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Name: H898
i have done clean install of xp home not installed any drivers or software and i want to know if i can create an image of this so should it go belly up i can just install the image of windows in its current naked form
The simplest solutions are the best and they are often save you money
Why would you want to do that? Install drivers, updates, etc. and then make an image. You will also need imaging software.
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I suggest that you purchase Ghost. It will create an image file of your system on either a hard drive or optical media. It's not necessary to go with the latest version, I think any version from 2003 on should work fine. I use an old 2002 version of Drive Image for imaging to a hard drive.
By the way, I respectfully disagree with Othehill. I suggest imaging a minimum system and then later add images with all the updates, modifications, etc. That is, if they all install with no problems. I create another image after significant changes to the system and keep several older ones.
I should add that I have a very small system (about 4 GB), so an image file is only about 2 gb. This is because I have moved a lot of the system files to another drive (which is also backed up).
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Aegis
What is the advantage of Ghosting a minimal install?
The whole idea of Ghosting to start with is to save time and aggrevation. The more items are included in the Ghost image the less work overall. Ghosting just the bare WinXP install from within windows isn't even possible without installing Ghost. There are ways to image from the CD but how is that going to save time.
Forgot to add that without the MBoard drivers installed you aren't going to get the burners to work properly either.
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Sorry Othehill, I meant a minimum system without any Microsoft updates and a minimum of user applications installed.
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Explain why you wouldn't want the drivers, ALL the updates and ALL the core programs on the image? Maybe there is something I'm not seeing here.
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Drivers I would want installed.
The updates are known to cause problems and it only takes a few minutes to install SP2.
Core programs like anti-virus, firewall and any user program used constantly (every day) I would want installed.
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What updates are known to cause problems?
Would you eventually install the updates and service packs?
The recommended method to setup a computer and OS is to install the OS, then drivers, then spacks and updates, then programs.
H898
I recommend you partition your HDrive into at least 3 partitions.
On the first partition install WinXP with all service packs and updates.
On the second, install all the programs you want on the computer.
The third would be for your personal files and folders. Things like music, pictures, video, downloads, etc.
Get Ghost 2003 or later. Later is better because the newer versions allow incremental backup. Image each partition separately directly to DVDR.
Each time you make major changes to the software or anytime you install any new hardware re-image the first two partitions.
The third partition can be imaged once and then save individual files to CD or DVD using a packet writer.
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"What updates are known to cause problems?"
I have no idea. :-(
Personnaly I would install SP2 and then wait for SP3, but that's just me. I ran Win9X for many years without installing a single update. I ran XP without any updates until I was forced to install SP2.
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I think SP2 is a "massive composite of updates". I wouldn't have installed it if I had a choice, but it did not cause me any problems.
(edit) However it did cause some minor irritations, mainly the added Security stuff.
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I also believe that there are benefits to having a bare minimum image: Hardware Upgrades!
If you were to do a clean install, and then install drivers and updates before creating your image, that iamge would be "locked" to those drivers. If you were to change from an NVidia to ATI vidoe card (or vice versa) and then reinstall that image, you could run into problems.
I will typically create a "Bare-minimum" image (Windows install with SP2 and perhaps a few other essentials) and then a "base install" image (All windows updates, basic productivity software, and drivers). Then I will also reimage occasionally as major changes are made to the system.
With the size of hard drives and the low cost of DVDs, I will typically have a small OS partition and save my images to another partiion and occasionally copy to DVD.
Michael J
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Michael
Any image you create, wheather complete or bare is ONLY intended to restore the computer it was created on. So, it doesn't make any difference.
I make my point one last time. Why dother imaging at all if all you are doing is imaging at most 25% of your installation.
Just install everything from scratch.
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Excellent point Michael! Hopefully people will be wise enough to create very small Operating Systems so it's very little bother to take more than one image.
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The trick is to take multiple images, then you can pick how far that you need to go back.
Of course the main thing is to have a small OS, so the backups are easy.
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If done as I described above the C drive should fit on one DVDR. Ghost compresses automatically and the average compression without tweaking is about 150%.
H898
One thing I forgot to mention is that after you create an image you should verify it is good. How to do that is in the GHOST comprehensive help files.
