What do YOU do after a reformat?

[chimpy]

Specs in sig, I plan to reformat in an hour or so (after backing some stuff up).

Here is what I have in mind (specs in sig):

Install NForce4 drivers
Install Radeon Omega drivers
Install Audigy2 drivers
(I have put these on a disc today for convenience)

Set internet up
Install other programs that I need
That's it

Are there any tips you could give me for making my new installation better? Like, any things I should tweak after reinstalling? The OS is Windows XP Home btw, thanks.

 

[iRONic]

Ghost.dat clean install FTW!

 

[DrZDO]

Wipe the ice off my horns.

 

[mechBgon]

Have pizza!

If you're installing WinXP, then first install Service Pack 2 before any drivers. If your CD has SP2 onboard, then great, if not, then download it from here and have it on a CD so you can safely install it offline.

This not only gets the Windows Firewall enabled and eliminates many major vulnerabilities, but also gets you DirectX 9.0C too.

Also, I'd fully enable DEP like this and set up two accounts for myself, one Admin-class account and one Limited-class account, so I can use the Limited account for daily stuff (far, far safer). And enable Automatic Updates.

If your other software includes Microsoft Office, or parts of it such as Outlook or Word, then also run the system through Office Update repeatedly until it comes out clean.

 

[Luckyboy1]

What you do BEFORE you format is as important as what you do afterwards. Download all drivers that you are going to use and save them to disc. Physically disconnect yourself from the internet, I mean get up and unplug something. Then start your re-install.

 

[Eddieo]

Take a screen shot of your added devices in device manager and print it out.

 

[T9D]

Why do you people unhook from the internet or have to set it up? I just leave it on and install xp and it does everything for me.

Or is it because you have pirated versions or something?

 

[chimpy]

OK thanks a bunch everyone. I'll follow all of your advice.

mechBgon - thanks for that tip, I'll do it. So I should make one account called 'Josh' (my name), and one called 'Admin'? Would this mean that I couldn't install anything on the limited one (Josh)? So everytime I want to I'd have to sign out and back in as 'Admin', correct? BTW I recognise your name - I used your building guides when I built my PC, it's great

EDIT: I'm not sure what GHOST.DAT is, I'll look into it. However, I assume it is probably something technical that is wayy beyond qhat I need.

 

[fredhe12]

Have a :beer: of course

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: tk109
Why do you people unhook from the internet or have to set it up?

Because XP can be vulnerable to external worms during setup. It's a best security practice to always disconnect a computer from the Internet during an OS install.

An XP (original edition) install that's hooked directly to the Internet with a modem, with no port filtering by your ISP, will be infected with worms in about fifteen to twenty minutes.

If your XP Install CD doesn't contain SP2, then download that first and put it on a CD. Install XP SP2 before connecting to the Internet.

 

[mechBgon]

mechBgon - thanks for that tip, I'll do it. So I should make one account called 'Josh' (my name), and one called 'Admin'? Would this mean that I couldn't install anything on the limited one (Josh)? So everytime I want to I'd have to sign out and back in as 'Admin', correct? BTW I recognise your name - I used your building guides when I built my PC, it's great

Thanks and yeah that is the right idea. And while it seems restrictive in a self-punishing way, it also means that malware would be inside a cage and unable to install spyware/adware by the usual easy tricks. mech's info on Limited accounts and the next page after goes into the practical end of living with one. Try it and see if it works ok for you.

 

[iRONic]

Originally posted by: chimpy

EDIT: I'm not sure what GHOST.DAT is, I'll look into it. However, I assume it is probably something technical that is wayy beyond qhat I need.

Ghost is software. It allows you to make an image of your hdd on a CD or DVD. Reinstalling your OS is a snap with it.

Linky

 

[Ctrackstar126]

a cartwheel

 

[Trey22]

Copy image.

I keep 2 differente images... one with XP and all the drivers, another w/ all the apps and registry tweaks. Data is on another drive.

 

[JimPhelpsMI]

Hi, What you do before the format is what is important. Make sure you have the MB driver disc, Video, Sound etc. or can download them. Win may not have all your drivers. Also back up all files you want to keep. Good Luck, Jim

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: Trey22
Copy image.

I keep 2 differente images... one with XP and all the drivers, another w/ all the apps and registry tweaks. Data is on another drive.

