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Reinstalling XP SP3

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by g.watson, 2009/01/13.

  1. 2009/01/13
    g.watson

    g.watson Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Hi. My PC has been getting slower and slower over time. I've done my regular Registry First Aids and defrags, run Ad-Aware and Avast! (latter always on anyway), and spent a day reading other posts here and following various other helpful advice, without any spectacular improvement. I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and do a clean reinstall.

    Is there anywhere an idiot-proof check-list or step-by-step guide to putting all your stuff in a safe place, reformatting the HDs and reinstalling and updating the OS and then all the apps? Maybe similar to the excellent one by Christer & Co. on moving default folders?

    I'd hate to get 80% through the job and then find to my horror I've missed one absolutely vital step...

    Grateful for any links or other advice.
     
    g.watson,
    #1
  2. 2009/01/13
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Hello Geoffrey!

    What is your hardware setup? I assume that you have only one hard disk but two partitions. Reformatting C: and installing XP SP3 from square one should not have an impact on D: (or which drive letters you have) but you never know ... :eek: ... for sure. If my assumtion is spot on, investing in a second hard disk would be a good step in the right direction.

    When asked to build and install a computer, two (preferrably but not necessarily identical) hard disks is what I recommend. On the first hard disk, I make the primary partition [C:] large enough to hold the anticipated programs and then some (don't make it too small). The rest go into an extended partition with a data (logical) partition [D:]. The second hard disk gets an extended partition of all space, two logical partitions with sizes corresponding to C: and D:. (I change the drive letters for the optical drives to X: and Y: prior to setting up the second hard disk. This frees the drive letters E: and F: for the partitions on the second hard disk.) I make E: correspond to D: and F: correspond to C:.

    Now, we have two backup partitions, E: for data and F: for the operating system. I use Ghost 2003 to backup (partition to image) the operating system but there are many options. Read up on imaging software (google results). I create several images at different stages during the installation process. If something should go wrong, I restore the most recent image and don't have to go back to square one.

    Of course, prior to reinstalling, D: gets backed up to E:. I use Karen's Replicator for that.

    I have the backup hard disk in a mobile rack which makes it possible to switch it off and even to easily remove it for safe keeping elsewhere. (You can also easily use any hard disk in the mobile rack.)

    I have a "memo" on the different steps but I assume that you don't read Swedish ... :p ... but the "memo" is easy to create. Think things through and take notes:

    - which partition sizes do I want?

    - do I have a XP SP3 CD or will it be a XP SP2 CD requiring the clean installation to be upgraded to SP3? If the latter, consider slipstreaming SP3 into the XP SP2 CD! (The result is a new bootable CD providing a much cleaner installation.)

    - do I want IE7 or do I want to wait for IE8? If you want any of them, download the install file to the backup hard disk.

    - downloading all needed updates to the backup hard disk makes a premature (with no FireWall/AntiVirus installed) visit to the internet avoidable. The list post SP3 (including December 2008) is: KB898461, KB951698, KB950762, KB951376, KB951978, KB951748, KB951066, KB938464, KB952287, KB946648, KB952954, KB950974, KB956803, KB956841, KB957095, KB954459, KB955069, KB954211, KB954600, KB956391, KB958644, KB958215, KB955839, KB956802, KB957097, KB952069 and KB960714. Make sure you get the correct language version.

    - what have I "tweaked" in the current installation that I want in the new installation? (All major upgrades, such as SP3 and IE7/IE8, should be done first.)

    - one thing is the outdated version of Flash Player that comes with XP. I always uninstall that one. (If not, Windows Update will offer an update but you are better off with the most recent version directly from Adobe.)

    - create a new image after each successful installation (has saved by bacon on several occasions).

    - anything you can think of ...

    Christer
     
    Christer,
    #2


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  4. 2009/01/13
    g.watson

    g.watson Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Hi Christer! Darn, that was fast! You must have had a part of that at least ready to cut&paste.. Many thanks, it's just what I needed. I've got a couple of points worth keeping in this same thread for other users preparing to do the chore:

    I have 2 HDs, one around 30Gb with 2 partitions and the other around 20Gb (they're in my "system specs" on this site). So I should have enough space to do a clean install, but I doubt whether I'll have enough to create several images at different stages during the installation process as you suggested. I was in any case considering buying a USB external HD of around 100 Gb for backups, so this would be a good excuse to go and get it. I, er, ahem, have no backups at present... :eek:

    Another point: since I go online with a firewalled router anyway, wouldn't it be easier/quicker to re-install XP, fire up and update Avast!, then go to MS Update to automatically pick up all the KBs you listed? I'll need to do that with MS Office 2003 anyway, since I can't slipstream any of the Office updates.

