Customized windows settings

[DeVry Student]

I made a ghost image of my comptuer and clone my hard drive to a seperate hard drive that I keep disconnected except when cloning drives... however, if I have to buy a new mainboard it voids all those backups.

The reason I say this is because it takes 6 hours to configure windows (disable services, disable auto-update, disable system restore, set up group policy [even though not on network], install software, disable XP "bells and whistles" kiddy desktop theme w/ all the blue, disable Internet Explorer, etc......

Is there any way around that damn thing, or any other way to do all this setting up automatically, because Windows XP ruins your hard disk and all the configuration settings if it detects a different motherboard. Like I said, it takes 6 hours + and is generally a pain-in-the-ass to reconfigure every thing and it is verry depressing.

The disk clone is utterly useless if I install a new motherboard - and the motherboard's USB is showing signs of going out as if I boot the PC up w/ USB drive in it, it wont do the memory scan & locks up on boot - but if I boot up w/o the USB in it, it works fine.

 

[VirusType2]

I made a ghost image of my comptuer and clone my hard drive to a seperate hard drive that I keep disconnected except when cloning drives... however, if I have to buy a new mainboard it voids all those backups.

The reason I say this is because it takes 6 hours to configure windows (disable services, disable auto-update, disable system restore, set up group policy [even though not on network], install software, disable XP "bells and whistles" kiddy desktop theme w/ all the blue, disable Internet Explorer, etc......

Is there any way around that damn thing, or any other way to do all this setting up automatically, because Windows XP ruins your hard disk and all the configuration settings if it detects a different motherboard. Like I said, it takes 6 hours + and is generally a pain-in-the-ass to reconfigure every thing and it is verry depressing.

The disk clone is utterly useless if I install a new motherboard - and the motherboard's USB is showing signs of going out as if I boot the PC up w/ USB drive in it, it wont do the memory scan & locks up on boot - but if I boot up w/o the USB in it, it works fine.

Im not sure if this is of any help but...
I have 2 suggestions for some of the settings
1) [Possibly hard to find]program called "GAME-ON" click one button to save your windows xp config in a back-up, and turn off 90% of the fancy windows graphics things like sliding and fading.
2) Program called Norton System Works 2005. there is a free extra included with it called Windows Xp Optimizer toolset.
you can manually enable or disable just about anything to do with Windows Xp. It will take awhile to go through it has a few hundred checkboxes but they are divided into sections. I love this program, there are tons of custom things you can do with it that I don't think you can even do without it. It remembers your config even after repair installation of windows, but not if you format and re-install of course- but you may be able to find the Optimizer config file and back it up manually. System Optimizer also comes with quite a few extras including a pretty fast HD defrag, one button repair that is awesome it fixes shortcuts, registry, select from and remove active x controlls, ect., etc. etc. just tons of things. Recommended.

I bought Norton Firewall(rules), Norton Antivirus((comes with System works))(owns), System Works(owns) Anti-Spam SEPERATELY. iM looking at the boxes now, No System works does NOT come with Internet Security, but Every other Norton program I mentioned does come with it. you must purchase System works seperatly. MAKE SURE YOU GET 2005 And NOT 2004. 2004 is junk. One bonus. I got 1 year subscription for updates included good for anti-virus especially. Anyway I have no spyware, no addware, no viruses, nothing. This program will block them immediatly. It is really really god.
Good luck.

 

[furiousV]

http://www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakUI.asp
thats worth having
also go to www.majorgeeks.com and have a look around, they give you tons of programs, such as memory freeing programs, start up managers, anything, u name it. im just too lazy to look for excatly what u need on that site lol, im sorry

 

[VirusType2]

http://www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakUI.asp
thats worth having

This sounds interesting. Furious you use this? This is not for windows Xp. Whats the story? you can configure (personalize) windows xp with this?

 

[furiousV]

oops. im using windows 2000 . itl probably work for windows xp

 

[oldagerocker]

I think someone in this thread has shares in Norton ...

Interesting reading the thread start post because i just did a reinstall and it reminded me of so many things i should do to protect my computer, like disabling the messenger service etc.

6 hours... you really do configure your windows dont you?! blimey!

 

[VirusType2]

I think someone in this thread has shares in Norton ...
...6 hours... you really do configure your windows dont you?! blimey!

lol.

Nah man.

Im sure all the anti-virus programs are good.
This is the first one i've owned.

Remember Viruses haven't been mainstream that long, and I haven't owned a computer in 10 years, and was, at the time, using the first version of windows (I think).
I was amazed with Windows then, becuase before that It was DOS.

My brother hates Microsoft, But SOMEONES GOT TO DO IT. If it wasn't microsoft there would be a different operating system to complain about. Could be worse Im thinking...

We can't have productivity with crap like DOS as your operating system. I guess if you like DOS I appologize, but to me, using DOS is like learning a new language.

It may have been fast, but I remember so many times searching for hours trying to find where that file was.. what was it "list/w" ...crap like that. HAH!

How increadibly unfriendly.

Operating system software and complex security are fascinating to me.

I'm am headed for school to be a programer myself, so the programers are like my idols.

You have to know Windows inside and out for example, in order to safeguard it, and to integrate with it.

These people didn't drop out of school I'm betting.

Also it amazes me something so complicated has such a simple interface.

But yea, Norton rocks, and I just thought I should give the nod to the kid so he won't have any doubt.
______________________________________________________
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Unless you are making a wheel, go with the flow.
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