Re-Installed Windows, now a 200gb drive is missing!

[JoyMonkey]

The time has come again to wipe my C drive clean and start afresh. It's been about a year since I've done this and my C drive is crammed with all kinds of junk. Seems like everytime I do this, I mess something up and lose something I needed- like Outlook contacts and emails.
I have enough space on my extra hard drives to keep a backup of the entire C drive (the C drive is actually two SATA WD Raptors in a Raid-0 config).

I'm sure some of you format and re-install Windows all the time.
Has anyone seen a step-by-step guide for doing this? I feel like I need a checklist or something.
And whats the best/easiest way of backing up all my Outlook stuff and importing it to a new installation?

Edit: Changing Subject a little

[SOAPboy]

Yeah

Insert winxp cd, press key to boot from.. delete partitions, make new ones, do a full format.. install os..

Every 30 days.. ^_^

[sodapopinski]

Every 30 days.. ^_^

I certainly have an ability to reformat every freakin' month. You get better every time you wreak it.

[SOAPboy]

Every 30 days.. ^_^

I certainly have an ability to reformat every freakin' month. You get better every time you wreak it.

I do it just because i like running a clean system, and i want it to run at 'top' performance all the time..

[screaming]

-  For outlook, as long as all your email/contacts/schedules is in a Private store (.pst) or Outlook store (.ost), you should be all set.  All your contacts, email, and schedules will be saved.  You can just set up a new private store and use that file and you'll be all set. Which version of Outlook do you have?

-  You also want to make sure you have all your bookmarks saved, either from IE or Firefox.

-  Any other programs you use, you want to back up the settings for:
    - FileZilla (XML file in the FileZilla folder)
    - AOL/Yahoo downloads
    - Music playlists
    - PuTTY sessions (Registry settings)

- Make a note of all the programs that you have installed that you'd like to get back sooner rather than later. For me, this would include MS DEV, iTunes, jEdit, FileZilla, PuTTY, Cygwin, Photoshop, Illustrator, PaintShop Pro, Warcraft

-  If this is an arcade, make sure you take any:
    - Theme source files (photoshop, etc)
    - Emu configs, FE configs
    - Themes
    - Custom patches

-   Generally I keep all my data worth saving in one folder, so I can just "pick up and go" when I need to.  Having your info organized like this helps!  Things in this folder include:
     - Website(s) source
     - Programming projects
     - Pictures
     - Arcade software that I've tested or otherwise messed around with
     - Documents (Word, Excel, etc)

  The stuff you end up forgetting is usually data specific to an application, like PuTTY sessions or AIM contacts (before they were stored on AOL's server), so just make sure you go through all your applications in C:\Program Files (not through your start menu.. some programs I install don't make icons, like Windows PowerTools or Windows Support Tools).

  Hmmm... I dunno what else.  If I think of anything I'll let you know!

-sab

[SirPoonga]

Every 30 days.. ^_^

I certainly have an ability to reformat every freakin' month. You get better every time you wreak it.

I do it just because i like running a clean system, and i want it to run at 'top' performance all the time..

Sounds like someone needs Norton Ghost....

[JoyMonkey]

-  For outlook, as long as all your email/contacts/schedules is in a Private store (.pst) or Outlook store (.ost), you should be all set.  All your contacts, email, and schedules will be saved.  You can just set up a new private store and use that file and you'll be all set. Which version of Outlook do you have?

-  You also want to make sure you have all your bookmarks saved, either from IE or Firefox.

I would have forgotten about my FireFox bookmarks, thanks!

I use Outlook 2003. I think it stores .pst files in each users' Documents&Settings folder somewhere. So I just have to copy these .pst files over to the new user folders? I should probably create exactly the same user-names right?

[SOAPboy]

Every 30 days.. ^_^

I certainly have an ability to reformat every freakin' month. You get better every time you wreak it.

I do it just because i like running a clean system, and i want it to run at 'top' performance all the time..

Sounds like someone needs Norton Ghost....

