Solved Preparing to image my computer, need help

jro11 · Jan 3, 2024

Besides other browsers, I use Chrome-with-Profiles extensively. Each profile has an extended list of folders and tabs I want to continue to have access to.

So I want to copy all the Directories (w. contents) to an external drive in order to be able to do a single copy/paste and have all those Profiles immediately available to me.

Looking up how to copy a Chrome-with-16 Profiles, I'm directed to

Note that Windows 11 isn't mentioned.

What do I need to copy so that just a single copy/paste onto my clean install of Win11 so I can have immediate access to the 16 profiles?
Thanks

dacrone · Jan 3, 2024

Just buy a new drive and leave that one intact. Install and setup windows on the new drive. Then put your original back in and boot. Slave off your new drive with a usb adapter and copy all files to the local user account you setup during install. That way you can be 100% certain you don’t lose any data.

glasskuter · Jan 3, 2024

Yes you can manually copy the user data folder onto external media but there are other options more suited if the data inside this folder changes regularly.

If all the profiles you use have separate google accounts associated with them you could set up Google sync. With 16 profiles it is doubtful they each have a google account associated with them, though.

IMO a better option is to install Google Drive on the computer. It offers free storage. Unlike onedrive it also offers selective sync. You could set up the Chrome user data folder to automatically sync in realtime to Google Drive, thereby making the folder in Google drive up to date at all times. It a matter of nothing more than copying and pasting the file if ever you need it..

jro11 · Jan 7, 2024

glasskuter said:
IMO a better option is to install Google Drive on the computer. It offers free storage. Unlike onedrive it also offers selective sync. You could set up the Chrome user data folder to automatically sync in realtime to Google Drive, thereby making the folder in Google drive up to date at all times. It a matter of nothing more than copying and pasting the file if ever you need it..

Finally...today I'm hoping to make the big change. Started by installing Google Drive and problems already!
I have never installed or used Google Drive. So I access, download, and installGoogle Drive. Or at least I think I did.

What the H is "this app". Is it the Google Drive I think I downloaded and installed.
Is it asking me if I downloaded an app called "this app" or is it asking me if I downloaded "Google Drive"!!!!??? And did I download Google Drive or did I download Google Drive for desktop!!!!??? And is this fictitious "THIS APP"asking me to sign in again because "THIS APP" was recently updated (and if I never had THIS APP, how could THIS APP ever have been updated on my machine!!)
And, by the way, now that I'm not sure whether I downloaded ANYTHING HOW CAN DELETE "THIS APP" if I don't even know what THIS APP is!!!! Do I need to back

This kind of thing is what drives me crazy.

So I wonder if I should uninstall Google Drive and start from scratch and...

find out I have 7 instances of something called Google Drive??????????????????
and how many of those applications are something called "THIS APP", and how many are "Google Drive", and how many of them are "Google Drive for Desktop" and what the H is the difference between all these apps? And how can I just start over. (not to mention a cautionary window Google displayed when I thought I downloaded/installed Google Drive--a caution regarding Google Chrome (which is the reason I installed Google Drive in the first place). But that precautionary window went away.

I NEVER INSTALLED GOOGLE DRIVE!!!!!

glasskuter · Jan 7, 2024

I don't now what you have or where you got it all that is not coming from Google. Here's mine attached...one Google Drive.
Uninstall everything related to Google Drive if possible except for 85.026.0. That's the real Google Drive. It signs directly into Google.
If you have to uninstall all of them, here's where you should have downloaded Google Drive from so get it there.

Google Drive: Share Files Online with Secure Cloud Storage | Google Workspace

Learn about Google Drive’s file sharing platform that provides a personal, secure cloud storage option to share content with other users.

www.google.com

It installs and creates the Google Drive icon in your bottom right system tray (it may be hidden)
You log in to Drive and I believe it asks what you want to backup. (It's been too long ago that I don't remember exactly. If it doesn't you can choose what you want to backup once you are logged in by clicking on that icon, click on your name, then the gear icon.
Preferences>My Computer>Add folder>browser to your userdata folder (the one you posted in your first screenshot) and select just that folder (NOT your entire appdata folder).

Let me know if I've missed something as I'm writing this from memory. Like I said, it's been a while.

jro11 · Jan 7, 2024

Fine. so I'm down to one Google Drive and it's asking me to

so when I click 'Sign In' it asks me to

, so I chose my gmail address, and I'm back to the

dilemma. To wit the following quote (from me).

jro11 said:
What the H is "this app". Is it the Google Drive I think I downloaded and installed.
Is it asking me if I downloaded an app called "this app" or is it asking me if I downloaded "Google Drive"!!!!??? And did I download Google Drive or did I download Google Drive for desktop!!!!??? And is this fictitious "THIS APP"asking me to sign in again because "THIS APP" was recently updated (and if I never had THIS APP, how could THIS APP ever have been updated on my machine!!)
And, by the way, now that I'm not sure whether I downloaded ANYTHING HOW CAN DELETE "THIS APP" if I don't even know what THIS APP is!!!!