    Finally, since I've kept the installation *.exes and/or CDs of pretty well all my apps, would it make sense to uninstall them all first to have a lightweight system to work on? I assume I'll need to re-install them all anyway as a last step...
     
    g.watson,
    #3
  5. 2009/01/13
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I had the list of KB's but the rest is down to the blistering rate of hitting the correct keys on the board ... :cool: ... !

    I can't see (or find) your system specs ... :confused: ... neither in your posts nor in your profile.

    Hard disks are cheap these days and you will actually notice a speed difference compared to those you have used up to this day. I would suggest buying two 160 GB hard disks, such as the Hitachi 7K160. Partition one 40GB/120GB and the other 120GB/40GB. There are other brands but I have only good experience of Hitachi (not implying that I have bad experience of other brands).

    Buying a new fast hard disk and use it for backups while keeping an old slow hard disk as the primary doesn't make sense. Either use the new hard disk as the primary (in two partitions) and the old 30 GB (in a single partition) as backup or buy two new ones.

    Regarding USB hard disks, internal hard disks are always faster. A hard disk in a mobile rack is internal (connected to the IDE port on the motherboard).

    I install applications in the order of "keeping ". Apart from the OS, the Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop and other "permanent" installs go in first (and I download the updates for all in advance). Applications that are likely to get replaced go in last (and FireWall/AntiVirus are among them). That's the way I do it but the choice is yours.

    About slipstreaming, you do that with Service Packs, not updates. You need to install all updates for Windows and Office. (Updates can be integrated into the CD but I have never done it. I think nLite is a commonly used application.)

    If you go for a format and clean installation, you lose everything and don't have to uninstall anything.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
    #4
  6. 2009/01/14
    g.watson

    g.watson Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Sorry, my fault. I investigated why you couldn't see that page, and discovered the option to make it visible. I've now turned it on.

    "Cheap" is relative :rolleyes:. You're absolutely right, but trying to get by on a pension, and with a son still going through university, buying two new 160GB HDs just to get a faster system is not a decision to take like popping out for a packet of cigarettes... :D

    This, too, implies buying new hardware (a mobile rack). There are soooo many sure-fire and easy solutions which require just spending money; part of a pensioner's daily tasks is to work out how to get by with satisfactory results with what you've already got (like a 2003 version of Office :D).

    I don't think I have a huge space problem, just a speed problem. I've got pretty much all the software I need now, and don't anticipate needing to add anything bulky (or, if I do, there's plenty of stuff I rarely/never use and could offload to make space). I already offload all bulky data like pix, videos, music, old document archives like tax returns etc. onto CDs anyway, just in case I might need them unexpectedly one day.

    And it's also a fun challenge to go through the arithmetic of whether I can hack it with the gear I already have, without going the lazy way and just buying a new item to get around the problem.

    Not complaining - just putting down a couple of thoughts for others who are coming up to decision time.

    For the rest of your tips, many thanks again - everything very useful, and plenty I wouldn't have thought of myself. Next task: print off your replies, get a pencil and paper and make a critical-path chart...
     
    g.watson,
    #5
  7. 2009/01/14
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Quit smoking ... ;) ... and depending on your smoking habits ... :cool: ... you'll be able to afford two hard disks and a mobile rack in a month or two.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
    #6
  8. 2009/01/14
    g.watson

    g.watson Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    You're so right! I've been trying to quit for about 50 years...:mad:

    Geoffrey
     
    g.watson,
    #7
  9. 2009/01/18
    retiredlearner

    retiredlearner SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Hi guys,
    I'm reading your posts and see the PC system shows both the HDD's are FAT32.
    Would this be a problem trying to install SP3? Neil.
     
    retiredlearner,
    #8
  10. 2009/01/18
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Hi retiredlearner!