Newp, i have it down to a science anyways.. 12 years of doing it monthly, you kinda tend to have a routine >_<

[JoyMonkey]

New, i have it down to a science anyways.. 12 years of doing it monthly, you kinda tend to have a routine >_<

So how do you know it's your 'time of the month'? Does your PC become irrationally awkward to deal with? 

[screaming]

I use Outlook 2003. I think it stores .pst files in each users' Documents&Settings folder somewhere. So I just have to copy these .pst files over to the new user folders?

  Yeah, it can be wherever you want, but the default place is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

  If you save all the files in that folder you should be safe, assuming all your email is stored locally and in a private store (Outlook called it a "Personal Folder". Once you re-format and re-install Outlook, copy all the files back.  Then you can either open it the traditional way (File->Open), or permanently open it by adding it to your email account setup (Tools->Email Accounts->Next->Add Folder).

  I'm not sure if the process is different with an .ost file, but it should be about the same (guessing)?  You might want to practice first

I should probably create exactly the same user-names right?

  Outlook is a big black box to me, but I don't think the names need to be the same - not with personal stores.

-sab

[SOAPboy]

New, i have it down to a science anyways.. 12 years of doing it monthly, you kinda tend to have a routine >_<

So how do you know it's your 'time of the month'? Does your PC become irrationally awkward to deal with?

[SirPoonga]

Every 30 days.. ^_^

I certainly have an ability to reformat every freakin' month. You get better every time you wreak it.

I do it just because i like running a clean system, and i want it to run at 'top' performance all the time..

Sounds like someone needs Norton Ghost....

Newp, i have it down to a science anyways.. 12 years of doing it monthly, you kinda tend to have a routine >_<

But with ghost it will take like 30 minutes and you are done since it is a snapshot of your computer.  No installing os, no updating, no installing software.  Trust me, once you use it you will wonder why you didn't use it earlier.

[rampy]

Yeah I concur with Sirp, if you're that neurotic (or abusive) to your system that you rebuild monthly... make a default "good" image in ghost (or drive imaging software of your choice) and revert/re-build off that each time.

Also I wipe my C: drive from front to back to sweep the bad stuff out of town or is that a different conversation?

rampy

[SirPoonga]

And modern versions of ghost allow you to burn to multiple dvd discs.  So you don't need an extra hard drive to store the snapshot.

Plus if you want to do something different, like dual boot to linux, you cn have the snapshot install to the minimum size partition, then install linux on the left over space

I re-ghost my drive about twice a year.

[shmokes]

Soapboy, keep in mind that when Poonga says 30 minutes, he means 30 minutes for EVERYTHING; not just the OS.  So you can install a clean XP SP2, Critical Updates, Antivirus, Spyware App, Adobe Creative Suite, MS Office, Firefox, Thunderbird, My Documents, Favorites, iTunes and your Music folder.  Then you use Ghost to make an image.  Next time you want to wipe your system it takes 30 minutes to do ALL of that, instead of 30-45 minutes for the OS alone and another 2-3 hours for everything else.

That said, Ghost has never worked well for me cos I'm too much of a computer geek.  I upgrade hardware in my computer constantly.  So by the time six months to a year rolls by and I start thinking my computer is ready for a good scrubbing I've got a new motherboard/processor, or a different videocard and soundcard and optical drives or I've upgraded to new versions of MS Office or Creative Suite.  So I have a tendency, even if I have a year-old Ghost image handy, to just spend 3-4 hours formatting and reinstalling Windows and the programs I want from scratch.

But if I had severe OCD, as Soapboy clearly does  , and was a once a month guy I would absolutely be using Ghost.

By the way, does anyone know how to save iTunes ratings?  Every time I back up our music and so on the songs come, but the ratings don't.  My wife about wants to stab me in the throat with a pen every time she goes into her library and realizes she has to go through and rate all the songs again.  Where are these things stored?

[SirPoonga]

By the way, does anyone know how to save iTunes ratings?

[JoyMonkey]

By the way, does anyone know how to save iTunes ratings?  Every time I back up our music and so on the songs come, but the ratings don't.  My wife about wants to stab me in the throat with a pen every time she goes into her library and realizes she has to go through and rate all the songs again.  Where are these things stored?