Though I'm glad to report I only have one instance of Google Drive

I'm wondering why I have 6 instances of Gmail or what will happen if I remove them ALL, or just 5 of them?? (which I never 'installed' as a program though God knows I do use gmail!) will do to all my Gmail--or the 5 instances of

or for that matter the 6 instances of Google Sheets, or 6 instances of Google Slides when I have never installed or accessed or even know what a 'slide" is in Google context, and I never knew Google had anything to do with multiple instances of YOUTube associated with Google\Chrome all of these anomalies appearing in my Apps > Installed apps list.

I have absolutely no idea how to handle these items or if this is simply what everyone else experiences. All I know is that none of this crap appeared on my computer before the advent of OneDrive or Win11.

p.s. During this time

and searching through my installed "programs" it appears Google Drive has been installed but Google Drive for Desktop is not listed.

glasskuter · Jan 8, 2024

How many gmail accounts do you manage?
The thing is I've never seen it show gmail. I do not know where it's coming from or why. .

Docs, Sheets, and Slides are part of Google Drive. They come along for the ride and there's no getting rid of them if you have Drive.

jro11 · Jan 8, 2024

glasskuter said:
How many gmail accounts do you manage?
The thing is I've never seen it show gmail. I do not know where it's coming from or why. .

If by manage you mean, how many do I access through Outlook (365)? then only one.

If by manage you mean, how many do I access through bringing up Gmail in a browser then maybe 3. I would not thing Gmail would need to add multiple programs (if most of these entities are "programs" at all (they might be "system components"!))

glasskuter said:
Docs, Sheets, and Slides are part of Google Drive. They come along for the ride and there's no getting rid of them if you have Drive.

Are you referring to OneDrive or to Google Drive. If you're referring to Google Drive and I've never downloaded, installed, etc. Google Drive what am I doing with them~!! Should I remove all traces of this and install Google Drive again???

And what about YouTube? Is YouTube a Google/Chrome app and why should there be mutiple installs of it?

jro11 · Jan 8, 2024

And then there are all the questions about this:

What the devil does it say????????????????????????

"Don't sign in to Google Drive for desktop unless you're sure you downloaded this app from Google"
a) How would I sign in to Google Drive for desktop if I don't even know if it exists on my machine and how to sign into it?
b) How can I be sure if I downloaded this app if I don't know what this app is?

"If you downloaded Google Drive for Desktop from Google (from where else???) this app may be asking you to sign in again now because this app was recently updated."
a) I didn't download Google Drive for Desktop because if I had it would probably be listed as an installed app!
b) "This app may be asking you to sign in again" I don't know what This app is; I never signed into this app; and I don't know how the hell an app that doesn't exist was recently updated!!

"If you're not sure whether you downloaded Google Drive for desktop from Google you should delete this app."
a) How can I delete an app called This app? when it neither exists nor has ever been encountered?

WHAT ABOUT THE SITUATION WHERE THE ONLY DAMN APP I KNOW I DOWNLOADED (and INSTALLED) was an app called Google Drive!!!!

Has no one ever dealt with this insanity before?

Ghot · Jan 8, 2024

jro11 said:
Has no one ever dealt with this insanity before?

No.

If it was me...

1. Get rid of Google Drive, OneDrive and Outlook.
2. Backup... Windows, EFI and Recovery partitions.
3. Side note: Every time you add a bookmark or three, export your bookmarks to a folder somewhere.

The End.

glasskuter · Jan 8, 2024

Don't sign in to Google Drive for desktop unless you're sure you downloaded this app from Google" You said you weren't sure where you downloaded it from. That's why I advised to download it straight from Google just to be sure..
a) How would I sign in to Google Drive for desktop if I don't even know if it exists on my machine and how to sign into it?sign in is your gmail account
b) How can I be sure if I downloaded this app if I don't know what this app is? the app is google Drive

"If you downloaded Google Drive for Desktop from Google (from where else???) this app may be asking you to sign in again now because this app was recently updated." Google wants to mae sure the app is legitimately theirs. There are erroneous sites that can trick you into downloading an infected app.
a) I didn't download Google Drive for Desktop because if I had it would probably be listed as an installed app! You said you downloaded it in post #24
b) "This app may be asking you to sign in again" I don't know what This app is; I never signed into this app; and I don't know how the hell an app that doesn't exist was recently updated!! Again this app is google Drive

"If you're not sure whether you downloaded Google Drive for desktop from Google you should delete this app."
a) How can I delete an app called This app? when it neither exists nor has ever been encountered? You keep saying this app, again I repeat, the app is Google Drive.

