| Sounds like the same thing I have been doing for the past so many years. The one thing that I have done which most people would consider tedious is that I create a couple of DVD images during the process.
First I would have a disk with certain up-to-date programs such as AVG antivirus. All my data has been backed up either on an external drive or DVD. Then I would make sure that there are no bugs in the MBR by running a boot program called Zap. It wipes out the boot sector on the drive. Then I would place XP in the CD/DVD and go thru the boot process, which does the formatting etc. Once it is up and running, drivers for your hardware installed, and XP is activated, I would then create an image.
That image would be in case you decided to use a different antivirus program.
Next, install the antivirus program, plug in the internet and do the updates for it as well as a custom upgrade to XP.
I do not install SP3 or Internet explorer 7 in the updates.
Found out that with SP3, they (Microsoft) disabled certain functions. One was that if you right click on the screen, do a properties, click the Desktop tab, then click the Customize desktop button, you will find the options of placing certain icons (programs) on your desktop.
If you install SP3, then the Internet Explorer option is not there. For those who like to just right click on the icon, and do properties to let say empty the cache and cookies, well you would have to run the program in order to do that with SP3. This way you don't as the icon that is placed on your desktop is not a shortcut.
Ok enough rant of SP3 and on goes the reason for imaging.
You now are up to date with windows and your antivirus.
The display is set how you like it. You have configured your mail, even put your favorites in from your data backups. All is good. Do another image. All are labeled such so that you know which ones have what. Now you could of just loaded all your programs, but this way, if you decide to fall back to this moment if you had to do a re-install and wanted different programs, then that is the reason for this image.
Next would be to complete your installs with all the programs you want on the computer. Everything is up to date with program upgrades and configured the way you like it. Any data from the backups that you want on the computer is put on. Now do your last image. This one would be used if you still like the current setup you have and wish to start fresh every year or in case the hard drive packs it in.
Having the stepped images may not be for everyone, but if your the type of person who likes to change things around, like use a different antivirus program or office package, then this would defiantly help as it reduces the amount to time getting updates, and configuration.
There are many image programs out there. The ones I have used are Ghost and Terabyte. Always backup your data so there's minimal loss in case a drive packs it in or a virus totally corrupts the system where all is lost.  |