New PC - What to install first...

EvilMonkey

Whatcha,

I've recently bought a new PC and REALLY want to do things right this time. I want to set up a base build (which works well) that I can get back to simply and easily.

Basically PC's slow down, over time you install / de-install so much that it gets bogged down, noticable in both startup and general reaction times. I want to set my PC up this time so that it's simple to "roll back" to a previous backup.

Any thoughts on the best (and the best free?) applications out there to really get a grip on things? Or has Vista better built in tools?

Anyone do this on their PC?

E.M.

superjaggybunnet

adaware

ISP stuff

alanwjones

If you follow this thread you should get things right this time :- http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1162826527,35939,

EvilMonkey

Thanks guys, The PC comes with 3 months of freebie virus stuff, so that'll protect me for a little while till I get the stuff on that post on, BUT....

I'm still looking for a way to give me a stable platform, something to easily roll back a dodgy install.

I kind of want to get a core build then take a snapshot and every 6 months or so, come back to that build...

I've installed (after the fact) various registry cleaners and boot commanders on my current PC, but I want to get it right from the start this time...

E.M.

Millionaire

EvilMonkey wrote: »

Thanks guys, The PC comes with 3 months of freebie virus stuff, so that'll protect me for a little while till I get the stuff on that post on, BUT....

I'm still looking for a way to give me a stable platform, something to easily roll back a dodgy install.

I kind of want to get a core build then take a snapshot and every 6 months or so, come back to that build...

I've installed (after the fact) various registry cleaners and boot commanders on my current PC, but I want to get it right from the start this time...

E.M.

The only thing you can install if you work this way is to have all the latest windows security and other updates and thats it.

Plus you could remove any software that came preinstalled that you dont want. Then you'll have a base setting which you can backup.

All other software in time, will be updated with newer version's, security updates etc will be released.

Thus you will lose these updates and features when you go back to base setting and will have to reinstall them anyway if you put them in the base backup.

Also if you include them in the base backup, at a later time you might not like or want to use them, but you have already installed them in the original backup thus clogging and reminents on your system.

I personally do a clean install once a year with a set of procedures that I follow and I use all the latest versions of software that I use. Doesn't take that long as I have it organsied to what I need to back and install and in what order.

This way you can dismiss software that you once used and now dont and also all the other garbage that gets accumalated over the year.

It runs like new then.

EvilMonkey

Millionaire, that's exactly what I'd planned to do. Base build + discs of software + a day every year \ 6 months to rebuild / reinstall used software...

Do you use anything to look after this?

What about data (currently the PC only has 1 HD, I guess I could partition it?)

Millionaire

EvilMonkey wrote: »

Millionaire, that's exactly what I'd planned to do. Base build + discs of software + a day every year \ 6 months to rebuild / reinstall used software...

Do you use anything to look after this?

What about data (currently the PC only has 1 HD, I guess I could partition it?)

I don't personally use any software. I have a External Hardrive which I backup all my files to.

Then reinstall the OS and then start loading the latest software on again from the External Drive.

My Laptop's a Dell, which comes with reinstallation software back to factory settings, so i just use that nowadays. But I used to do a clean install off a windows CD before which takes longer.

I start with Security software first then update it all to the latest stuff. then I touch any other files or software.

There are software that take hardrive snapshots for backups, but I havent personally used them so cannot recommend any.

Someone may come along soon and advise you which is a good program

Nikolai

One other way to make things easier in the event of having to reinstall your OS is to partition your drive and have one partition that just contains the OS. That way you can do reinstalls without affecting your other data.

Chippy_Minton

You could use nLite to create a customised installation CD with required drivers, updates and unnecessary Windows junk removed. You'll need a Windows installation CD to start with. It can take a bit of experimentation to get things exactly as you want them, so play around with a CD-RW rather than wasting lots of CD-Rs.

Also, when I used this tool I first installed Windows from the XP CD on a 10 GB C: partition, and then created partitions for paging (D: 2 GB), programs (E: 30 GB) and documents and settings (F: ). I then ran my nLite CD which had the settings pointing at the appropriate partition. If you have more than one hard drive, consider putting the programs and documents partitions on it, and maybe a bigger partition for the page file, depending on the amount of RAM and what you use the computer for.

leaphaze

I use Acronis True Image, which is quick and easy and freely (!) available on eBay. My boot partition is C: with programs being stored on E:. I create a single image of both partitions since both must be restored. I use AVG (anti-virus), and that is updated on demand, so must be updated again after restore. I need to refresh the image with the new AVG data after restore but that requires little effort.

I've disabled system restore and dell restore (I have a dell laptop) since I'm a control freak and I want use as much of the hard-drive for myself!

Blacksheep1979

don't install anything from your isp, its totally unneeded and bloatware.