WHAT ABOUT THE SITUATION WHERE THE ONLY DAMN APP I KNOW I DOWNLOADED (and INSTALLED) was an app called Google Drive!!! Yeah,but as I said I do not know where you downloaded it from. I gave you the correct place in post #25.
And what about YouTube? Is YouTube a Google/Chrome app and why should there be mutiple installs of it? Where in the world does youtube come into this?

All those gmail accounts have got to be tied to Chrome somehow. You say you have a bunch of profiles in Chrome. Each profile has to have an associated gmail account so maybe that's what's its picking up all those gmails in that list.

I think you need to delete everything except Chrome. Then if you want Google Drive, make sure it's downloaded direct from Google so you know it's legitimate. Once it's installed if it picks up all those gmail accounts again, you'll know they are tied to all your Chrome profiles.Each gmail account you have has 15 gb of google drive storage.
When setting up Drive you will use only ONE of those accounts to sign in because the only thing you want to use it for is to keep an up-to-date copy of your Chrome Profile data saved in Drive..

I'm sorry. It's highly unusual to have so many profiles managed in Chrome. I can't tell you what you will see in the app list as a result of it as all of Google services are linked. I've explained it the best I can that would apply to a one google account, one profile in Chrome, one instance of google drive.
I can't imagine anyone managing their Google Chrome in such a way.

jro11 · Jan 8, 2024

glasskuter said:
Don't sign in to Google Drive for desktop unless you're sure you downloaded this app from Google" You said you weren't sure where you downloaded it from. That's why I advised to download it straight from Google just to be sure..

EVERY PART OF THIS THREAD SINCE YOU POSTED #25 WHICH INCLUDED THIS LINK

CONTAINED INFORMATION BASED ON MY HAVING REMOVED THE INSTANCE OF GOOGLE DRIVE I HAD INSTALLED AND REDOWNLOADING GOOGLE DRIVE FROM THIS LINK YOU SENT ME.

In other words, my posts #26, #28, and #29 all were based on my having downloaded GoogleDriveSetup.exe using YOUR link!

If the "This app" being referred to is actually Google Drive (and if I got Google Drive from a correct, i.e., YOUR link, then what is all the stuff that Google is asking me to do regarding something Google calls Google Drive for Desktop!)

glasskuter said:
All those gmail accounts have got to be tied to Chrome somehow. You say you have a bunch of profiles in Chrome. Each profile has to have an associated gmail account so maybe that's what's its picking up all those gmails in that list.

Chrome is a browser. Chrome allows one to create Browser Profiles. Those profiles are simply versions of the Chrome Browser with their own name, tabs, and folders. The tabs each hold an Internet address; the folders simply hold browser addresses... Browsers have nothing to do with email addresses. And no email addresses are displayed or accessed or have anything to do with what is displayed in a Chrome Profile
This is an example of a Chrome Browser Profile named Macrium

glasskuter said:
I think you need to delete everything except Chrome. Then if you want Google Drive, make sure it's downloaded direct from Google so you know it's legitimate. Once it's installed if it picks up all those gmail accounts again, you'll know they are tied to all your Chrome profiles.Each gmail account you have has 15 gb of google drive storage.
When setting up Drive you will use only ONE of those accounts to sign in because the only thing you want to use it for is to keep an up-to-date copy of your Chrome Profile data saved in Drive..

What does "delete everything except Chrome" mean?
When I have no Chrome Profile up I see the following Icon on my taskbar:

When I click on this icon I get this window,

allowing me to open one or more profiles.

When I choose one or more of those profiles the original icon is replaced by the profiles I’ve chosen. Here for example I have chosen to open 3 profiles:

glasskuter said:
I'm sorry. It's highly unusual to have so many profiles managed in Chrome. I can't tell you what you will see in the app list as a result of it as all of Google services are linked. I've explained it the best I can that would apply to a one google account, one profile in Chrome, one instance of google drive.
I can't imagine anyone managing their Google Chrome in such a way.

This is not unusual at all; no more unusual as to have tabs open in a browser.
What is wierd is how Google seems to associate Google\Chrome with every "Apps > Installed apps" it places into the Windows Apps > Installed apps Settings window. For example: Apps > Installed apps

, everything except Chrome and Google Drive

where the association is "Google LLC"

So now that I've actually, properly, installed Google Drive (and there is no such thing as Google Drive for Desktop how do I access/use Google Drive? If I open the application Google Drive, I get: which, when I click [Sign In] brings up which when I choose my account (my gmail account) brings up . This time I chose the [Sign In] box and, presto!...
What I'll do tomorrow (actually later today) is to skip the Google Drive suggested folder locations (which are surprisingly similar to those of OneDrive) and see if it will accept folders I deem important to put into the cloud.

