It takes me a few days also. When you have/use as many programs as myself. I use to use Ghost, but found it not so good. I pefer the old method another hard drive or CDs.

Originally Posted by Blizey

Cute funny, Jazz! (It's gunna blow! Run for the door!)

I use CD's. I'm downloading SyncBack to try it out.

Hehehe........

I backup to a backup drive [external] and then backup the backup drive programs and Docs etc to DVD/RW

I don't care about XP as it only takes about 40 minutes to reinstall and that's it. I keep it simple. :wink:

I've recently installed nlite. I hav'nt got around to trying it yet. It optimizes a windows install. Allows you to remove useless and unneeded components. Allows you slipstream service packs and drivers. I've looked through the info on it and it seems quite easy to use.

http://nuhi.msfn.org/nlite.html

Originally Posted by s7p9a2m4

Allows you slipstream service packs and drivers.

S7, I have seen you and Viktoria both, use the word "slipstream" when referring to service packs, SP2 etc... What do you mean by that?

means they make a XP disk that installs SP2 with the installation of XP or whatever other updates they want to add to the install. the good thing about doing this is things like usb 2.0 that have to have atleast SP1 get installed with xp, instead of having to update then install the driver later.

I've just finished making an optimized windows cd with nlite. It finished at 255 mb with sp2, usb2 drivers, sata drivers, and agp drivers incorporated. I was also able to leave out all the Microsoft garbage(outlook express, media player, briefcase, etc.. So I should be good to go next time I reinstall. This program is very easy to use. But I still need to install to test but that may be quite a while down the road.

Originally Posted by Phantom

means they make a XP disk that installs SP2 with the installation of XP or whatever other updates they want to add to the install. the good thing about doing this is things like usb 2.0 that have to have atleast SP1 get installed with xp, instead of having to update then install the driver later.

Thanks for the explanation, PTO. I did that once - copied the MS Updates to my backup cd, so I wouldn't have to download them again. I don't understand how you guys are making an XP CD though. You can copy XP when you have purchased the CD? I have OEM, but I'm just curious.

You can legally make copies of the CD as many times as you want. It is only illegal to make copies of CDs that have protection, Microsoft allows one backup (if I remember right), but they just cut down on the product key. Do you mean a XP boot disk?

No, I did mean the XP CD. Pretty nice that they can alter the installation cd to include whatever they want or don't want on it.