Backup new os install

[pcmanager]

Hi All, I have just built a asus p5b deluxe, asus 1900xt, E6600, ocz ddr 800, everythins seems to be running good. I installed windows xp pro. updated to service pk 2 and am in the process of updating the hardware to the latest drivers. What i would like to do is make a iso or bakup of the system before i install my apps, so if something goes wrong i can start over with a clean updated system. When i reinstall from the backup will the windows still be activated, and yes it is now activated. Thanks for all your help with this.

 

[pcmanager]

Just wondering if i posted this in the wrong place?

 

[Smilin]

hm. probably right place. OS forum would have worked too.

not sure about ISO, but if you have a second hard drive and a floppy disk, just create an ASR + full C: backup with ntbackup. If you ever have to restore it will do the OS install+system state restore in one move.

 

[Harvey]

I always set up machines with matched pairs of drives, one in a mobile rack, and use Norton Ghost to clone my main drive. The cloned drive is not just a backup of your data. It's a fully functional drive. If your main drive dies, the Ghosted drive plugs in and works.

When I first set up a machine, I do what you want to do -- Ghost the base install. Then, as each new step in the process is known to be good, I Ghost that one before continuing with the next one. That way, if the next step screws up everything, I can go back to the last good step.

Large drives are cheap, and Ghosting takes only a few minutes.

 

[pcmanager]

Hey Thanks for the help, Im looking at some disk immaging programs now. I like the ideal of ghosting to a second drive, Can i partition the second drive for the ghosting, then use the rest of it with the first drive. Thanks