I would like to load my os configure its settings and use some sort of 3rd party software to copy a image of the os on the hard drive so that instead of 3 hours to load a os and its settings, it will only take 20-30 minutes.

I know that in win 98 it was pretty easy to accomplish, but now I have a new computer with a new os and I still like that speed.

I know that the makers of partition magic have another program that will allow you to do something like this but is there any freeware or maybe a more user friendly program?

Do you know
?

google
clonemaxx
free and easy

If you are installing the OS and software to the SAME computer there is software to accomplish that. However, you state this is a new computer. For numerous reasons this won't work. Primarily due to the registration process with Windows. Additionally, If your OLD OS came installed on the old computer you can't recyle it to the new computer. Bite the bullet and install from scratch, you will have far less headaches in the long run.
BTW, even with Win98 doing what you want to do didn't work well if the new hardware was much different that the old. The BIG difference between Win98 & WinXP is that even though it was never legal to install the OS on multiple machines there wasn't anything to stop this action with Win98. There is with WinXP & Vista.

In other words what OtheHill is saying is that you are dealing with a very different animal and you need to adapt yourself to it.

It's about All Things New Windows XP & Vista - forget about the old Windows 98 bygone days.

i_XpUser

Maybe I'm misreading this. I didn't read anything that suggests that you want to use your old OS on your new computer, but I may be wrong.

Do you want to make an image of your existing OS (and installed programs), so that you may reinstall from that image, rather than from the installation CD?

Or, do you want to make an image of your old OS, in order to install that on your new machine (which would be problematic, as suggested in the two previous replies)?

Are you asking if there is any freeware that performs similar actions to that of Symantec Ghost (which is definitely not free)?

Please clarify your intentions.

Please let us know if you found someone's advice to be helpful.

"but now I have a new computer with a new os and I still like that speed"

It sounds to me like sluytman is one of these people who feels a complete reinstall is necessary every 6 months or so to restore performance. I never could understand that mindset, but judging by the posts in the OS forums, a lot people do it.

Appararently this is better than routine maintenance?

Nope it aint! I have yet to reload windows on any of the PCs I am running here and at clients sites in the last couple of years. All machines are running at perk performance. The secret: Proper maintenance and don't do P2P or click on those darn & temptuous links!

i_XpUser

"but now I have a new computer with a new os and I still like that speed"

I thought that meant he liked the speed of 98. Not much clarity.

=====================================
If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2

Sluty dude,

Whether you are engaging in this for contingency or on-demand reimaging, my suggestion would be to employ a program that does incremental imaging e.g. Drive Image. I'm sure there are others out there that are equally reputable; although, the best utilities for this are probably not free.

There are some advantages to taking this route. But most importantly, you'll hardly have much of anything to worry about should Windows crap out on you unexpectedly & you don't have to start from ground zero either.

Good luck!

It is not the free factory as much as it si the use of ease factor

I want to be able to load a os(win xp) as quickly onto my laptop as possible without having to go through the hassle of loading the Gateway xp os dvd and then removing unwanted programs and then adding my own programs and then changing the registry.

All that takes too much time when I could be drinking a cold one or taking a nap or watching tv/movie vids/movies etc.

So what I need is something that can boot and load image of the files of how I had my computer before it went down in flames from some unknown reason that I do not want to disucuss.

Drive Image will allow you to do that via a boot disc & a couple of easy clicks. But first you need to prep the system. Do you have more than one partition setup on your machine or do you have two physical disks?

Hopefully the reply is affirmative.

Purchase an external USB drive. Use Drive Image (which I also like) or Ghost to make an image on the external drive.

OK guys, after rereading the OP I think jam may be right. The OP may want to create an image to use as a restore.
sluytman, If this is the case there are many free programs to create an image that can be used to restore your drive. Keep in mind that when using this method you only restore what was on the drive at the time you created the image. Any additional data will be lost, unless it was backed up somewhere else. Also, if you make significant hardware changes to the computer the image MAY not work.
In short, creating an image can work for you but in the long haul it isn't going to save any time. There are lots of varying opinion on this topic.

Re #3.
"It's about All Things New Windows XP & Vista - forget about the old Windows 98 bygone days".

Well, sort of. Most definitely XP & Vista have a different system architecture, procedures and processes, so all that has to be learned and the differences properly understood.

However it is unwise to totally forget the general background to computers that you gleaned from having experience with these older systems (which often forced you much further into base level). That can most certainly can be beneficial because the underlying principles never change.

Can't say I have much to do with Binary, Boolean Algebra or half and full adders these days but sure as eggs they are still there LOL.

DerekW

No I do not plan on changin a thing to the computer. I have one partition on the drive, but am willing to go back install 2 partitions on the one drive if the image does not require the same size partition when it was created.