Jump to content

How do you refresh your system?


spacesurfer

How do you restore your system?  

104 members have voted

  1. 1. What is your preference for restoring your system to a fresh install?

    • Imaging software
      13
    • Unattended install
      49
    • I use both for different scenarios
      20
    • I reinstall, but not unattended
      22


Recommended Posts


I've addressed this question before, to the point of my fingers bleeding from so much typing, so I'm not going to go through all that again. Well, not in great detail anyway. :lol:

There seems to be a huge misconception about the UnAttended ReInstall.

If done right, it reinstalls all the windows files, fixing lots of little screw-ups caused by corrupted windows files, but does NOTHING to drivers, data files, etc. It simply "REFRESHES" windows.

Here's how to do it right:

********************************************

Re-Installing Windows-XP

If you need to reinstall Windows-XP and want to keep all your current installed applications and settings:

1. Start Windows-XP

2. Find the location of your source files (a folder called "I386" , May Be on Your Install CD or a folder on your HD) You may find several i386 folders on your PC but you want the one that has the .cab files in it along with the command file "Winnt32.exe".

3. Run WINNT32 /unattend ,,, For example, D:\I386\winnt32.exe /unattend (type this command into the RUN box, then press ENTER).... Leave just one space where I've put three for emphasis, at the end of the command and before the switch (/unattend).

I've often needed to do this to repair something that had gotten corrupted and I didn't want to do a clean install.

*********************************************

Then for the more major screw-up where windows won't even boot any more, having a Ghost Image on a bootable DVD is the cats' Meow. In just a few minutes, you're back up and running. No fault, NO foul!

For just a quickie restore, having a Ghost image on a second HD or second partition on Drive 0, is the ticket.

With my SATA drive, a complete Ghost backup of C: takes me all of four minutes. A restore takes about the same time. (using the second partition on my SATA drive)

Doing a backup followed immediately by a restore, performs a fabulous "Defrag". All files are re-written in perfect order with NO spaces and NO fragmentation. I do this about once a week to keep my HD in perfect order. My resulting HD efficiency is phenominal. I've seen NO defrag program that will do this and surely not in such a short time.

Since I kept my C: drive in FAT-32 mode when I upgraded from 98/SE to XP several years ago, I can run my Ghost program (Ghost.exe) from a bootable floppy or CD and then from some simple DOS batch files, I can delete my Pagefile and my old Restore files as well as all the temp files and other junk files from the HD befor doing the actual Ghost backup. This cleanup of the HD saves me about 2 gigs of space in the resulting Ghost Image. Allowing me to get the entire image written to a single DVD.

Ghost does the writing to the DVD and even includes the boot info from the floppy as the boot sector on the DVD.

I have a series of backup DVD's going back over two years. I try to make a new DVD at least once a week.

I do the quickie backups to D: at least every two to three days.

I've also written and implemented a VBScript that forces a System Restore point to be made every time I boot up my system. (which could easily be three to four times a day) Better to have more restore points than you need, than not having the one you really need, when you really need it. I put that script into my Startup folder so it runs on every boot. I share this technique with many of my customers.

It's no big deal though, as those extra restore points will be deleted when I do my next Ghost backup.

I've assisted users worldwide to set up a Backup system like I use and they really love it.

So Quick and So simple.

Norton's Ghost 2003 is the program I use. It's still available over the internet for under $10. I don't use the entire Windows install, only Ghost.exe on a bootable floppy or CD.

It's almost identicle to the program that Norton bought from 'Ghostsoft, Inc.' back in the late 90's.

Happy Computing!

Andromeda43 B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have 2 images, one after a fresh install with just the basic drivers and the other a semi-fresh install with most of the programs that I normally use, ie, CD Burning, MS Office, Anti-virus, Multi-media apps, etc.

A fresh install is just too much of a time wasting hassle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i use whichever makes the most sense for the scenario. if i have really fowled up my computer ill reimage it to when i had it all nice and neet. if i change hardware, i reinstall then make a new image so windows is totally configured and setup for the new hardware. an "optimization" so to speak.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have 2 images, one after a fresh install with just the basic drivers and the other a semi-fresh install with most of the programs that I normally use, ie, CD Burning, MS Office, Anti-virus, Multi-media apps, etc.

A fresh install is just too much of a time wasting hassle.

You can sure say that again!!!!

When you've already done a fresh install once.....why go through all that pain and agony again?????

Just make your Ghost or whatever, backup Image of that nice clean install and whenever you might need it again just do a Restore of that image. If you change any major hardware items, just make yourself a new Image file.

An install can take an hour or better (just for Windows), while a Ghost Restore (for instance, because that's what I use) can take as little as three minutes on a SATA hard drive.....a bit longer on an IDE drive. Or even longer from a DVD, but it's almost seamless. Start it up, go have lunch and come back and its all done.