One thing I've learned from OneDrive is that I can probably get myself into a lot of trouble if I attempt to have ANY cloud hold deeply nested files and folders. I just can't be sure any cloud technology will have the wherewithall to know how to successfully hold nested material without generating hundreds of copies of that data. (God, one misses the days when software went through a testing and quality assurance phase.)

glasskuter · Jan 8, 2024

jro11 said:
see if it will accept folders I deem important to put into the cloud.

Click the blue "add folder" right under those suggested folders and you can sync any folder you choose.
You can know a folder is synced by browsing to to google drive folder>My Drive The synced folders have a tiny cloud overlaid over top of your folder icon.

jro11 · Jan 8, 2024

glasskuter said:
You can know a folder is synced by browsing to to google drive folder>My Drive The synced folders have a tiny cloud overlaid over top of your folder icon.

I'm sorry we had our misunderstanding. I should have made it clear that I had started all over (using your link) in my thread entry #26.

glasskuter · Jan 8, 2024

So were you able to sync that folder to Drive successfully? If so, well done.

Wynona · Jan 8, 2024

jro11 said:
I'm not able to see your menu lists clearly.

1) What I'm trying to do is to delete data, e.g., .tmp files, that can be deleted without affecting the integrity of the computer.

2) I'm next going to find and move to another drive (deleting multiple copies created by OneDrive) all my downloaded .pdf files.

3) Then I'm going to try and find an app that will show me all my empty directories (OneDrive created hundreds) and delete them.

4) Eventually, I hope to reduce what's left on the computer to files/shortcuts/directories that I originally created that I can collect, put on the external (2TB) drive and eventually restore to the rebuilt Win11--minus OneDrive--computer.

p.s. By the way, the (open source) application Everywhere has been a lifesaver app for me (replacing the horrible search capabilities of MSOS). I've never heard it referred to on this forum. Does anyone use it?

When you delete temporary files, you should find both .tmp and .temp. They're all safe to remove.

One thing to beware of is that if you delete a file from OneDrive, it will also be deleted from your computer. And vice versa, I think. I know that when I delete a file from OneDrive, I'm warned that it will be removed completely . . . never to be seen again.

dacrone · Jan 8, 2024

you can log into the web based version of onedrive and access the recycle bin there. not sure how long they stay in there though.. i assume 30 days?

jro11 · Jan 8, 2024

glasskuter said:
So were you able to sync that folder to Drive successfully? If so, well done.

Now that I've managed to install GDrive (my way of referring to "Drive") I'm having second thoughts of using it. The minute I brought it up (before instructing it to 'hold' anything) it had already uploaded over 5 megs of files including files dated today! I have never mounted GDrive on any computer.
I will make a copy of a folder, and, for the sake of testing this rogue 'save/safe' space, see what will happen to the items on this Gcloud area, when I 1) Wipe the drive clean; 2) Install Win11 wo OneDrive and 3) learn to use Macrium and image the install before I add files/folders to it.
Somehow I suspect Gdrive will be wiped clean.

Wynona said:
When you delete temporary files, you should find both .tmp and .temp. They're all safe to remove.

One thing to beware of is that if you delete a file from OneDrive, it will also be deleted from your computer. And vice versa, I think. I know that when I delete a file from OneDrive, I'm warned that it will be removed completely . . . never to be seen again.

OneDrive is the devil. But now that I've gotten involved with GDrive I'm wondering whether the cloud concept is more of a purgatory (or Hell, if you're now taking a lot of care when attempting to place nested files into it), than a Heaven.

dacrone said:
you can log into the web based version of onedrive and access the recycle bin there. not sure how long they stay in there though.. i assume 30 days?

Once I finish cleaning off and (everlasting - my fault) reformatting this computer, I'll be able to express my cloud-concerns more clearly.

Ghot · Jan 8, 2024

jro11 said:
and 3) learn to use Macrium and image the install before I add files/folders to it.

For just making a backup and the bootable rescue media... follow the pictures...

Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite - GUIDES

How to use backup software... 1. When everything is working perfectly... make a full Windows backup. 2. Then, if something breaks... restore from the latest backup. 3. Then... try "whatever you were doing" a different way. If it still breaks Windows, then... go to step #2. 4. Repeat...

www.elevenforum.com

jro11 · Jan 9, 2024

If, instead of using Office365 I decide to install Office 2010 will i have problems reading 365, Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. In other words, are Office 365 files backwards compatible?

Talking about older programs I lost...I just discovered Win11's Windows Tools folder.

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