Same here, reloading takes just a few minutes.

 

[Jazzatola]

I've decided to try my hand at slipstreaming next time around. NLite seems like just the thing.

 

[Luckyboy1]

What's this about an illegal copy of Windows and disconnecting from the Internet? Nope, no illegal copy here!

There are good reasons why computer security people recommend both a software and a hardware firewall program. Just after a reformat job and especially if you go online to get Service Pack 2, you are vulnerable to attack via all the security updates you lack. But Luckyboy, I've got a hardware firewall in my router and nobody knows I'm online. If they can't find me, the can't infect me, Right?

Well, if that was actually true, then you'd be right. The problem starts the second you connect to another site including Cousin Billy's update site. Anyone connected to the site you are connected to can see who's connected and they can then querry your PC. Even if you don't actively go to Cousin Billy's site or other sites when you first get online, your PC may do so via automatic update type settings. Also, by default, when you first boot up and log on under any user name the MSN Messenger starts up and if you've installed Yahoo Messenger or most of the other IM type programs, by default they connect right away as well.

The more secure you can make your PC before going online the better. This includes not just having the Service Pack 2 installed, but having Spybot installed and the Immunize thing being run as well as SpywareBlaster installed as well. They both build a no-no list of sites they will block.

The longer it takes you to get all your updates all around and get all patched up, the longer you are exposed to threats. This is why what you do BEFORE you reformat is so important. Having all your drivers and as many security updates already on disc as possible reduces your chances of picking up something you wouldn't want to tell your Mother about!

Gee Luckyboy, so doing these steps makes me completely secure?...


No, security is a relative thing and just like with your home or car, you want to make your PC just a bit more of a hassle to break into than your neighbor's PC.

And for all you wireless router types, remember to encrypt your router before going online because they work nicely and are easy to install when you first take them home. Part of the reason for this is many of the security features are by default, turned off!

 

[Rubycon]

Press F6.

 

[CrimsonKnight]

install oblivion

 

[Luckyboy1]

And one more thing I forgot to talk about...

For all you folks that want to save all sorts of stuff you really don't have to... take all these misic files and video files that are shared again and again over the internet... pass them along again and again and again and what do you think the chances are the file you get won't have something embedded into it? Not just trojans, but how about rootkits? Try and remember that a bot knows where it can find a home. If you kick it out of its' nice space by reformatting.... and if you don't run some wiping utility, you haven't even done that on a format; even if you get rid of it, generally, the program alreay phoned home to its' database and knows where to find you when you get back online.

That brings up a point about deleting anything and even by reformatting. When you delete something, it really doesn't get deleted. All that happens is the tag that says it is a file is removed so it can be overwritten. On a reformat job, then it becoomes a cr@p shoot as to whether or not that file got overwritten or not. This is yet another reason to have Acronis. Not only will it completely wipe the drive by overwriting it again and again, you can set the chunk and stripe sizes larger than Cousin Billy's default will let you. This will make it so when setting up a 0 RAID, you can get closer to the maximum out of it for your particular needs.

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: Luckyboy1
And one more thing I forgot to talk about...

For all you folks that want to save all sorts of stuff you really don't have to... take all these misic files and video files that are shared again and again over the internet... pass them along again and again and again and what do you think the chances are the file you get won't have something embedded into it? Not just trojans, but how about rootkits? Try and remember that a bot knows where it can find a home. If you kick it out of its' nice space by reformatting.... and if you don't run some wiping utility, you haven't even done that on a format; even if you get rid of it, generally, the program alreay phoned home to its' database and knows where to find you when you get back online.

That brings up a point about deleting anything and even by reformatting. When you delete something, it really doesn't get deleted. All that happens is the tag that says it is a file is removed so it can be overwritten. On a reformat job, then it becoomes a cr@p shoot as to whether or not that file got overwritten or not. This is yet another reason to have Acronis. Not only will it completely wipe the drive by overwriting it again and again, you can set the chunk and stripe sizes larger than Cousin Billy's default will let you. This will make it so when setting up a 0 RAID, you can get closer to the maximum out of it for your particular needs.

Yeah I agree about collecting crap from the net, it's not always a smart thing.

Fdisk is your friend for getting rid of data you really don't want.