reinstalling windows is such a pain

[ElFenix]

trying to get all my programs on here, all the little codecs for various sorts of media, all the little apps i like...

i've been at this for quite a few hours now this evening

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I usually take a screenshot of my start menu before formatting so I can easily remember the major things to install

 

[KLin]

Drive image FTW.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
I usually take a screenshot of my start menu before formatting so I can easily remember the major things to install

actually... it isn't really a reinstall, its a new computer. the old one is somewhat gutted, but it could still boot windows if i bothered to plug it in. parts will be in fsft before long, methinks. (anyone want an unlocked mobile barton 2500+ that does 2.35 ghz at least @ stock athlon voltage and air?)

at the moment, i have 4 bootable computers, the slowest being a 2 ghz p4, within arm's reach.

 

[quakefiend420]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
I usually take a screenshot of my start menu before formatting so I can easily remember the major things to install

actually... it isn't really a reinstall, its a new computer. the old one is somewhat gutted, but it could still boot windows if i bothered to plug it in. parts will be in fsft before long, methinks. (anyone want an unlocked mobile barton 2500+ that does 2.35 ghz at least @ stock athlon voltage and air?)

at the moment, i have 4 bootable computers, the slowest being a 2 ghz p4, within arm's reach.

depends, when you say want do you mean like pay for it want...or like give me shipping and take this damn thing off my hands want?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: quakefiend420

depends, when you say want do you mean like pay for it want...or like give me shipping and take this damn thing off my hands want?

charity don't pay my rent

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
trying to get all my programs on here, all the little codecs for various sorts of media, all the little apps i like...

Haha, I guess having a 20GB hard drive has its good sides. I've reformatted three times in the past month and getting everything back to normal takes three hours at most.

 

[quakefiend420]

Originally posted by: HamburgerBoy

Originally posted by: ElFenix
trying to get all my programs on here, all the little codecs for various sorts of media, all the little apps i like...

Haha, I guess having a 20GB hard drive has its good sides. I've reformatted three times in the past month and getting everything back to normal takes three hours at most.

umm....why have you reformatted 3 times in the last month?

web based free pr0n ftl

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
trying to get all my programs on here, all the little codecs for various sorts of media, all the little apps i like...

i've been at this for quite a few hours now this evening

I feel for you. I installed a 250 HDD today. I think I am done with 70+ programs and all the peripherals.

No problems, however.

 

[Kadarin]

I hear you... The worst part, IMO, is all the Windows updates, where you have to install certain things by themselves, and have to reboot the machine about 10 times or more.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: KLin
Drive image FTW.

yeah, the next time i need to reformat and stuff, i am doing that.

 

[Wapp]

Originally posted by: KLin
Ubuntu FTW.

Fixed

 

[Cooler]

next time image your hard drive when you first install.

 

[EKKC]

install all your crap on a clean windows install, then ghost.
i cant spend all my time reinstalling crap, i have 2 laptops and 3 desktops and a server. the only one without a ghost image is the server...

also i keep all my documents and downloaded stuff on a separate hdd. so if one pc is down, i dont have to wait to reinstall windows or waste time backing up files (of coruse i still have a NAS to back up the critical ones)

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
I usually take a screenshot of my start menu before formatting so I can easily remember the major things to install

I do that too.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Cooler
next time image your hard drive when you first install.

imaging doesn't work when you're going from an nforce2 to an RD480

i keep all the documents on another drive, too.

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Cooler
next time image your hard drive when you first install.

imaging doesn't work when you're going from an nforce2 to an RD480

i keep all the documents on another drive, too.

Sure it does. Sysprep FTW!

You don't think large corporations keep an image/model do you?

Text
Here's a link to a doc I wrote on how to use sysprep on a mobo swap. Most the info applies to creating sysprepped images as well.

Basic process:
Setup OS/Apps
Run Sysprep, shutdown.
Take Image.

When you boot it'll run the mini-seutp wizard and re-detect your hardware. When you re-image it'll do the same thing on the new hardware.

If you have any Qs let me know.

Good luck.

 

[MisterJackson]

Norton Ghost is your friend.

And it's sad, but I could probably do an XP install blind folded as I've done it a thousand times.

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
trying to get all my programs on here, all the little codecs for various sorts of media, all the little apps i like...

i've been at this for quite a few hours now this evening

Heh, well once you get everything installed that you like, then make an image of it, next time that you want to do a clean install it will take ~15 minutes depending on how much data you have.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
I hear you... The worst part, IMO, is all the Windows updates, where you have to install certain things by themselves, and have to reboot the machine about 10 times or more.

Didn't happen to me. Windows made two update runs. One picked up 35 updates. I had already installed SP2 from a disk.

 

[Bozono]

My method is to download all recent versions of all the programs and utilities I use before I reinstall(much easier when you just go through add/remove programs to see what you use), burn them to CD, then voila.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: Bozono
My method is to download all recent versions of all the programs and utilities I use before I reinstall(much easier when you just go through add/remove programs to see what you use), burn them to CD, then voila.

I use Your Uninstaller which gives a printout of all the programs which are installed and my programs are always up to date (what else do I have to do?)