I thought an xml file in the My Music folder.

Yeah, mine is My Music/iTunes/iTunes Music Library.xml

[SOAPboy]

Every 30 days.. ^_^

I certainly have an ability to reformat every freakin' month. You get better every time you wreak it.

I do it just because i like running a clean system, and i want it to run at 'top' performance all the time..

Sounds like someone needs Norton Ghost....

Newp, i have it down to a science anyways.. 12 years of doing it monthly, you kinda tend to have a routine >_<

But with ghost it will take like 30 minutes and you are done since it is a snapshot of your computer.

[gprime]

I don't know what the heck some people do, to have to format every month. I think I've had my current install for 14 or 15 months. Runs as smooth as the first day I installed it.

[SOAPboy]

I don't know what the heck some people do, to have to format every month. I think I've had my current install for 14 or 15 months. Runs as smooth as the first day I installed it.

Can promise you, you're benchmarks and gaming performance is lower..
Its not that i do anything.. im just picky..

 

[EndTwist]

Can promise you, you're benchmarks and gaming performance is lower..
Its not that i do anything.. im just picky..

 

I think the word your looking for is neurotic.

[DarkKobold]

Actually, it just sounds habitual. How many of us have our freaky habits, that we do, regardless of how "neurotic" they are?  Sounds to me like it gives SOAPboy a cathardic feeling whipping his computer clean once a month.

It would drive me insane, hence why I'm overdue about 3 years...

But, why judge a man for his crazy habits?

[SOAPboy]

Can promise you, you're benchmarks and gaming performance is lower..
Its not that i do anything.. im just picky..

 

I think the word your looking for is neurotic.

Thanks but no.

I refuse to use a CLONED image of a drive, for my main gaming rig..

I paid 400$ for a video card, i want my machine to get all of the power it can get, and regardless of how clean a registry is, how clean you're system is, and how virus/spyware free it is.. its NOT running as good, as a fresh install would be..

[gprime]

Can promise you, you're benchmarks and gaming performance is lower..
Its not that i do anything.. im just picky..

 

I think the word your looking for is neurotic.

Thanks but no.

I refuse to use a CLONED image of a drive, for my main gaming rig..

I paid 400$ for a video card, i want my machine to get all of the power it can get, and regardless of how clean a registry is, how clean you're system is, and how virus/spyware free it is.. its NOT running as good, as a fresh install would be..

If your registry is clean, your hard drive is defragged, and your computer runs the exact same programs it did on the first day you installed Windows, how does it affect the systems performance?

[SOAPboy]

Can promise you, you're benchmarks and gaming performance is lower..
Its not that i do anything.. im just picky..

 

I think the word your looking for is neurotic.

Thanks but no.

I refuse to use a CLONED image of a drive, for my main gaming rig..

I paid 400$ for a video card, i want my machine to get all of the power it can get, and regardless of how clean a registry is, how clean you're system is, and how virus/spyware free it is.. its NOT running as good, as a fresh install would be..

If your registry is clean, your hard drive is defragged, and your computer runs the exact same programs it did on the first day you installed Windows, how does it affect the systems performance?

Do this..

Fresh install.. Run any number of games and benchmarks..

Now install a ton of apps, then uninstall them, defrag, and clean up you're machine..

Now run those games again and those benchmarks..

performance, just went down a ton..



As far as a "clean" clone, id rather not rely my system on something like that.. its a personally issue.. might work great for some, but for me, no..

[SirPoonga]

As far as a "clean" clone, id rather not rely my system on something like that.. its a personally issue.. might work great for some, but for me, no..

Sounds like you had an issue with it?  Because it is a snapshot of your system when you ghosted it.  You put that ghost image back on it is exactly as it was.  Why did you put clean in quotes?  It is a cleanclone, it's an exact clone.

I know you said it is personal preference, but they way you reply it sounds like you hate the software, and you haven't given a good reason why it wouldn't help you.  You just say no.

"might work great for some, but for me, no" 
That implies there is something wrong with ghost.  I don't want anyone else reading this thread to think so because there isn't.  hence this reply.

