Re-formatting PC. Anything to make it as quick/easy as possible?

[Noni]

Im re-formatting for the first time, how do I make it as easy as possible for myself?

Any tips?

[kalniel]

Formatting is already very quick and easy. It's installing everything again afterwards that takes time. Just be sure to backup anything important. The absolutely quickest way to install would be to create an image of your current setup, failing that, create a slipstream install disc with all the updates/drivers applied. But creating both of those are probably more time consuming than just installing normally if it's not something you'll be doing regularly.

[Zak33]

Make a driver disk with your

MOTHERBOARD DRIVERS
NETWORK DRIVERS
SOUND CARD
VIDEO DRIVERS
DIRECT X9 LATEST VERSION IF ITS FOR XP
ADOBE READER
WIN RAR or WIN ZIP, your choice

And then when you install fresh OS, you're ready to get it all going, online, in 5 minutes

Then click START, then click RUN and type msconfig

choose the tab called START UP, and remember what's on there..
then install all the other rubbish that we all have installed, like phone software, printers, java, flash, etc...and keep going back into MSCONFIG and unticking the new stuff.

That way you get a beautifull, fast, fresh feeeling install and you can keep it

MINE looks like this
http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVz_hk0

I leave jussched on as I dont mind java update reminders

top one is ATI, and Revo is my soundcard. Thats it. Everything else is OFF for me

[0iD]

And once you've done your clean install, drivers, m$ updates etc... make an image of it, so you don't have to do it again.

[Noni]

Thanks so much for the replies! How do I create an image?

Thanks

[Noni]

oops,

The internet wont connect, the ethernet cable is connected but theres no connection?

What do I need to install? lol The ethernet is connected to the motherboard and I have a Asus A8N SLi.

[Pob255]

The drivers that came on the motherboard disk

Although some internet connections require installation from a cd your isp supplied you with (although that's not very common, some isp's have bits of software you need to connect)

[[GSV]Trig]

nLite is your friend.