Re-installing WinXP after virus/malware

[OCNewbie]

I'm going to format/re-install WinXP on a computer as it is riddled with virii/malware. I suspect that this will probably happen again at some point so I'd like to clone the install of windows after I do all the updates, SP3, basic programs, etc., to a blank DVD, so it's quicker/easier to fix the next time this may happen.

The computer is for a business so I could technically have them pay for Ghost, or I could just use Clonezilla as to my understanding it is freeware. I'd prefer to use Clonezilla, but I'm concerned with how user-friendly it is. What I would like to do, after re-installing windows and the updates, is reboot from a Clonezilla CD/DVD, then back up the hard drive image to a USB flash drive (which will create an ISO-type file right?). Then I will take that image home and burn it to a DVD that I can use to boot from or just use in conjunction with a Clonezilla boot CD to restore the computer in case it gets reinfected.

So should I go with Ghost or Clonezilla? Clonezilla seems to require a lot of command-line inputs with lots of "-" flags and switches, none of which I'm familiar with. I know my way around a basic DOS environment but am not familiar with the commands listed on the Clonezilla homepage. Does the program come with a decent FAQ or how-to?

TYIA!


Cliffs on what I need done:
Format lone hard drive on Dell computer.
Re-install windows, SP3, all updates, etc.
Clone image of that install to something portable I can take with me (USB flash drive, etc.)
Unsure if Dell computer has DVD burner so leaning towards using USB drive.
After I get home will burn cloned image to DVD disc to use for future back-ups if necessary.
What cloning/imaging software should I use?

 

[bruceb]

My choice would be Ghost as it is most used by network admins. And it does work very well.

 

[OCNewbie]

Can Ghost be run completely outside of windows? I'd like to not have to install Ghost on the drive I want to clone if possible. I'd like to just use a boot CD of some type, then back up the C: to a USB flash drive (it's a large flash drive, 32GB or I could use a 4GB if such a large flash drive would pose problems, or even a 2GB if WinXP with SP3 and a number of updates would fit in 2GB of space).

 

[nordloewelabs]

try SystemRescueCD. that's what i've been using for the past 9 months to backup my Windows partition.... no problems so far. it's free and it runs from its own bootable CD. check out the guide below to have an idea of how easy/hard it is.

Backup with SystemRescueCD

 

[OCNewbie]

Originally posted by: nordloewelabs
try SystemRescueCD. that's what i've been using for the past 9 months to backup my Windows partition.... no problems so far. it's free and it runs from its own bootable CD. check out the guide below to have an idea of how easy/hard it is.

Backup with SystemRescueCD

Does this program support backing up the C: to a USB flash drive? I guess the USB drive would need to be pre-formatted as NTFS if I'm going to be cloning a NTFS partition?

 

[nordloewelabs]

Originally posted by: OCNewbie
Does this program support backing up the C: to a USB flash drive? I guess the USB drive would need to be pre-formatted as NTFS if I'm going to be cloning a NTFS partition?

i'm not sure. maybe.

why dont you back the drive to a second partition or second HD? then you could copy the backup to your USB device or burn it to a DVD.

if you dont have a second partition or second HD, you can use Gparted (included in the SystemRescueCD disc) to partition your C: drive. you should have a second partition anyway. it's better to keep personal documents (DOCs, MP3s, AVIs, JPGs, etc) separated from the OS files.

 

[OCNewbie]

This person who I'm doing this for is someone I barely know. They're going to pay me to do this. I don't know much about the computer other than it's a Dell, a P4, etc., and I'm assuming it has a single physical HDD.

If I do add another partition to this hard drive, for the sole purpose of storing the image to that 2nd partition, after retrieving the image to my USB drive, I could then remove that 2nd partition I presume? I want to compromise the total space on the C: as little as possible as this person probably won't utilize anything other than the C:

I presume the 2nd partition only has to be as large as the total amount of used space is on drive C? So say it's a 120GB drive, I could maybe install Windows, etc., see what the total space is... blah blah, nm

I think I understand now. I was thinking that when you restorm the backed-up partition that it would require the hard-drive to be partitioned in the exact same way it was when the back-up was created. So if you had a 120GB drive split up into a 60, 40, and 20 partition setup, that when you went to restore the backed-up image, the physical drive would have to be in the same partitioned structure for the image to work.

I have so many questions.... argh lol I keep confusing myself.

 

[nordloewelabs]

Originally posted by: OCNewbie
[...] I could then remove that 2nd partition I presume?

you could, but like i said, you'd be doing the person a favour (IMHO) by relocating "My Documents" to a second partition. once the new partition is created, you just need to right-click "My Documents" and choose "Move".... or, alternatively, just leave "My Documents" pointing the empty folder. the person would be able to access his/her files via Windows Explorer navigating to the drive D: you just created.

I presume the 2nd partition only has to be as large as the total amount of used space is on drive C? So say it's a 120GB drive, I could maybe install Windows, etc., see what the total space is... blah blah, nm

not sure if i followed you, but here it goes: the answer is "less", because all backup programs compress the data. if Windows is taking 10Gb, chances are the backup would be 5Gb or less (depending on how many MP3s or videos he/she has -- coz they dont compress).

I think I understand now. I was thinking that when you restorm the backed-up partition that it would require the hard-drive to be partitioned in the exact same way it was when the back-up was created.

many backup programs are indeed like that! i'm not sure about SystemRescueCD. if his C: drive is currently *using* 10Gb, shrink its partition to 20Gb and use the remainder as "My Documents".

another alternative -- if you dont wanna take chances with re-partitioning the HD -- is to open the computer, plug in your own HD temporarily, then store the backup in it....

this option might be better if you've never re-partitioned a drive before. i've never had a problem doing it, but that's not an 100% fail-proof task.

 

[OCNewbie]

Thanks a lot for your help nordloewelabs =) Hopefully I'll get it sorted out with as few kinks as possible =)