I'm after some tips/advice please from some of the techie experts here.

My PC is fooked so I need to reformat the hard drive and reinstall XP.

Are there some files I can save off the PC as it currently is that I can then reload on afterwards to update XP to SP2 (and all the other updates over the last year or so) and also the Norton Antivirus definition files so that I can be fully protected before I reconnect to the internet?

Thanks in advance...

It depends a little on your broadband connection but generally speaking:

1. Disconnect broadband

2. Install XP

3. Enable the firewall

4. Plug in the broadband connection again.

Things are a little easier if you are behind a router. If you are, it's not too bad.

Please post back some more detail or reg on my http://www.cm-forums.co.uk site, we can chat ya through it there as well

It is important you save/write down the Norton registration details.

You can slap on antivirus straight after installation of XP.

Then get your broadband up and running and start updating the whole lot.

Antivirus first

SP2 second

Further windows updates as required

doesnt sp2 cache its install files?

have a look in c:\windows\servicepackfiles

It does - but I would recommend against that - I would NEVER trust anything windows-related which may have got damaged/corrupted.

As you've got broadband it's just not worth risking an instable install.

That said, you can download the SP2 network install from the MS site (which is totally legal to do, home users included) and burn that onto a CDR. Can save a fair bit of time admittedly

Cheeky doesn't say he has BB. Maybe thats the reason for trying to avoid the downloads.

I have found to my cost that the only sure fire way to rid your disk of XP is to delete and then recreate the partition. If you have an existing copy on and select fresh install, it still can be corrupted.

The SP2 CD can be ordered FOC from microshaft at

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx

Or is available on many magazine cover disks.

I've also been using Microshaft's new spyware remover

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

which a lot of people report has been been finding stuff that the usual suspects from Lavasoft etc have missed. It wasn't coded by MS so hopefully is bug free!!

THe Norton files I would say get from the site, it make take a few restarts and rechecks with Live Update to get them all. Keep trying until it says you have them all.

You can export your outlook stuff quite easily to keep messages etc.

I always partition my disk with about 20gb 'on the front' for the OS and then store everything else on other partitions. That way I can do a re-install but save all my stuff to another part of the drive.

VRStu - it's one of those days. You're quite right, he didnt

Definitely agree with the rest with what you've said, i.e. blow partition away, FULL NTFS format rather than the quick one, as that doesnt always work either.

If you dont have broadband get a mate to download XP SP2 from the site and burn it onto a CDR, much cheaper & quicker

I found out the hard way about the partitions.

Had a botched install of Norton IS and AV that wouldn't liveupdate. So I thought ******, your not gonna beat me and I went for the re-install.

Got it all on, re-installed the Norton and same problems occured, did this three times before I clicked on what was happening - it must have been leaving some registry entries in. :eek:

Good point about the NTFS, forgot that

I'm no expert - completely self taught, but maybe thats a good way to learn.

I'd suggest you download a free AV prog & Firewall, putting them on a CD then installing them immediately after you re-install Windows. AVG & Sygate should do.

They should be right up to date, so you'll be covered when you connect to the Net for Windows update etc

Keep off of the windows update site before you have protection!!

I had a worm from there once.

Sounds like a contraceptive advert LOL

Are there some files I can save off the PC as it currently is that I can then reload on afterwards to update XP to SP2 (and all the other updates over the last year or so) and also the Norton Antivirus definition files so that I can be fully protected before I reconnect to the internet?

I am a great advocate of regular imaging. I use DriveImage 2002 (I have the latest version 7 but don't use it) and I have PartitionMagic 8. It is cheap to buy another small capacity hard disk and use it to keep images. You can record them to DVD/CD afterwards. When you create images, you can access all the files through the image browser. If you forget to take copies of necessary files, you can pull them off the image.

Some of the files you may want to keep are those that Outlook uses. That can be a bit of a tangle because it is not just the .pst file that covers it. I made a small batch file that backs up all Outlook files from one drive to another. It is indispensible.

I never bother with drive imaging, however I do have 2 seperate partitions on 2 seperate hard drives to back up all program zips, registration docs etc, registry and anything else that I need to get my pc back up to scratch real quick in the event of another reformat

I never bother with drive imaging, however I do have 2 seperate partitions on 2 seperate hard drives to back up all program zips, registration docs etc, registry and anything else that I need to get my pc back up to scratch real quick in the event of another reformat

With imaging, it takes me about 20 minutes - and I have loads of software installed. I don't know of any way that approaches this in speed. For my portable PC, I carry a boot DVD with an image for emergencies.

Windows Virtual Server = the dogs danglies for me at work, cleaned up Windows 2000 Server, AS or W2003 versions thereof (it;s superb).

Imaging is superb - especially if you have a lot of stuff installed.

Slipstreaming XP SP2 is a good thing to do, it basically means you have a single installer CDROM containing XP (Home or Pro) and the service pack files installed

Cheeky doesn't say he has BB. Maybe thats the reason for trying to avoid the downloads.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I have 1 Meg BB - it's just that my Norton Antivirus CD is the 2003 version so there's going to be a lot of updates and I don't want to get infected before the updates have downloaded and installed.

I think I'll be using Norton Ghost after this episode. Technology, eh? Supposed to make our lives easier? Hmmmm :confused:

With broadband, what type do you have?

ADSL on USB then install the software first (but leave the ADSL line out, USB plugged in as per the instructions of it).

Once it's running turn on the firewall, plug the line back in & connect

ADSL router - don't bother with the windows firewall (or Norton one)

NTL/Blueyonder cable - ditto for USB compared to ADSL on USB.

If you are using a proper (ethernet) connection to it, you can turn on the firewall first in windows and then power up your cable modem.

That way you block 95%+ of the nasty stuff, assuming you stay away from p0rn sites and their friends, warez sites

You won't get a virus infection if you have a firewall on the connection before doing anything too drastic. Post-firewall grab your connection is up and running, grab your virus scanner update files first. That will probably require a bunch of reboots anyway, it being NAV

Then hit Windows update like there is no tomorrow (will feel like that anyway as it takes forever, I'm on 2 Mbit and it still takes too long, hehe)

Hope you'll be back up and running soon

I'm on blueyonder using the ethernet connection I think [has look round back of PC].

If you don't see me for a few days, it's all gone boobies-skywards. Or I'll just use my dial-up work machine instead (ARGH!)

- the shame of dialup

Ok if you are using BY, you can turn ON the firewall on the network connection. You'll be fine

Feel free to drop us a line if you get stuck, just in case