KVR Audio

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:21 pm

There aren't any free Ghost-like solutions that I'm aware of. If you check the computer magazine section in your local bookstore, sometimes there are older versions of such programs given away as part of the cover disk. I got Acronis DriveImage that way.

Greg

morelia · Post by **morelia** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:26 pm

Now that you mention it I am pretty sure I have seen that. Thanks for reminding me.

<edit> Just reached over to my left and on top of the pile of old PC magazine CDs is a free prog called Handy Backup and I bet there are others in there. Holy shit they are everywhere. Thanks for pointing that out now I just have to swim through all the ones I just discovered.

skOre · Post by **skOre** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 12:28 am

morelia wrote:
skOre wrote:Never change a running system. If you change the system, you should _really_ give it a whole run. _The_ rule with about any OS
Not wanting to sound obtuse but what do you mean. Are you saying if it aint broke don't fix like why bother upgrading or try using the old OS in case it works fine or...........

Heh, nah, if you upgrade, definately reinstall the OS, thats all I wanted to say... If it runs well, but you want more horsepower, _then_ do a whole new buildup...

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 4:17 am

Just a tip to all forum members--

Don't take computer advice from people who know too much to be dangerous, but don't know enough to be helpful.

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 12:52 pm

Lunch Money wrote:Just a tip to all forum members--

Don't take computer advice from people who know too much to be dangerous, but don't know enough to be helpful.

But how do you know? This what the forum stars are to be used for?

Devon

wgreenlee1 · Post by **wgreenlee1** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:41 pm

XP leaves all important information behind like drivers and stuff.(I think)
The way I reinstall XP is I put my win98 CD in and wipe the drives clean then quit installation of 98 and install XP.
I might be wrong but XP either leaves some information behind or doesnt erase the drives completely and doing it this way erases all information 100%.
I read it somewhere and thats the way I reinstall XP.
It has something to do with Microsoft wanting the drives to maintain info for some stupid reason so when you think youre getting a clean install actually youre not.
Someone will correct me if Im wrong Im sure but I think IM right about this.

And about installing new MOBOs or Processors I would always reinstall the whole OS to insure complete compatability with soft-hard wares.But thats just me and Im sorry if by posting this Im farting in the wind....or whatever....lol.

Lo Fi Massahkah · Post by **Lo Fi Massahkah** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:46 pm

Reformat. Then use your Ghost image, backup or do a fresh install. Don't let anything sit on your drive.

Enarje · Post by **Enarje** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:54 pm

If you want a clean re-install then boot your computer to your windows xp cd. To do this you might need to set your bios to boot to your cd/dvd-rom drive as the 1st boot device. Then you will be promted to format your hard drive etc and to re-install windows..that is definately a clean re-install. If you still don't trust that you can always insert a DOS (oh no i must be a computer geek as well a music freak!) bootdisk and then type format c: at command the prompt. Then try your re-install after that. I don't recommend doing this unless you know you can definately boot from your cd drive as it's hard to get the system back up and running if you can't.

Mo Verdigast · Post by **Mo Verdigast** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 2:12 pm

floyd wrote:If you install a different mobo you are asking for trouble if you don't reinstall... Alot of the time the OS won't even boot if you don't.

Changing just cpu speed = no reason whatsoever to reinstall.

Yes, no ambiguity here. If you are changing the mobo, you must reinstall the OS. There's all kinds of stuff in that mobo that Windows XP will be surprised to find when it tries to boot up.

An install isn't so bad, really. If you care enough to upgrade, you go all the way!

vista · Post by **vista** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 3:16 pm

Windows encapsulates every hardware detail it is sitting on in the vxd-files (e.g. VMM32.VXD).

So you should reinstall the OS.
BUT you have to do it only one time for this computer
until you change the board again.

The following tools will help you:

- Acronis TrueImage SE !!!! [the best one]
- Paragon Drive Backup 2001
- Powerquest Drive Image 5.01

... all have been distributed
free on some computer magazine cdroms:

One new install + one imaging
... and everything follows is
a matter of a few seconds !

If you want to copy the old harddisk:
The incredible FREE CloneMaxx is the choice:
http://www.pcinspector.de/clone-maxx/uk/welcome.htm
http://www.pcinspector.de/download.htm

or for Win9x FREE HdCopy:
http://home.tiscali.de/zdata/hdcopy_e.htm

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 3:23 pm

Mo Verdigast wrote:Yes, no ambiguity here. If you are changing the mobo, you must reinstall the OS. There's all kinds of stuff in that mobo that Windows XP will be surprised to find when it tries to boot up.