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OtheHill,
The reason I want a Bare image is that over time I have many installations and uninstallations and I just want to "start over". Restoring a recent image will restore all that detrious that was probably causing my problems to begin with. Plus, reinstalling from the CD takes longer than just restoring a bare image. And, I have to remember all the minutia settings I made before.
I can restore a "bare" image in about 15 minutes or less as opposed to reinstalling from CD. Which, when you consider all the settings and updates that need to be done, can take several hours.
You can continue to argue your point, but to what end? Both processes we have suggested are valid. The fact that we do not agree on the best method is pointless, because what is right for one person may be wrong for another.
Michael J
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Michael
I'm assumming you are H898. If so, changing handles in midstream is confusing.
Your arguement in response #16 is pretty much what I have been stating all along, with the exxception of installing the core programs.
The original premise was to only install what came on the CD. Now you mention "all the settings and updates". That was my point exactly.
What I meant by core programs are trusted retail programs like MS office, which also takes quite awile to install with all the service packs and updates.
At any rate, you have obviously decided what you want to do. I would just say this. If you have a constant need to refresh you installations you may have bad computing habits. There is no intrinsic reason that process should be necessary. Ghost images are mainly intended as a means to recover from a mechanical failure or a malware attack.
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"I'm assumming you are H898. If so, changing handles in midstream is confusing."
Why would you assume that? H898 was the OP stating the problem. I was merely presenting reasons to validate aegis' stance that there are valid reasons for "bare" minimum images. I think you are making way too many assumptions, not just about my identity.
My response in #16 was not a validation of what you have been stating. For me a "bare" minimum installation only involves Windows updates and personalized setting - not the installation of any additional apps. I would then install my standard apps (e.g. Office) and create another image.
Why? Case in point, I now have Office 2007. If I am doing a clean install, why would I want to restore an image with Office 2003 just so I can do an upgrade of Office?
Michael J
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Michael
My mistake. Also my mistake debateing the pros and cons of imaging with you.Below is an excerpt from your first response.
"If you were to do a clean install, and then install drivers and updates before creating your image, that iamge would be "locked" to those drivers. If you were to change from an NVidia to ATI vidoe card (or vice versa) and then reinstall that image, you could run into problems.
You are now contridicting that statement with : "For me a "bare" minimum installation only involves Windows updates and personalized setting - not the installation of any additional apps".
It sounds like you are installing to multiple computers with different hardware and chipsets. If so, promoting that behavior is against forum rules.
Anyway, restoring an image created with one hardware set and applied to another one is going to result in a BSOD.
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Ok, I have decided that your middle name is "ASSUME". I never stated anything about installing an image to another system. Why does creating an image of just Windows, patches and personalized setting imply that I mean to install to another system? Please show me where I stated that.
As I thought I already stated I like to have a "bare" minimum image in case I want to reinstall from scratch and not have to go through the hassle of installing from CD. I also like to have a "base" installation image with my core applications installed.
I will usually restore to the "base" image with the core applications, UNLESS there is a reason not to, such as 1) I want an upgraded version of a core app (Office 2007 over 2003), a piece of hardware has been removed or changed, etc.
"It sounds like you are installing to multiple computers with different hardware and chipsets. If so, promoting that behavior is against forum rules."
No it does not. Even if I was proposing you resotore the same image to different machines (which I never) did, you are assuming (there's that word again) that the person doing so doesn't have multiple licenses. Perhaps they have the Corporate install and a site license."Anyway, restoring an image created with one hardware set and applied to another one is going to result in a BSOD."
Um, duh! That would be a situation when you use SysPrep.
All I have been doing is merely offereing some advice based upon my personal preferences - which works for me. Just because you don't agree doesn't make them any less valid. But, you apprently are only concerned with trying to make everyone agree that your method is the only right method. If it works for you, great, but it doesn't mean it is the best for everyone.I could have sworn you stated several posts back that you were done with this thread. Maybe you deleted, or maybe I got it confused with another thread. Anyway, I have tried to explain my stance several times and each time you keep putting words into my mouth. So, I am done, go ahead and get the last word if you wish.
Michael J
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