data separetion

i am using windows xp and want to use an external hard drive for all my data and settings so i can get on any of my computers (when one crashes or i am on the road) and have everything i was doing in the same state. i know how to do it for myDocuments, by changing the target, but that doesn't get (particularly) the browser bookmarks (favorites) or application data and any other setting that might be relevant. i would like to do the redirection (to the external hard drive) at 'document and settings' if not the user level. any help would be greatly appreciated

There is a discussion on this topic here: http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/move-…to-external-hdd

Personally, I wouldn't do it. What happens if the external drive goes bad, gets turned off or unplugged? The OS won't be able to find your personal data so it will create a new profile.

I think a better choice would be to use the external drive as a backup device and have the data mirrored there, in real time if you want. Why not just share the necessary folders R/W? That's what I do.

You could also use scheduled backups via Acronis, Cobian, paragon, etc.

that's what i have been doing (actually that's what i've been doing for this friend) the only thing is to keep the mirroring simple i have been doing myDoc's and 'favorites' . one of her computers doesn't have the hd capacity so that's why the redirection of target for myDoc's. (that's where the 'outlook' pst files (huge) are now stored.) to the external hd the only thing is other outlook stufff is not there so when she resorts to this computer it trys to download thousands of e-mails that the other outlook programs on the other computers have already downloaded and deleted in outlook inbox , deleting them from the server is not posssible. (i guess it compares the mail folder to the server) so to make it simple for the most computers in play, should i backup(mirror) from the level of 'documents and settings' folder that way it would include mydocs, favorites, and application data, etc. or better yet, her 'profile'

What you're trying to do is what Microsoft server is for. The users data is maintained on the server and any computer you login to then has access to that data. Trying to do it the way you are is going to be very difficult to maintain. I guess you could mirror the data to the external drive then have a link on the desktop of each computer to sync with it. I do this with my laptop but with more than two computers it becomes unwieldy . You also have the problem of copying changes back to the external drive from each computer when done and you can only use one computer at a time or you are going to trash the data completely, and if you miss any your data gets out of sync real quick. Maybe someone else has some ideas but other then installing a server OS I don't see an easy way to do what you want.

OK thanks, it was just an idea. i have been doing it the way you suggested, using external drive to receive mirror image of the data and then if something happened i can just copy that onto other computer. thanks again you can consider this matter closed Gary