Re: Format Drive

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Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
On Sat, 14 Feb 2009 10:52:02 -0600, "Jim McKinley"
<bigmck@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I am using XP Home SP2. I am going to format my drive and install a
new complete version of Windows instead of the OEM Windows I have.
Are there any files I can save so that my desktop, appearance,
screen saver, etc are saved so that I can have the same look as now.
Individually changing all of these will be a chore.



....
2. I assume that when you say "a complete version of Windows," you
mean a retail version. What makes you think that a retail version is
more complete than an OEM version? It isn't, and what you are planning
on doing does not at all sound like a good idea to me.

You're probably right about retail being essentially OEM, but remember,
many companies, like the Dell MCE machine I'm working on that them
moment, can pretty severely bastardize the windows envronment under the
guise of "customization". I've seen it several times where ntbackup is
not just not installed, but no on the disks period, drivers deleted or
exchanged or renamed so you can't tell what they are, and other little
"niceties".
This 2006 Dell MCE machine is a great example of how to not set
systems up, in fact. The XP disk doesn't let you handle partitions or
any of the initials like formatting but starts right in at installing
files. To do those tasks, you have to start with their mediadirector3
CD, which will only partition/format for the MCE stuff and nothing else.
No disk calls for the next disk to use and most filenames are simply
numbers instead of meaningful names. Great for piracy protection I
suppose, but a real hassle to replace a drive that's gone belly up and
even freezing won't bring to life long enough to boot it.
It sounds like a pro-active step, intended or not, to me.

You're implying that it sounds like a bad idea to install a retail
version, which can be used on future computers, etc., and IMO that can
't be a bad thing. What is it that you think is not a good idea, based
on the very little information provided so far. Are you basing it
simply on the OP wanting to keep the desktop appearance etc.?

You probably think I'm just being a smartass, but I am genuinely curious
about what I may have missed or not realize that creates that
impression.

Twayne


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