottom arrow or right arrow to go from one item to another inside a
    window.
  - Shift+Tab, up arrow or left arrow to go from one item to another inside a
    window (in reverse order compared to Tab).
  - Ctrl+Tab to go from one window to another.
  - Alt+Tab to go from one window to another (in reverse order compared to
    Ctrl+Tab).
  - Key assignments are defined to associate moving keys to a combination of
    keys using the Control key:
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Moving keys | Combination |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Home        | Ctrl+B      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | End         | Ctrl+E      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Down        | Ctrl+D      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Up          | Ctrl+O      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Right       | Ctrl+K      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Left        | Ctrl+L      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Page Down   | Ctrl+N      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Page Up     | Ctrl+P      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | BackSpace   | Ctrl+H      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Delete      | Ctrl+J      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Insert      | Ctrl+Y      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Return      | Ctrl+M      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Tab         | Ctrl+F      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Shift+Tab   | Ctrl+G      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Alt+Tab     | Ctrl+T      |
                          +-------------+-------------+
                          | Ctrl+Tab    | Ctrl+W      |
                          +-------------+-------------+

If no item seems to be selected, press one of these keys to select first or
last one.
In general, Enter key activates Ok button (if no other button is selected) and
Escape key activates Cancel button.
Various features of windows are presented below:

  - Command buttons: to activate them, you have to press Enter key when they
    are selected, or press Alt+<red letter in button name> (even if button is
    not selected).
    You can also activate them by clicking on them.
    A button is selected if it has a black background and is flanked by ">"
    and "<", otherwise it has a green background.
  - Entry lines: this is an item that permits entering data. Just press a key
    to add the character where the cursor is. Delete and BackSpace keys are
    used to erase characters (respectively, character that cursor is on, and
    character before cursor). Right and left arrows are used to move cursor
    and Home and End keys are used to go to begin or end of string. Ho...