Reinstalling Windows

Post by **Kills On Site** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:10 pm

Well it is time for Windows to be reinstalled. Nothing wrong really, just bloated. I need to make sure that I don't forget anything so if you guys see anything that should be on the list of things to back up and it is not, please tell me.

emails
email settings
internet bookmarks/favorites
game saves
game maps
Documents and all folders
other user's documents
printer setttings (the printers are networked, so if I can get it all the same then i wouldn't have to reconfigure anything)
motherboard and sound drivers
check for all installation drivers\
iTunes library file

That is all I can think of, you guys got anything else?

Post by **Foo** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:37 pm

Service Pack 2 as a standalone file before you reformat. Install it before you come back on the net, and you wont have to bother installing a third-party firewall.

Post by **Kills On Site** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:47 pm

A good idea, however I took my copy of XP Pro, and it is legitimate actually, and integrated SP2 into it. I used this http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsX ... ootcd.html . I am fairly certain that by slipsteaming SP2 my install will be cleaner and more stable, not to mention I don't have to wait those long minutes to install SP2.

Post by **Kills On Site** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:58 pm

Is there any benefit of Ad-Aware Professional over Ad-Aware Personal?

Post by **FragaGeddon** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:59 pm

I can re-install in less than 5 minutes.
I like my drive image. I've never tried norton ghost though. But I don't like norton products.

Post by **FragaGeddon** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:03 pm

And you shouldn't have to backup anything if you do things right this time.

Post by **Kills On Site** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:26 pm

FragaGeddon wrote:And you shouldn't have to backup anything if you do things right this time.

What do you mean exactly?

Post by **dzjepp** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:43 pm

If you're feeling adventureous and want to get rid of some of the junk you might not want to have in xp give this a try: http://www.nliteos.com/

Post by **dzjepp** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:45 pm

Also after you fresh install with your slipstreamed xpsp2 give autopatcher a try: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?s ... pic=453272

bling you've patched windows with all the hotfixes etc. in 10 minutes.

Post by **AmIdYfReAk** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:45 pm

NLite is teh siznatorz

Raid/SATA drivers + SP2 install + Hotfix install + ++ + ++ ++ + ++ = Pwn.

Post by **dzjepp** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:47 pm

siznatorz?

Post by **Kills On Site** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:10 pm

I've used nLiteOS and know that it is quite powerful, but you can screw up with it, so I am just running the installed with SP2 slipstreamed.

Question, I have three other users besides myself, I am the only administrator aside from the built in account, should I start with just my account and install everything and configure the start menu and then create the other users, or would it be best if I started it off with all 4 users.

Post by **FragaGeddon** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 5:31 am

Kills On Site wrote:
FragaGeddon wrote:And you shouldn't have to backup anything if you do things right this time.
What do you mean exactly?

Install the OS on C.
Install all programs and what ever else on D.
I just made a folder on the D drive called Program Files, that way I only have to change the C to a D.
Some programs that you install, might not even need to be re-installed again.

Like if you installed outlook, you can put the .pst folder on the d drive.

I also put My Documents, Desktop, Send To and Favorites onto the D drive in a folder called User Data or whatever you want.
This way you can copy just that folder to a thumb drive.
I usually put any documents that I have created inside the My Documents folder.

But to each his own I guess.
There's a few ways to move the folders like my documents to the d drive, but I just use a reg hack.

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders]
"Desktop"="D:\\User Data\\Desktop"
"Favorites"="D:\\User Data\\Favorites"
"Personal"="D:\\User Data\\My Documents"
"SendTo"="D:\\User Data\\SendTo"
"My Pictures"="D:\\User Data\\My Documents\\My Pictures"
"My Music"="D:\\User Data\\My Documents\\My Music"

Post by **FragaGeddon** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 5:37 am

Kills On Site wrote:
Question, I have three other users besides myself, I am the only administrator aside from the built in account, should I start with just my account and install everything and configure the start menu and then create the other users, or would it be best if I started it off with all 4 users.

Some installed programs will ask if you want to install that program for you only, or for all users.

Post by **Kills On Site** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:36 pm

Well I'm asking, would there be any issues with any software or hardware settings for the other users if I created them after everything was set up.

Post by **FragaGeddon** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:37 pm

Nope.

Post by **Kills On Site** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:47 pm

How does one delete something from the startup services? I don't mean using msconfig to disable it, I mean deleting it so msconfig will boot withthe normal setup and what I want gone will be forever gone.

Post by **dzjepp** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:17 am

Well wouldn't you want it in there in case you might want to re-enable it in the future? But if you really want to remove it, (it will be gone from msconfig), you can use spybot search & destroy. Enable advanced mode and check the system startup tab. You can just uncheck (disable but not delete) or delete for good...

Post by **Oeloe** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:46 am

Kills On Site wrote:I've used nLiteOS and know that it is quite powerful, but you can screw up with it, so I am just running the installed with SP2 slipstreamed.

Only if you don't know what you're doing. I'm all for deleting all that crap like Windows Tour and that MSN browser etc. Better to not install it at all than to remove it after windows installation.

Post by **Kills On Site** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:31 am

Its an HP printer software autoupdater. Thanks for the Spybot tip.

Post by **Kills On Site** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:27 pm

Is there a way to update iTunes with an iPod? I lost some songs that were in a different place and I can get them back this summer, but I was just wondering if I could somehow import songs from my iPod to iTunes.