Best way to transfer entire os including apps to another computer?

I would like to transfer a clone of my current XP setup over to my notebook.Presumably I would be making a drive image backup of my current setup and then uninstalling all the drivers that pertain to this machine before the transfer.I would then apply the resulting drive image to the C drive on my notebook.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to the best way to completely remove all driver instrallations from XP?Would I be best off to do a repair installation before the transfer,or is there another clean way to remove all the current drivers?
Both computers use the intel 845 series chipset,the notebook using an 845E and my current system using an 845PE chipset,so I assume this would'nt cause too much grief?Another concern I have is that my current system was installed with apic enabled,wheras my notebook does not.
Does anyone have any suggestions?i am willing to experiment in order to make this transfer a success.''

 

In my opinion, the 'best" way is to do the transfer, and then, if possible, before even booting the second machine to Windows, run a repair installation.

This method has never failed for me in the transfer of hard drives or XP installations.

 

Thanks for the reply.I'm going to give that a shot right now...

 

Before you make the ghost, delete the Plug and Play Software Enumerator from the Device Manager. But don't reboot.

 

Well that was relatively painless...so far as I can tell as of yet?
I took Abraxas's lead and did the repair installation immediately after the image transfer.
It was too late to look into RayH's suggestion though...
Some driver installling and a good registry scrub and such,and it barely feels like an os that has been brutally stuffed into a different machine.
Thanks for the tips!''

 

Brutally? Under the circumstances, I'd say the patient was as comfortable as could have been

Congratulations.

Under the View tab in Device Manager, click "Show Hidden ". Then you can see drivers that may still be around from the old machine and you can remove those you clearly recognize as no longer needed.

Any applications you have installed that specified a piece of hardware from the other machine (sound card, for example) may need options changes (or rarely, reinstallation).

And, of course, due to the repair, you need a trip to WindowsUpdate, again.