Optimum Reformatting

[ArkiStan]

Do any of these sound like you?

1. A full reformat is an exciting way to spend a Friday night.
2. I always reformat after a bad fight/break-up.
3. When I have migraines, I reach for the Windows CD before the pills.
4. An old friend is visiting town. I invited him/her over for a reformat.
5. I reformat to celebrate special occasions.
6. You wished they could reformat the girl in the Exorcist.

If so, I need some tips. I'm reformatting my computer (Win XP) after some trouble I had.

BEFORE THE FORMAT:
What are things I should save or set aside before I format? For now I can think of internet browser bookmarks, various custom setting preset for apps, etc. What else should I do before the cleansing is performed?

AFTER THE FORMAT
What are the first things I should do. I've heard that I should first check for BIOS updates for my motherboard, then install (updated) drivers for various hardware, then install codecs, and finally apps and plugins and on and on. Is this correct? Does it matter?

All tips are welcome.

[mcs328]

Save any documents you have I guess like a resume before formatting.
After a clean reformat and installation of all the drivers for the video card, firefox, I like to make a Ghost copy of that before I install any non-essential programs like WoW, or any other games of the moment things.

[Paymaster]

Before the format:
Make sure that you've got all your drivers downloaded and ready. After my last reformat, my network card didn't work. I needed to download the drivers for it, but that is kinda hard to do when you can't connect to the network.
Make sure that you have all your registration keys and such. Often they are available on the help->about page, which is hard to get to after a format. Of course, if you still have the key on the cd case, manual, whatever, then you are set.

After the format:
Get all your windows updates, then like mcs328 said, ghost it! If temptation leads you back into those dark alleys on the net, you can get right back to where you need to be.

[Bires]

Slipstream your WinXP disc to the latest SP/relevant updates.

[Grimm]

Slipstream your WinXP disc to the latest SP/relevant updates.

Negative!
Not when his PC is compromised.
Just back up any document you cann't get easily from somewhere else.

Any original content should be saved. Especialy photos and your resume.

Scan the data before you copy it over to your refreshed system.

After you ghost you can slipstream a disc.

[Markel]

I usually recommend saving \system32\wpa.dba and wpa.bak - as long as you are reinstalling with the same version of XP on the same hardware, once you have everything up and running, you can boot to safe mode, restore these files, and your Win XP is again authorized without the need to contact Microsoft.

[ArkiStan]

Thanks for all the great tips. These all sound really useful.

I never keep personal data on the C: drive so all that is safe. Paymaster, that is a good call to have the drivers downloaded before the format. I think I remember having a network problem the last time I formatted and was stuck for a while.

I have a slipstreamed copy of windows already so I don't have to worry about SP's.

And yes the first thing I will do once everything is settled down is make a ghost.

[mechmike0034]

The Files and Settings Transfer Wizard and the Office Save My Settings Wizard, along with recordable media or a USB external HD are your friends. Like Grimm said, virus and spyware-scan the data before bringing it back across to the new system. Don't back up file associations using the FSTW, as these tend to get fubared over time anyway. Don't forget your internet bookmarks/favorites.

Also, while you're getting drivers, snag yourself a copy of Autopatcher XP... (http://www.autopatcher.com/)

Once you get up and going on the new system (if you have an external drive, or some web space), Cobian Backup (http://cobian.se) is a freebie that will run backup jobs for you. It'll even encrypt, zip, and SFTP the files up to a remote server or web space. The Ghost thing is a good idea as well.

[zero2dash]

Also, while you're getting drivers, snag yourself a copy of Autopatcher XP... (http://www.autopatcher.com/)

That is the coolest thing I've ever seen. I had never heard of that.

MechMike, you are the shiznit.

[ArkiStan]

Also, while you're getting drivers, snag yourself a copy of Autopatcher XP... (http://www.autopatcher.com/)

Seems like the website is temporarily under construction. Can you fill us in on how this works? I think I understand that it helps to make it easy to install windows SP's and updates, but is it an online service or a standalone application, or simply a compressed file that includes all the updates? Is it free?