An install isn't so bad, really. If you care enough to upgrade, you go all the way!

There is no 'must' about this. I've swapped motherboards and ran with the same install for months afterwards, stably. Yes, if you want to clean house, reinstall. This DOES work on Windows XP, and it works a lot better than the old OS's did.

BUT, here's what you can do; Make sure you got backed up what you want backed up. Install your new motherboard, and boot the system. If it doens't work, you wipe the drive, and reinstall. The worst that can happen is it does come up, it re-detects ALL of your drivers for your motherboard, and it WORKS. This can save you a LOT of hassle if it does work. If you start to get strange crashes afterwards, then just reinstall. Really, it's not that difficult. It will take about 5-10 minutes of driver reinstall and a few reboots to find out if it does work.

If you do it this way, your eyeballs won't fall out, you won't get the plague, and nobody will drop a bomb on your head. Try it. If it works, you just saved yourself several hours. The old drivers hanging out don't grow mold, and won't infect your nails from typing on your keyboard.

BUT, if you're so ultra-paranoid about this, then go ahead, wipe the partition, and start from scratch.
I don't know about you, but if I can save myself the hassle of several hours of re-installing, I'd like to give it a shot.

Devon

egbert · Post by **egbert** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 3:28 pm

Thanks for those links Vista

Eg

Improv · Post by **Improv** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 3:30 pm

morelia wrote: I have never used a program like Ghost. Are there any free ones that do a good job and how do they work. I realise it can't back up the whole C drive on a DVD so what does it back up?

Ghost will back up to several CD's. It just prompts you for the next CD and splits the backup
into however many cd's are needed.

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 4:21 pm

I have been using images of 98 and XP for quite a number of times, even on completely different systems (than the ones the images were made with).
But (!), I have only been imaging clean installs. This means: Windows until first "proper" boot. No GFX drivers but some generic ones, the same is true for anything else. Didn't install any hardware drivers at all as I wanted a real fresh system image.

With 98 I'd say: NO way I'd do it again. At first things seem to be faster (your in "first proper boot mode" after 5 minutes, quite a bit less than installing Windows from scratch), but then you need to care about them drivers - and believe me, when changing systems, 98 is asking for a LOT. And even if most of them will be on the 98 CD (so you just put this in), you'll find yourself rebooting pretty much often.
In the end I found myself not exactly saving any time, for the questionable benefits that there were still some orphaned drivers (used by the source machine the image derived from) left.

With XP it's another story, I may give it a try again in case I'd only want a fresh install, but then, in case you plan to replay an image of a complete system, I would almost bet it won't save you that much time, compared to a clean install (especially after exchanging your mainboard).
There's too much "perhaps this will work, perhaps it won't" situations´, in the end you may find yourself doing a fresh install anyways, just because something doesn't work as supposed.

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:59 pm

Right, but discs are cheap, and organization goes a million miles--

-Before you wipe your drive, download any drivers that you're going to need (ie. most of them, because your hardware's install CD is probably outdated). Unzip these into their own folders and burn them to CD for easy access.

-Make a list of programs that you use day-to-day, but which aren't necessarily commercial products that you'd have a CD for (ie. downloaded freeware utilities). Burn these to another disc, though eventually THEY'LL be outdated as well. Alternatively, just make a list and go to each developer to download them once you're up and running.

--Make a pristine install as Sascha describes, with no installs. Make a ghost if you want one, but I have to admit, I never bother at this stage, because as he mentioned, it's still a lot of work to install drivers, etc.

-Install all your drivers and also the software that you know 'for sure' you'll always want installed. Programs that get regular updates you probably don't want to bother with, as you can just download the most recent version each time you do your fresh install.

-Run Disc Cleaner and defrag if you feel like it

-Make another image/ghost. This is your main image. It's custom-made for your computer, with your hardware and software. Now, each time you need to have a fresh install, you'll have saved yourself an hour or two of time, all for the minimal extra time invested in making ghost images during the install stage, which you would have been going through anyhow.

On the other hand, I also tend to agree with Devon. People are too paranoid about their systems, and a lot of that "faster system" feeling is a placebo effect. Not all, but a lot. And a lot of it is because you haven't installed your anti-virus programs, etc, which eat into boot-up time.

Greg

An easy ? about rebuilding PC