Reinstalling XP: pointers please! (1 Viewer)

[Ari]

Due to a partitioning problem, I'm going to format and reinstall XP Pro. I'm going to backup my documents, outlook mailboxes, downloaded programs, favorites and desktop.

Any other things that I overlooked?? Any other tips??

 

[Chris]

Depends on what mail program; of course, always back up PST (if Outlook) or just copy your folder if Eudora, etc.

Favorites, Desktop, My Documents.. that's the biggies. After that, it's largely up to you if you've got data stored elsewhere.

Sometimes it's easier to use a program like Nero BackItUp! but doing it straight to DVD-R/CDR has always been smart by me

 

[Rob Gillespie]

Make sure you've got all your drivers available and all the Microsoft patches. That way you wont get whacked by Blaster or Sasser when you're trying to download them.

 

[Chris]

I should have added another way that is often much easier..

Run the WindowsXP Files & Transfer wizard. Tell it you're machine is the "OLD" machine, and that you want to store your files in a directory (create a directory anywhere) let it do it's work, then burn off everything there (IT MUST BE IN THE USMT.2 type folder, you must keep the folder structure) and then just restore it after you format/etc.. all your settings, favorites, and documents will be preserved.

 

[Ari]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm actually done formatting/reinstalling XP and am also done with reinstalling most of the programs.

My HD is a lot better organized now and my machine is slightly quicker. Not much drama during the entire process (which is good) but it's been a long day.

 

[Greg*go]

Good for you Ari. I actually just had to reinstall XP last week and forgot 2 things: My email profile (I use Thunderbird so it wasn't in the regular Microsoft section) and my icon that I set aside for my user name. Other then that, it was a clean install like you had.

 

[Jesse Blacklow]

A good thing to do is use a "ghosting" program to create a reinstall build CD (or DVD) that you can use to simplify the process. That way, you can easily reinstall XP with service packs and patches, as well as basic programs. It's a good idea to reinstall on regular basis (~6-9 months) anyway.