    NTFS or FAT32 doesn't make any difference. If it did, we would have heard about it, I think.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
    #9
  11. 2009/01/18
    g.watson

    g.watson Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Hi Neil.

    Yes, I was wondering, too, whether to go for NTFS, since I'll need to reformat anyway. I found a lot of discussion all over this board about the relative merits of each system: it seems to depend on what you want/need from your system. My personal conclusion from working through them all is a very slight perceived edge of advantage for NTFS, and I'm going to go for that.
     
    g.watson,
    #10
  12. 2009/01/18
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    On a scale from 1-10, I'd put NTFS at 9.0 & FAT32 at 4.5.

    There is hardly any reason to still use FAT32 on your hard drives.
     
    Arie,
    #11
  13. 2009/01/18
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I assumed that Neil has a system on a FAT32 partition and asked if that, compared to NTFS, would impose a higher risk of failure when installing SP3. I don't think there's any difference.

    I agree with Arie's answer but it's for a different question ... :eek: ... right?

    Christer
     
    Christer,
    #12
  14. 2009/01/18
    g.watson

    g.watson Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Christer's right, it's a different question. Neil's question (on-topic) was about possible problems with installation of XP SP3, while I went off-topic by opening up the can of worms of the relative merits of FAT32 vs. NTFS.

    But I think this slight slalom was probably useful to anyone considering reinstalling XP and reading this thread, because if you're considering passing from FAT32 to NTFS, this would be a good time to do it. And thanks Arie for quantifying the advantages - you've certainly convinced me to grab this opportunity to make the switch.
     
    g.watson,
    #13
  15. 2009/01/19
    retiredlearner

    retiredlearner SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Hi Christer, I asked the question in case SP3 was baulking at the FAT32 that g.watson obviously has set up in his HDD's. As I have previously posted, I have installed SP3 on 5 home computers but all are running NTFS and there was very little problem with the installs and in fact they all have been 100%. Updates go in automatically no problems. Neil.
    ps. The comps are noticeably smoother in operation and give the impression of being quicker.
     
    retiredlearner,
    #14
  16. 2009/01/21
    g.watson

    g.watson Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    One final question, or set of questions (boy, am I glad I thought of this one before starting :eek:):

    Obviously if you reformat your HD and re-install the OS, you've wiped everything. I'd already planned to save documents etc. on a CD before starting, but there are some other items to save, too, such as:

    • Outlook archive of received/sent emails
    • Outlook calendar(s)
    • Outlook address book
    • IE favorites/connections
    • installation *.exe's for various apps
    • authorisation codes for registered apps to be re-installed
    • anything else I hadn't thought of?

    But first, I don't know where to find the first 4 items listed. Second, since the system I'll be reinstalling is identical to the one I just wiped, am I right in assuming that, once the re-installation is complete, I can just copy these files from where I'd saved them back into my "new" system, and simply reply "yes" when I get the warning "file already exists, do you want to overwrite "? And third, can I save all this stuff to Microsoft Live Workspace, or does MS object to this being used as a sort of backup store? (I've read about some online document stores having objected to being used as a backup.)

    I imagine there's no need to re-invent the wheel here; this set of questions must be inherent to every OS reinstallation, and somebody, somewhere has probably already published a checklist like this...?

    Apologies in advance if I don't reply at once - I need to go out soon for several hours today.
     
    g.watson,
    #15
  17. 2009/01/21
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Have you seen Moving Windows XP default folders Rev1? It will answer the first four questions. (I haven't used Outlook myself and can only assume that the Calendar is contained within the file Outlook.pst.)

    The installation *.exe's will be in the location you saved them ... ;) ... but I would recommend downloading the most recent version (still covered by your license).

    I believe that some, if not all, "codes" can be retrieved by either Belarc or SIW.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
    #16
  18. 2009/01/21
    g.watson

    g.watson Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Great, Christer - thanks again.

    Yes, I've got your great checklist on Moving Default Folders - in fact, I was planning to do that task as soon as the re-installation is finished. I'd put it aside for the moment and forgotten that you also explain in it where to find this Outlook stuff.

    I now have no further excuses (except for fear :() to postpone re-installation any longer. I'm not looking forward to this, and I just know something is going to slip through the cracks...
     
    g.watson,
    #17

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