Don't think I don't understand your obsession.  When I was in college I was the same way.  I wat one of the best gamers in the state (won a couple of tournaments here and there).  Had to have the latest and greatest and everything had to be perfectly setup.  I used ghost back then, but then you had to get another hd to save the images.

how virus/spyware free it is..

Completely, I use mozilla and webmail

All Windows updates, are on CD.. Drivers for MOBO, Video, Sound take a whole 2 min to install.. And installing windows isnt more than 30-45 min..

So, you don't install games, office, antirvirus, spyware, other little programs you can't live without?  Just the OS and drivers...  Plus What about setup time?

I don't know if you are so against ghost because you think there are reliablility issues.  I can atest to that there aren't.  When I worked at IBM we did alot of testing.  We had several hundred client machines to stress servers.  In order to get PEAK performance after every test (such as load testing a web server) the clients were re-ghosted.  Numbers were consistant.  IF you didn't ghost in between you knew it on the next set of tests, numbers weren't consistant.  Now, we are talking about tests that govern how the company is going to use the equipment, so they needed to be very accurate.

But, why judge a man for his crazy habits?

I'm not, I'm trying to figure out why he thinks ghost is bad.

My current ghost image is of WinXP SP2.  As of the image it has the latest drivers, Office, AVG, AntiVir, Spybot, Ad-aware, Mozilla Firefox (with my daily links toolbar that has my webmail bookmarks), netstumbler, etherreal, airsnare, mysql, php, apache, Visual Studio 6.0 with full MSDN Library (40 minute install and setup right there), Programmer's File Editor, Photoshop, Office 2000, Nero 6, GetRight, iTunes, Chessmaster 10th Edition, Quake 3, Shogun: Total War.
Of course the image is AFTER I set all that up to my tastes.  Windows Explorer view options, where and what I like on my Visual Studio toolbars, additional libraries I use with Visual Studio, Windows resolution, program associations, etc.

Now, data files such as source code, game saves, emu stuff, is all backed up on a dvdr or now  my new 1gb jump drive.

Unfortunately now that I have a new computer I have to redo it all.  But I am going to wait until windows 64 comes out.  Heh, my new image will contain MS Flight Sim, Combat Sim, bf1942, mechwarrior 4 and expansions, but loose quake 3.  I have been finding it very annoying to setup mechwarrior everytime.  There is a game I am obsessive about all the settings, particularly because I have a joystick and throttle.  Same with the flight sims.
Actually, with me buying this 200gig hd I will probably dual boot windows and linux 64.

The image before the last one had all my racing sims.  But nothing new that is good has really come out.  No good new Need for Speed stuff other than underground.  My steering wheel is collecting dust....

Obviously I am a programmer more than a gamer so I probably have alot more I install that you, but still.  A ghost image is an EXACT clone of whatever you had at the time.  This not only included the software you installed but also all the setup.  For me setup is the most time consuming part.  I'm very particular in how I want my environment.  My windows explorer needs to be set a certain way, my photoshop and visual studio need to be setup a certain way, and I am sure that is the same with you so you can get optimum gaming performance.

Ghost = consistancy, reliablility, time saver.
Actually, I'd say it is more consistant than doing a fresh install.  Everything is setup.  Well, you have to make sure everything is setup before you image.  If I do a fresh install I know it takes days before I realize I missed something (like adding some buttons to my Visual Studio toolbars, I usually miss those first time around).
If after this post you can't see that then your loss I guess.

However, if it is JUST a gaming pc, no everyday stuff like office, then yeah, probably won't make that big of a deal since all you would need is OS and drivers.  Then install latest game and patches.  But if you are also using it for everything else then it is a huge time saver in just saving setup time alone.
Also if it is just a gaming pc you aren't installing and uninstalling alot of stuff constantly, every two months would probably be fine then.  If all you have is games your system isn't going to change that much over a one month period.  So you obviously have to be using it for something else to require that much action.

gprime, soapboy is right though.  Windows is a hog on resources.  Even if you clean the registry, defrag, etc, windows gets bloated after awhile.  It's just the nature of that OS.  You said 14 to 15 months, redo the system completely, it will run and load much faster.