Thanks

[mechmike0034]

Seems like the website is temporarily under construction. Can you fill us in on how this works? I think I understand that it helps to make it easy to install windows SP's and updates, but is it an online service or a standalone application, or simply a compressed file that includes all the updates? Is it free?

Thanks

From the forum site:

"AutoPatcher is a comprehensive collection of patches, addons and registry tweaks that give you peace of mind in the knowledge that your Windows system is up to date, even before you connect it to the Internet. It's designed to quickly patch a system with the most current updates and tweaks available, and requires no user interaction once you have selected what to install."

From the FAQ: (http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=410121)

"Q: What are the advantages of AutoPatcher over Windows Update?
A: The main advantage is that you just have to do one download in order to have all the patches and add-ons, such as Sun Java, MSN Messenger 7.0 and Windows Media Player 10. If you have many computers or if you format your computer frequently, it saves both time and bandwidth. With AutoPatcher, you can install critical patches offline, eliminating the risk of getting infected while using Windows Update. You can also come in handy when updating a friend’s PC, if he/she can’t access the Internet (or uses a narrowband connection)."

It is a standalone application, updated monthly, that contains all of the post SP2 updates for XP. There are also other versions. It is free.

Every time I go to work on an "pwn3d" XP box, I pull out a CD which contains the following:

The NyQuil Kid's Public Antivirus CD, now bigger and better - get it and read about it here: http://www.rescueme4win.org/UpdatePublicAntivirus.htm

This contains a batch file that automatically updates the antivirus/antispyware applications on it. See the linked site above for details.

Once I unzip the folder structure to my HD, I make a "wintools" folder to which I add the current version of Autopatcher XP. I also add Quicktime Alternative, Real Alternative, OpenOffice, Spyware Blaster, Aida32, Foxit PDF Reader, and any other free tools I might need. Just keep the .iso size under 650 MB so it'll all fit on a CD.

I update and burn a new CD about once a week to keep current. That way, I have everything I need close at hand.

I realize that this is far from a full explanation, but most of you will figure out what I am talking about once you try it - YMMV...

That is the coolest thing I've ever seen. I had never heard of that.

MechMike, you are the shiznit.

Thanks! Now, get my wife to believe that...

Actually, I have a mantra, which goes as follows:

I don't know much.
Most of what I do know I learned the hard way.
If I don't know something, I generally know where to go to find out.
Google is my friend.

I believe in the community that we all have here and I'll happily share what little I do know in the interest of "the common good". I personally have taken far more from these forums than I could ever hope to give back.

[zero2dash]

There's also a review with more information about it at Softpedia.
http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/win...ew-12333.shtml

Quick copy-n-paste job:

What's Included

AutoPatcher XP November includes nearly all the critical and recommended hotfixes. For the critical updates, the patcher includes a cumulative security update for IE6 (Windows XP SP2), it includes a malicious software removal tool v1.8 and .NET Framework 1.1 (+SP1), to name just a few.

For the recommended updates, the latest list includes a cumulative update for Outlook Express for Windows XP, an update to enable DirectX video acceleration of Windows Media video content in WMP 10 and a security update for the Step-by-Step Interactive Training Application, along with many others.

AutoPatcher XP’s interface is simplicity at its best. Similar to Windows Explorer, all updates are categorized and micro organized within the following drop-down menus: Microsoft Windows Critical Updates and Recommended Updates, Updated Components, Windows Addons and, finally, Registry Tweaks for your System.

For every single update, the basic information about what the update does is listed at the bottom of the page. This also includes ‘Module Details’, the time it will take for the total install and another external link connecting you directly to Microsoft’s site, giving you precise and detailed accounts of what that update’s function is.

The usefulness of this program is that it lets you choose exactly what you want done to your system. You don’t need to install every single critical update on your computer, because you probably won’t need all of them. And you definitely don’t need to install some of the recommended updates, because you don’t use all of them.

It updates your computer without using Windows Update or having to bother with WGA. It also doesn't ask you to restart your computer where Windows Update normally would (which is annoying if you're updating a fresh install of XP and you have several updates that have to be done 1 at a time due to restarts). I don't mind updating manually myself, but I'm going to check this out next time I clean install my machines.

Very cool...