Best way to sart a fresh install?

Cianos

It looks like I'll have to format my disk and start over. I'm using Vista, and I know that it asks you to partition the drive but I want to know what the best way to do a fresh Vista install is?

For example, if I want to download things that I'm not 100% sure about (ie may contain trojans etc), is there a way I can segregate all the potentially dodgy things, so if things start slowing up I can wipe all those things and be back to normal very quickly, without having to start from square 1 again.

Basically I'm looking for the best way to run my machine so I don't have to do another fresh install and so that things will run as best as possible.

Advice appreciated

Capt'n Midnight

which version of vista ?
business allows you to backup the operating system, home only allows you to backup data files

do you have a vista DVD or are you relying on a recovery partition


setting up a smaller system partition and a larger data one means you can backup/restore the system one to the data one

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Best way to segregate downloads is to run a Virtual Machine and download everything into that.

Cianos

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

which version of vista ?
business allows you to backup the operating system, home only allows you to backup data files

do you have a vista DVD or are you relying on a recovery partition


setting up a smaller system partition and a larger data one means you can backup/restore the system one to the data one

It's Vista Ultimate. I found out about the Complete Backup feature so I'll be doing a fresh install and making a backup once I've everything set up the way I want it. I have a Vista CD yeah.

I read that a 20gb partition is sufficient, is this right? So are you saying that if I have a 20gb partition for example, for the system, I can always keep a back up of that on the data partition?

Sean_K wrote: »

Best way to segregate downloads is to run a Virtual Machine and download everything into that.

I'll look in to this, thanks.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Cianos wrote: »

I'll look in to this, thanks.

I was thinking about this again and realised it may be more hassle than it's worth unless you know that you will be downloading files regularly where there'll be a high risk of them being dodge. If you're vigilant with what you download then you're unlikely to get hit (touch wood;))

Also, unless you want to buy another windows license, you'd be constrained to loading a free operating system onto the VM (mandatory linux reference) in which case you wont be able to run windows executables and thus wont know if they're dirty or not.

Hope this helps

Cianos

Sean_K wrote: »

I was thinking about this again and realised it may be more hassle than it's worth unless you know that you will be downloading files regularly where there'll be a high risk of them being dodge. If you're vigilant with what you download then you're unlikely to get hit (touch wood;))

Also, unless you want to buy another windows license, you'd be constrained to loading a free operating system onto the VM (mandatory linux reference) in which case you wont be able to run windows executables and thus wont know if they're dirty or not.

Hope this helps

Ah right, this does sound like more hassle than it's worth! I thought a VM would just be some kind of mirror of your OS that you could use to run everything you needed and keep isolated to quickly reinstall should things go arseways.

Blazer

Look around...someone should have a copy of xp they're not using.
However your vm is still open to the internet and hence since the network is open your system is open to attack as well.

It's very simple as I keep telling my mates who always get viruses and expect me then to fix it for them.:mad:

1. If possible use 64bit OS. Less viruses are written for 64bit than 32bit but this will change soon enough.
2. Install anti-virus..I've always used Symantec Antivirus corporate edition with no viruses seen to date. Always keep it updated.
3. Keep your Operating system upto date. I select "notify me when updates are available" and "recommended updates" and check the updates before I install them.
4. I'm sick of telling people this one for the last 10 years...stay off the bloody porn sites...they're riddled with viruses. Of course my mates won't stay off the porn sites after being infected the first time....oh no they'll go back again and get infected again.

cormie

Just use a program like Acronis True*Image*Home version 11.0 to make back ups to an external HD or DVD. It's very good and you can choose to only back up the system files I think and it compresses the rest and only backs up the space you've used.

Don't bother with partitions, just have your disk set to be 1 big C drive, format everything and then reinstall Vista. Once you have Vista set up, get rid of all the crap from Dell using something called the dell decrapifier, although if you can get away without installing all that sh1t from the start it'd be better.

So now you should have a fresh Vista with only the bare essentials for running it. Set it up the way you want and install all the basic programs you know to be safe like MSN, winamp, Media Player Classic, Firefox etc, be sure to get an Anti Virus on there too like AVG (although the free version is a pain in the ass now because you have to manually update it each day), get ad aware on too so you'll be prepared if anything bad happens.

So once you have all the basics set up and installed and customised the way you like them (folder view settings, menu layout in firefox etc), use Acronis to back up this as your main restore point. Do a full back up so back up everything and if you ever need to reinstall again, all you'll have to do is ghost your image back from thsi backup file. Make sure you have activated Vista and everything before doing this too so you wont have to do the same tedious tasks every time you need to reinstall.

Now you can start using your PC, and before doing anything you're unsure about, you can set a restore point in Vista (XP has system restore, I presume Vista does too) and if you're extra worried, create another back up (seperate to your main one if you can).

Then periodically, just keep your back ups up to date.

I've never looked into it but there's also a way to backup your HD to a server online if you have a fast connection and don't have a spare DVD/external HD/USB key big enough.

if you get in the habit of backing up after you've made a lot of new important files, say in Word or photoshop that you'd hate to lose, or before installing something you may not need, you'll always be able to revert to before anything bad happened.

Cianos

Hi again,
I've reinstalled Vista and have everything set the way I want it. I'm trying to use the Backup And Restore centre to do a complete PC Backup, and to store the backup on my hard drive (and then probably upload it to rapidshare).

The problem is, when I click 'back up computer' and it goes to the next screen, I can't choose a hard drive because there's nothing listed in the drop down except for the <refresh> option. The 2nd drop down menu gives the back up to DVD option, but I don't need that.

Any idea what's going wrong here? My hard drive has more than enough space on it.

cormie

"Back up computer" is probably "backing up C drive" so Vista can't "back it up" to the C drive, so only shows other drives, DVD being one.

Capt'n Midnight

Mathew Reilly wrote: »

Look around...someone should have a copy of xp they're not using.

almost certainly no way.

90% of XP is OEM and isn't usable on other PC's
most of the other 10% is corporate so home users are very unikely to have one lying around

BUT in this case vista ultimate ( not home or premium btw.) has downgrade rights to XP
I'll have a look for VM licensing rights later -M$ don't make stuff like this obvious.

Vista ultimate is allowed 4 VM licenses on the same PC but only if you have enrolled in software assurance which only volume customers can do, I may have a dig around for clarity on VM for normal ultimate if it isnt' a timesink like a lot of m$ licensing lookups are

Cianos

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

almost certainly no way.

90% of XP is OEM and isn't usable on other PC's
most of the other 10% is corporate so home users are very unikely to have one lying around

BUT in this case vista ultimate ( not home or premium btw.) has downgrade rights to XP
I'll have a look for VM licensing rights later -M$ don't make stuff like this obvious.

Vista ultimate is allowed 4 VM licenses on the same PC but only if you have enrolled in software assurance which only volume customers can do, I may have a dig around for clarity on VM for normal ultimate if it isnt' a timesink like a lot of m$ licensing lookups are

Just in case, please don't spend your time researching on my behalf, as I have reinstalled Vista and have done a system back up and everything, so I'm pretty happy with everything now.

cormie

Would it be risky to upload a backup to rapidshare? Is it secure enough?

Blazer

that could take a while..ur talking at least 10gb for vista ultimate...
better off to back it to another drive and then copy it onto an external one for extra safekeeping.

cormie

Maybe things are better in Berlin :pac:

EKRIUQ

I go with Cormie and the Acronis, I've everything backed up on this and when I do a full reninstall I only reload the files that I want makes me be able to sleep better at night.