I r too lazy to read that crap =p..just open up a new program and go for it like you know what your doing =p

Updated instructions for EITHER......ONE or TWO hard drives


First get these two programs...they will work on any windows version.

Easeus Partition Master:

http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

Macrium Reflect: http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp


For Comps with ONE HDD:
1. Install both of these programs.
2. Use Easeus to "resize" your system partition, to somewhere between 40-100GB
3. Then with the remaining space, create two more primary partitions. One at 100GB and the other with w/e is left over.
4. Run all your cleaners, scans, reg cleaners...etc, then run disk defragmenter a few times...till it won't defrag any more.
5. Now use Macrium Reflect to creat a FULL Image backup of your system partition and save it on the 100GB
partition you created in step #3.
6. When using only one HDD, backing up or restoring from backup...take about 15-20 mins.
7. Lastly, make the Rescue CD with Macrium Reflect, so you can access your backups, even when Windows won't boot.


For Comps with more than one HDD:
1. Install both of these programs.
2. Use Easeus to "resize" your system partition, to somewhere between 40-100GB
3. Now, since you have TWO HDD's...you have the option to store backups of the system partition on the 2nd HDD.
4. This is a GOOD thing, as it cuts down the backup or restore operation to 3-5 mins, because it's not reading and writing
from the same HDD.
5. Use Easeus again to do your partitioning...generally with 2 HDD's you will want to store your system backups on about a
100GB primary partition on the 2nd HDD.
6. Run all your cleaners, scans, reg cleaners...etc, then run disk defragmenter a few times...till it won't defrag any more.
7. Now use Macrium Reflect to creat a FULL Image backup of your system partition and save it on the 100GB
partition you created on your 2nd HDD, in step #5
8. Lastly, make the Rescue CD with Macrium Reflect, so you can access your backups, even when Windows won't boot.

Generally, I make new system partition FULL Image backups after I have done a few program upgrades or installs. This
proceedure is the best solution because when restoring your comp from a FULL Image backup (pre-cleaned backup)...it
completely OVERWRITES the system partition with your previously saved CLEAN backup...thus erasing all the cooties you
may have picked up since you made the last backup.

NOTE: for SSD's ofc, defragging is not necessary, nor is resizing a good idea.

This post was edited by ghot on Jul 15 2011 07:39pm

A friendly bump from the friendly pat

The last time I wanted to install Windows XP was 7 years ago.

Thanks for the post

I've been after some good disc imaging software. I'll try it out tomorrow.

No matter which Windows OS you use...this combo of programs can do a lot of other things as well....

Like lets say you got a new comp.......and you just finished cleaning and tweaking everything...just the way you like it...on ur OLD comp...

SO...ya just uninstall all the drivers from ur old comp and use Macrium to make a backup of ur system partition, w/o any drivers installed...but all ur other stuff is..
hook HDD that u stored the driverless back up, on, to the new comp...and use the Macrium Boot CD to move the complete driverless system image backup to ur new comp....Then just install the new comps drivers....

...and of course Macrium and Easeus...

That won't work. Windows serial is not transferable, it's tied to the motherboard. You will get a non-genuine flag after a few days and will have to reinstall Windows.

An alternative would be to do a fresh install on the new computer (from your scenario), install all the drivers, tweak it, get it up to date, install everything basic that you want, THEN create the image.

Seriousness aside, I was just trolling you... who uses Windows XP anymore? Get with the times, Windows 8 is almost out.

Lol. ghot uses XP. I think he will until he dies.

What if XP dies before he does...:o

It'lll work on full retail copy....as long as it's only on one comp at a time...won't work on OEM tho