Laptop HDD SMART failing

[SPIKE09]

Acer aspire noted below HDD is failing SMART warning, I have grabbed family phots and some tunes as it is a lappy it only came with an acer recovery CD OS is XP Pro.
I tried the acer europe site and its recommend return to dealer for HDD upgrade
The big ask any recommendations of freeware to backup the OS only, the rest of the clutter is just that and can die with the HDD. It has Norton system tools on it not the carp new one but 2000.
disk doctor cannot run as windows has claimed the drive WTF, anyone know if norton will run in safe mode?? next question anyone know how to get at the HDD I thought it was accesible when the battery was removed no dice, I am thinking full strip down is the only option. http://forum.micromart.co.uk/images/line.gif
rig3 The Dagda Acer aspire 1353 xv, AthlonXP-M 2400, 512 Mb PC2700 .

[Leonardo]

If your Norton 2000 suite has Ghost, it should work in Safe Mode, at least the Windows interface part of Ghost that initiates the backup. You can also start it on boot from CD, if you still have the Norton CD.

I don't remember or not if the 2000 version has USB 2.0 support, but that would only cause your USB backup drive to operate at 1.1 speed - SLOW.

[SPIKE09]

Unfortunately Ghost was not part of this setup or the question would not be being asked :( though I may have it somewhere as I used to use it, just got to find it among several hundred software and coverdisks :( which is why a freeware option was preferred)

[Kentigern]

Is your os setup on ntfs, if so, and you can get hold of an xp pro disc you'll find in the value added folder on the cd ntbackup which I believe might do the job for you.

[SPIKE09]

Unfortunately it was set up with FAT32 and I never changed it as it was intended to be a dual boot machine with Linux. Never really got my head around Nux though i understood Nix quite well.........

[SPIKE09]

Got a free 20 GB HDD today from a MM forum member but still need some freeware backup software, I only want to backup the OS as I have back ups of the rest

[Thrax]

http://www.howtoforge.com/back_up_restore_harddrives_partitions_with_ghost4linux

[SPIKE09]

EEP back up via FTP nice find Brother Thrax but a little beyond my needs, just got a freebie copy of Paragon disk image on a cover disk. I will try that first.

[Leonardo]

Paragon software is very good.