I've been using Ghost (originally from Ghostsoft, Inc.) for about ten years now.

I love it!!!!!

I've just finished recovering a very badly fouled up HP/ Pent III/ Desktop PC.

Someone had totally removed Outlook Express from it. Getting that back in and working properly was no easy chore. But now it's done. There is NO factory restore disk for this old PC that started out years ago in a bank. MY next step now will be to finish the cleanup process and make them a Restore CD, using Ghost 2003. The CD will be self booting with the Ghost program on it, so I can do a restore even to a brand new HD.

When you've got the best, you can forget the rest. :thumbup

Cheers!

Andromeda43

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ideally I'd use imaging. The problem with that is I have to get to the state where everything is still fresh and working good, and I have all my programs configured the way I like them. But by the time they're set up like that (which can take months because I'm lazy :P) things aren't fresh anymore and problems start to pop up. I'd say by now everything is set up how I like it, but now it's starting to need reinstalling again. Doh!

Maybe next time I'll try to set up quicker and make an image before things start going bad. As for reinstalling, I haven't bothered to make a UA CD, so it's attended for me. I have a TV and a few game systems right next to the computer, so no biggie. :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ideally I'd use imaging. The problem with that is I have to get to the state where everything is still fresh and working good, and I have all my programs configured the way I like them. But by the time they're set up like that (which can take months because I'm lazy :P) things aren't fresh anymore and problems start to pop up. I'd say by now everything is set up how I like it, but now it's starting to need reinstalling again. Doh!

That's why I made a list of Tweaks to apply after a fresh install and all the program I need to load. I just go through everything on the list to get my system. I can do it in about 4 hrs to get a system I want, before I connect to the internet.

So, when I'm done, I have a fresh-base image with no software. Another image after all the tweaks and progs.

Therefore, it doesn't take me months.

I keep a third image as well so my first and second are untouched, but the third one is replaced with a newer one as things change.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can fix computer problems.....it's what I've done for the past 26 years.

What I can't fix is lazyness. There's no fix for it and really NO excuse for it either.

Lazy? You're on your own. There's NO help for you in any forum. :no:

Good Luck though,

Andromeda43 B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I usually prefered to re-install.

But now, I use VMWare and after all basic installations that are required, I make copy of the whole machine.

I dont use Imaging softwares because, I dont know about any free one. I used Norton ghost sometimes for my friend though.

Can anybody suggesta good freeware Imaging software?

I read a poll on msfn about good imaging softwares but they were not freeware.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You don't need the entire GUI version of Ghost.

All you need is the Ghost.exe file and a bootable floppy or CD.

That's the most basic use of Ghost.

Add Mouse.com so you can use your PS2 mouse to run Ghost.

I've created a great Ghost boot floppy which I use several times a week.

It's all menu driven. Here's the Ansi-Color menu:

GHOST 2003 Menu

1. Run Ghost to make a new image, Windows XP

This program will delete all temp files, cookies, histories, etc.

The Cleanup works only on a FAT-32 partition.

2. Run Ghost

This program runs Ghost alone, with NO cleanup being done.

Use this version to do Ghost Restores or Ghost image without cleanup.

You must use this option on any NTFS partition.

3. Run Ghost on Windows 98 (deletes the Swapfile and all temp's.)

4. Delete all Restore points (Windows XP. Works on FAT-32 partition only)

5. Delete Windows "Pagefile" (Windows XP. Works on FAT-32 partitions only)

Type in a number at the DOS Prompt and press ENTER.

**********************************

This setup is designed to work on a Windows 98 system as well as a Windows XP system.

It's all you need to do full HD backups whenever you like and on any system with a floppy drive.

Most CD burning software will take this floppy and create a bootable CD from it. I use Nero to do it on my own PC.

Good Luck,

Andromeda43 B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5. Delete Windows "Pagefile" (Windows XP. Works on FAT-32 partitions only)

You don't have to delete the pagefile (pagefile.sys). Both Ghost 2003 and TrueImage copy it as a zero-byte file. It's has been discussed here.

I've confirmed this. I created a Ghost image of a fresh system. The size of the fresh system was about 1 Gb. When I made the ghost image, the size was < 700 mb (small for a CD). That was not due to compression but ghost skipping the pagefile.sys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:lol: I use imaging with unattended install. When you have to support over 1000 PC's, you better have your hard drives imaged ahead of time. (I have 12 pre-imaged HDD's setting on my desk right now). And since my single master image works in any of our 15 different model PC's, all I have to do is replace the HDD and the PC is fixed in 5 minutes! I do not have time to install OS's & programs the old fashion way. I have been using DriveImage with some multi-imaging software from multixpimage . Having to only maintain 1 image is great and I can update it in less than 1 hour.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...