I think I reached my goal on this ost, I don't think anyone will say ghost is bad because soapboy doesn't use it   It may be a silly goal but you'd be suprised what some people think because they read one little thing on the internet and believed it.

[JoyMonkey]

AAhhhhhH!!!!!! 

I just did the re-install. Everything looked like it went fine (I even made a bootable Ghost backup DVD of the fresh new C drive).
But...
I have a 200gb Maxtor IDE hard drive in this machine, where I store all my games, music and lots of other junk. It's about 95% full of crap that I keep meaning to put onto DVDs.
Now the Maxtor isn't showing up in Windows!!?? It shows up in the Device Manager, but it's not listed as a drive in My Computer so I can't access it. Is there something I have to do to get large hard drives working?

I was running Windows XP Pro SP1, and just installed XP MCE2005 with SP2. Would this have anything to do with it?

Oh, my motherbaord is an ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe.

Just tried Maxtor's Big Drive Enabler (some kind of registry patch) but it's still not showing up.

Disk Management says that it's unallocated. Please tell me that I don't need to format this!?

[SirPoonga]

SP1 has a 134gig limit.

[JoyMonkey]

SP1 has a 134gig limit.  Need SP2.

It was working fine and showed up as 198gb in SP1, it's SP2 thats giving me the trouble.

[SirPoonga]

hmmmm, that doesn't make sense.

[JoyMonkey]

Media Center Edition. It's just SP2 with some extra media programs thrown on top of it.
I've a bad feeling that I'll need to format it 

[SirPoonga]

Do you have another computer you can put it in?

I wonder if you try and allocate teh drive in disk manager if you can have it do that without a format....  I wouldn't try that until all other possibilities have been tried though.

[SirPoonga]

Another idea, shut down, unplug the drive completely, and the cable at the mobo.

[JoyMonkey]

Thanks for the suggestions SirP, but neither did any good. I'm going to try calling Maxtor support...

[JoyMonkey]

Maxtor technical support was surprisingly easy to get a hold of, I didn't even have to wait. They didn't have much good news though, they said I could try and recover data using some third-party software, but I'll need to reformat it for Windows to fully recognize it again.
I'm running GetDataBack right now, it seems to be finding every file on the hard drive no problem- so I should be able to retrieve my rom and music collection!

[SirPoonga]

what do you mean recovering it?   where does it put the files?

[JoyMonkey]

what do you mean recovering it?   where does it put the files?

From what I understand, all the files on the drive are in-tact, but somehow Windows isn't recognising its partition table so it can't read them directly. GetDataBack is able to look at the drive and get a list of all the files, then it lets you 'recover' whatever files and folders you want onto another hard drive.
I believe that it works by some kind of pixie magic, but I don't know a whole lot about these things.

[SirPoonga]

some kind of pixie magic

Because when you delete a file or such you aren't physically deleting it from the magnetic disk, you are more just deleting the pointers to it.  So the magnetic patterns of the file are still on your hard drive, just the drive isn't keeping track of where it is at.  Of course, you cna only recover the file if a new file hasn't over wrote part of the physical location of the old file.

If you truely want to delete something forever use a tool like this.
http://www.tolvanen.com/eraser/

[daywane]

I do not have a drive that is that large.
so maybe it is a windows issue but .... not 100% sure.

I have many PC's here at my house. ( I build one , I build a better one, etc..
kinda stuck in a loop here  )

all new PCs  ( first time running I do have to format 2ND hard drive)
( windows does all the bios settings for me)

I have 3 drives in this PC now. I can and most likely will format this weekend
Windows will see the 3 drives again. Has before. also I can yank a hard drive and toss in any other PC here and windows will see it.

Mine are IEEE drives. Wonder if that is the issue or eather your bios is set up wrong.
I did not know XP had such a small drive limit? 80 gigs is my bigest. 60 is my next. all others are 40 gig ( wait .. I forgot a 2 gig I just set up)

[JoyMonkey]

I don't think Windows has 'limits' to hard drive sizes anymore, rather the way it handles drives over 135gb is completely half-assed.