Rebuilding an XP box...

[Boerseun]

I need to format and rebuild my laptop. Last rebuild was prolly two years ago, when I got it!

 

Now, here's the thing:

 

I've got XP Professional, with Service Pack two applied. And over the last two years, a lot of updates and little tweaks were published by Microsoft over the 'net. I've set my box to dynamically update over the web. It can be switched off, but I dig Microsoft fixing their screwups.

 

Thing is - if I do format and rebuild my machine, the first time I connect to the net after the rebuild will cause my machine to have to download close to 300-400Mb!!!;) Crikey!

 

Is there a folder somewhere to which MS download all the fixes and patches that I can simply cut to CD or DVD, maybe, and then install again after formatting and rebuilding - before connecting to the web?

 

My machine is in desperate need of a rebuild! And the only thing standing in my way is this issue.

 

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

(And, no - I'm not gonna be installing Linux and I'm not going to purchase a new edition of XP. I've got a perfect working licensed copy of Windows XP SP2, and I'm gonna make the bastard work.)

[Tormod]

Is there really a need to reinstall? I once swapped out my motherboard and CPU and ran a repair install and it worked fine.

[Zythryn]

You can order a CD with service pack 2 from MS at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx

Looks like they may charge shipping and handling.

 

Alternatively, if you know any IT consultants they should have a CD as well.

 

Good luck!

[ronthepon]

We seem to be suffering from the same problems, Boerseun.

[cwes99_03]

Neither of the above.

 

You already have the most up to date version of xp if it includes sp2. You can download from the site and burn to disc, but you have to be a member in some way.

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323166

Check that website out. It describes the Update Catalog that you are supposed to be able to browse. I'm sure they will want to verify that you are a approved user/member.

[alexander]

i would reinstall it and leave it online overknight to download updates... :)

 

well actually i would simply order the latest ubuntu CD and download like 15-20 updates and be better off, but thats just me ;)

[alexander]

ps latest ubuntu CDs are free with free shipping and you can order up to 5 :)

[alexander]

or 100 like me but with good reason for mass distribution :) and a good description as to why you are ordering 100 cds

[Jay-qu]

And where do you do that? *goes and searches google*..

 

..done :)

 

http://launchpad.net/ if you are interested

[alexander]

jay, or you could go to ubuntu.com and click "Ship Free - CDs" which is in large letters on the right...

[TheFaithfulStone]

There's something called a "slipstreamed" install disc you can make. I've done it before, and it's worked, but I can't remember how to do it now.

 

TFS

 

edit: http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=284 Here ya go. When I did it there was no little program that helped, you had to insert cab files. PITA!

[Boerseun]

I'm not normally in the habit of quoting myself, (methinks its an ego thing when you do it), but:

(And, no - I'm not gonna be installing Linux and I'm not going to purchase a new edition of XP. I've got a perfect working licensed copy of Windows XP SP2, and I'm gonna make the bastard work.)

Besides, I've got a business to run and I'm not about to battle into the early morning hours trying to figure out how a new OS works - only to have a client phone me with urgent changes to their graphics to be done.

I use my desktop PC for that, and my laptop for surfing, posting and emailing.

Because of absolutely digusting grossly bad feeble-minded REGISTRY BLOAT, I simply have to rebuild the bugger. But don't they have the common sense to write all the updates and patches to a single folder which can then be backed up?

[Jay-qu]

Try this it may save you a bit of time, first uninstall all redundant and useless programs, then get a registry cleaner, run virus scans, and adware/spyware scans, Disk cleanup and finish with a good defrag. It probably wont be as good as a re-format, but it sure helps out and saves time.

[Tormod]

But don't they have the common sense to write all the updates and patches to a single folder which can then be backed up?

 

They do. There is an option to keep all the updates locally. However, you'd still need to redownload all the old ones that you didn't keep.

[Boerseun]

They do. There is an option to keep all the updates locally. However, you'd still need to redownload all the old ones that you didn't keep.

Schweet! Do you know where its kept, so I can back it up?