A while ago I had posted an issue with and XP disk that didn't include OE. I delved into it further and found some interesting information. I have to build about six boxes a month and an customized unattended XP install saves a bunch of time. All I have to do is change out the key to the customer's license. I' have a few versions, some include the latest SP3 release although I've run into some problems with sound cards with it. There is a free program called "nLite" that automates the custom build.
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and an update pack
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that has all MS updates from SP2 to July 2007, very handy! There a great guide at:
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Anyways, it's cool stuff and seems applicable to Vista.
I do a little IT consulting on the side for about a dozen small companies, since the '80s with System 36 then CP/M then DOS, then Windows. Those days computers were built with a soldering iron not a screw driver! I haven't done any Linux for customers but play with it every once in a while...a couple more major releases and it'll be a MS killer! It's nice that I get to play with the latest stuff all the time and constantly sell off my personal boxes every few months and get new ones. So, I'm always looking for "Simple-Stupid" software and fast installs. My record for a computer assembly from boxes-o-parts to booting from a hard drive with all software installed is 18 minutes! But, I cheated and used a cloned hard drive.
On Wed, 9 Jan 2008 13:23:16 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, "Tom Gardner" quickly quoth:
delved into it further and
customized unattended XP
since the '80s with System 36 then
iron not a screw driver! I
couple more major releases and
the time and constantly sell off
for "Simple-Stupid" software and
from a hard drive with all
I need to clone drives more often, too. That's sure the easiest and safest backup system, and quickest to deploy to a new system.
Cool! I built about a dozen boxes for clients (and self) for a year or so once. It's all different now. I got my last box, an Acer which was about 3 times faster than my last box, for $379, including a faster-switching 19" TFT monitor from Viewsonic. It just doesn't pay to build 'em any more.
You won't notice anything really, it's mostly a roll-up of fixed fixes. It's supposed to be a bit faster too. I had issue with Realtek HD sound. There's at least one bad-actor hotfix that seems to kill it. I do have Sp3 on a few boxes and laptops without issue. On new motherboards, wait a while. On 1yr or older motherboards, it should be fine.
For the most part you're right but I like to pick my parts mfgrs. according to my familiarity, track record and features. The big assemblers use the lowest bidder, it's hard to get drivers sometimes, they have a strange way of doing things and bastardize OSs and drivers. I want all my children to play nice together.
Cloning a drive sounds like something I could use. It sounds like a very good backup. Is this something a civilian can do? Can you point me to a site that explains the method in terms a 60 year old duffer could understand? Thanks!
* Anything being cooked a second time needs a hot oven.
On Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:02:33 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, snipped-for-privacy@valley.net quickly quoth:
I cheat. I use software which came with my Western Digital 80GB external drive that I use as a backup unit. It's called Dantz Retrospect. Others are Ghost and Acronis. I've heard good things about Acronis TrueImage. Free software is also available if you dare:
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year old duffer could understand? Thanks!
Maybe?
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-- That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. -- Henry David Thoreau
I have Norton Ghost 2003 which came on a used computer and Seagate Disk Wizard which is a free version of Acronis. Both will copy a complete image of your hard disk onto bootable CDs, allowing you to restore a hopelessly trashed system or plug in and load up a new blank drive. Neither is perfect and I occasionally check the backups by restoring them to a spare small drive, which the backups have just outgrown.
There is a larger second-hand Seagate drive in front of me right now hooked to a USB adapter so I can error-check it, then I will restore a new-video-card-and-HDTV backup to it before making additional changes.
Here is the link to Seagate Diskwizard
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Jim Wilkins Another 60 year old, more crank than duffer.
"Acronis true Image" has been 100% perfect for me for years and it is simple. They also make "Disk Director" to manipulate partitions and such. Good stuff!
I just finished copying C: to a DVD and then to the second-hand Seagate and am watching HDTV on that computer. You can see that it isn't fast, even though I put only XP on C: and store all data and most programs on an external USB drive.
Cloning is good for replacing a drive in the -same- computer. XP will deactivate itself if too much hardware changes and older OS's may have Plug-n-Pray compatibility issues.
I just finished copying C: to a DVD and then to the second-hand Seagate and am watching HDTV on that computer. You can see that it isn't fast, even though I put only XP on C: and store all data and most programs on an external USB drive.
Cloning is good for replacing a drive in the -same- computer. XP will deactivate itself if too much hardware changes and older OS's may have Plug-n-Pray compatibility issues.
Jim Wilkins
You are so FAR ahead of the curve! I usually get the "call" and I always laughingly say: "Just restore yesterday's backup." To which I get the "moment of silence". Depending of OS version, OEM or Retail, you can make some hardware changes based on a hash point system by Microsoft. It's also on a timed database that resets every few months. I have a link somewhere to the page, I'll try to find it. I always install on a generic key and make sure everything is right then switch it out with the customer's key when it's ready to go.
(here is some info) Specifically, MPA determines tolerance by using a point system. Ten hardware characteristics are used to create the hardware hash. Each characteristic is equal to one point, except the network card, which is equal to three points. Tolerance is determined by what has not changed, instead of what has changed. If the current hardware hash is compared to the original hardware hash, there have to be seven or more matching points for the two hardware hashes to be considered in tolerance. For example, if the network card, which is equal to three points, remains the same, only four additional points have to match. If the network card has been changed, a total of seven points have to match. If the device is a portable computer (specifically a dockable device), additional tolerance is allotted and only four matching points are required. Therefore, if the device is dockable and the network card has not changed, only one additional point has to be the same, for a total of four points. If the device is dockable and the network card has changed, a total of four points have to match.
The short version is that XP detects & rejects a motherboard change to keep you from cloning one activated installation into other PCs.
Cloning can also fail on other operating systems if the old and new hard disk drivers are incompatible. The fix is to revert to the basic IDE driver before creating a backup.
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