Tweaking out a fresh XP install ?

[Vorpal]

I think I'm going to start from complete scratch and make a new set of ghost images with more fall back points.

These is my ghost image log file (notes) I made the last time.

I'm wondering what everyone else does on a fresh intall. I used Atomic XP a few times.... but haven't in a while. I know there's so many good tweaks, but the time involved in setting an XP system back up usually gets me rushing just to get it over with.

Just curious... thanks.

(the log file seems to help me get through an installation really fast - like a checklist, good for helping friends with a new system)

0. Desktop hit after installation
1.

Logged in as default user
Installed TweakXP
Selected "Show Admin Account" from Login Section of TweakUI
Selected Autologin from TweakUI for Adim
Logged in as Admin
From User Manager: Deleted install force-created user account

[from Taskbar properties]
Unselected "Group similar taskbar buttons"
Selected "Show Quick Launch"
Unselected "Hide Inactive Icons"
Selected "Clasic Startup Menu"
Selected: Display Administrative Tools
Selected Expand for: Control Panel, Network Connections, Printers
Unselected "Use Personalized Menus"
Selected "Windows Classic Theme"

[From Disk Managment]
Changed CD Drive letter to "Z" to move it out of the way temporarily
Made a 50Gig Primary Partition (NTFS) - Drive D
Made a 11Gig Extended Partition/Logical Drive (FAT32) - Drive E
(for Ghost images)

[From Explorer]
Selected List View
Selected - Use Classic Windows
Slected - View All Like Current Folder
Selected - Show hidden files/folders
Unselected - Hide extensions for known file types
Unselected - Hide Protected operating system files

[From MyComputer/Properties]
Advanced/Performance - Change VM to a 400-400 Pagefile
Turned Off System Restore
Turned Off Automatic Updates
Turned Off Allow Remote Assistance
Turned Off Memory Debug Dumps
Turned Off System Log Dump

Set Trashcan to 1%
Set Trashcan to no delete confirmation

IE - "Use Blank" set as homepage

Plugged in all hard drives, current setup:
C: System Drive 1 15G
D: Games Drive 1 50G
E: Images Drive 1 10G
F: Storage Drive 2 120G
G: MP3 Drive 3 120G
R: CD-ROM

Turned Off Drive Indexing for all drives

2.
Changed CD Key
SP1a Installed
Turned Off Error Reporting
Deleted "Unknown" User
Desktop set to best performance
Changed Mouse Pointer speed and pointer icon
Turned Screensaver Off
Basic Creative Audigy Drivers from 12/02 installed
Speaker Icon Added to desktop
Via 4.47 Drivers Installed
ATI 3.4 Catalyst Drivers and Control Panel Installed
UnPNP app was ran to disable UPnP
[From Add/Remove Windows Components]
Uninstalled MS Messenger
Uninstalled MSN Explorer
Uninstalled Indexing Serviced
Windows Updates downloaded 06/19/03 Including DX9a update and WMP v9 update
Installed MS Java virtual machine




Adobe 5.05 Acrobat Reader Installed
Quicktime 6.0 Player installed
Winace 2.2 Installed and Setup
Winamp 3.0 Full Installed and Setup
Outlook Express Setup

3. Office XP installed w/ SP2 Installed and updated

Installed Nero 551028 (Enterprise Edition Key)
InstalledVB6.0
Installed VB6 SP5
Ad Aware v6 installed and run

 

[napalmnthemorning]

I guess everybody has there own checklist when restarting after a clean install. Your's looks pretty good Vorpal. Its really a pain in the ass but a nice clean install really sort of re-energizer the system. I'm just glad I got cable now because when I had 56K and I was downoading all the frickn' updates from M$ all night long, and then the driver updates and then getting my programs back up and then the tweaks. I don't get some people will reformat their hard drive if they fart sideways next to their rigs. Dude, so you have a 300+Gig Hard drive.. Incredible..

 

[dubstar]

i think he has 3 hard drives... and i like to reformat/reinstall once every 3 months atleast. gets rid of all those pesky files you lost and forgot to delete, and really some how draws you back to the computer even more than before. the fresh/new feeling comes back and your just like 'must.. install... universe'..

i have the same checklist, but mine doesnt involve Visual Basics, or auto-log-in as Admin, but im going to add that on there, and kill off my forced-user account right now.. thanks for the idea.

 

[X-Istence]

I feel that reinstalling every 3 months would be a damn waste.

I personally would never do that, my PC has been running for 6 months now with Win2k, and it has yet to get a virus/spyware, i keep it clean, i keep it updated, and i dont randomly install crap, just the stuff i need.

Today was the first time i defragged my HD, after cleaning it up and moving all my **** to my server running FreeBSD.

 

[Jason Roberts]

Originally posted by X-Istence
I feel that reinstalling every 3 months would be a damn waste.

I personally would never do that, my PC has been running for 6 months now with Win2k, and it has yet to get a virus/spyware, i keep it clean, i keep it updated, and i dont randomly install crap, just the stuff i need.

Today was the first time i defragged my HD, after cleaning it up and moving all my **** to my server running FreeBSD.

Everyone have different opinions. There are differnent kinds of users in this world

1. One that likes to install lots of software and mess it up
2. One that likes to tweak their installation.
3. One that likes to install lots of hardware
4. One that likes to surf the net
5. and there are some more.

Those who believe they have messed up their computer can format and reinstall whenevert often they want.

I fall into 1, 2 and 3. I format and reinstall (actually restore a ghost image) almost every month.

 

[Perris Calderon]

my box runs faster and faster as I use it...my last laptop ran a couple of years without one reformat.... with half the processor, and half rhe memory it would still outperform this new box in plenty of activities

 

[Petros]

One good way to keep your computer tweaked quickly is with a giant registry file with all your tweaks built in to it.

Check this file out for an example.