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Thread: Windows essentials for a good running system...

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    Photographer; for hire!! shiato storm's Avatar
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    Windows essentials for a good running system...

    I'm about to get my new computer delivered and was wondering what would be the essentials bits I need to download - to be prepared ahead of time so I have no probs and can just slap it all on the system at once...
    I have aquired the latest bios and forceware (for the agp card), but I haven't a clue as to what to hunt out in terms of essential items that make it all run smoothly, apart from the obvious graphics and nforce drivers (are the mobo manufacturers nforce drivers the best to get or the nvidia 'generic' ones?) - so all the hardware runs nice and smoothly...
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    this might sound extreeeeemly shallow and stupid, but id say spyware scanners and the likes

    how about overclcoking utilities for the gcard and the cpu eh?

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    No-one's Fanboi Thorsson's Avatar
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    • Thorsson's system
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    If installing an old copy of XP have SP2 ready.

    Other things I made sure I had:

    1. Latest drivers for all hardware
    2. WinRAR
    3. Nero disk plus latest updates (needed to read my RW disks which had all my docs, pictures, music, etc.)
    4. Copy of my Outlook address book
    5. Copy of My Favorites folder
    6. Copies of all my fave utils def. including startup monitor and Clockfan & Everest or similar (don't worry about OC for now, you want to make sure it's running stable and not too hot for now), plus an appropriate Memtest.
    7. Spyware/virus/firewall stuff (don't log on to the internet without it - I looked at a computer recently that went on for a short while unprotected to update stuff and it had 143 separate problems, about a dozen of them serious, took me hours to clear it all off).

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    Photographer; for hire!! shiato storm's Avatar
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    youch!

    can you suggest any specific programs, e.g. 3dmark2001-2005 (or what ever is the current benchmark thing at the mo') or a memory tester? - i'v no clue on that sort of thing.

    whats the prefix for outlook express messages? *.dbx or something isn't it...
    i've got a second hard drive I'm going to use as a 'go-between' to slap everything I can on it and then use that to transfer loads of stuff. haven't got anything in the way of music or what-not but things like outlook files and pictures that would be too big for cds...and would mean ditching the cd after = a waste of a cd.
    once I've poured all of what I can down into the new system I'm going to scrub the spare HDD and use as a page-file, as suggested in the thread about partitions etc.

    partitions I have planned are:
    Seagate 'cuda 160: 10gig = OS, rest = programs and documents
    spare hdd, maxtor fireball 40gig = pagefile.
    hoping that will work (with msi Neo2...)

    any suggestions to the contrary? its not a mass gaming machine but going to use it for lots of digital photography hence hdd must be able to take a fairly brutal pounding and hold lots
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    I'm in the same position as shiato storm. What cables do I need to transfer from my old PC to my new one? Do I need firewire or usb and is it a fairly easy process?

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    • ANZAC_ELITE's system
      • Motherboard:
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    lan cards (onboard or pci) cable, and XP file and settings transfer wizard if you wish to copy your old pc to your new one

    start>programmes>accesssories>system tools>files and settings transfer wizard

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    Photographer; for hire!! shiato storm's Avatar
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    ah ha...and from windows 98 to Xp...now thats a challenge, thankfully i have a lan card in the win98 machine but whether it'll work or not is debatable!
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    No-one's Fanboi Thorsson's Avatar
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    • Thorsson's system
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      • Memory:
      • 2x8Gb Corsair Vengeance PC1866
      • Storage:
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      • PSU:
      • Corsair HX650
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      • Internet:
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    Memtest86 is a great memory tester because you can load it without loading windows.

    Yes Outlook Express message files are *.dbx but they are well hidden. I always have to search for them manually. Address book is *.wab.

    RW disks are called RW because you can use them again. Now I have a DVD RW one disk should be enough next time I migrate.

    I like to work with a clean system, because registries get bloated after a while, and a new system gives a chance to get a nice clean install, guaranteed free of any nasties.

    I'd actually suggest that page files were on the fastest hard disk (page files is emulating RAM), makes more sense to put data on the old one.

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    To save time installing the OS, you can slipstream the windows installation disk and SP2 onto 1 CD, using this free program.

    Saves alot of time installing and also is a cleaner installation, than installing the service pack afterwards.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Detective
    I'm in the same position as shiato storm. What cables do I need to transfer from my old PC to my new one? Do I need firewire or usb and is it a fairly easy process?
    Detective,
    If both machines have network ports, I believe you can use ethernet cable to link them as a network?

    Or you could put the old drive in the new computer and have both drives?
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    Photographer; for hire!! shiato storm's Avatar
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    my older drive I want to use as a pagefile is only 5400rpm...guessing this isn't fast enough? so a cheap speedy one would be best then huh?
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    Rcb
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    What are the benefits of increasing the page file?
    Last edited by Rcb; 24-01-2005 at 11:21 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by shiato storm
    my older drive I want to use as a pagefile is only 5400rpm...guessing this isn't fast enough? so a cheap speedy one would be best then huh?

    Faster drive would be better for the page file, Western Digital Raptor 36gig would be nice, but not cheap about £75
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    Photographer; for hire!! shiato storm's Avatar
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    ah...and bigger no doubt is better
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rcb
    How do you make the page file bigger? Can someone point me in the direction please.

    Also, what are the benefits of it?
    Rcb,
    U need to goto
    Control Panel, System, Advanced, and click settings in the performance box.
    Then click the Advanced tab, and click change in the virtual memory box.

    You can set the min. and max. of the pagefile to whatever you like or even turn it off?
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    Rcb
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bro John (UK)
    Rcb,
    U need to goto
    Control Panel, System, Advanced, and click settings in the performance box.
    Then click the Advanced tab, and click change in the virtual memory box.

    You can set the min. and max. of the pagefile to whatever you like or even turn it off?
    Hi, I just googled straight after asking and found that out

    Thanks anyway.

    What are the advantages of increasing the page file?
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