Windows Reinstall Time

That_Guy

It is that time for me. I have put this off too long. This has been 2 years in the making. I need to reinstall Windows. What is has been holding me back is the shear amount of stuff I am going to have to back up. I can handle much of it on my own, but my game saves are what I am worried about. I have several dozen games installed that I want to keep the save files for, but I am also lazy. I have come here for a couple of reasons.

First, can anyone recommend a good backup utility for apps as well as games?
Second, should I install Vista Ultimate this time around or stick with XP pro. I have legit copies of both (I got both real cheap from a friend who works for MS) but can't make up my mind which one I want to install.

PS; Anyone running Objectdock in Vista? Does your system tray tab still work?

fogeyman

I'd go with Vista Ultimate, assuming you have decent hardware (you don't need anything special, just not absolute crap). It's very stable, has very few software compatibility issues (I haven't run into one since February of '07), and I like most of the improvements. It has some issues (networking is a little funky), but overall it's a worthy improvement over XP.

It also has a bunch of features that I can no longer live without, for example the "breadcrumb bar" (replaced the address bar in Explorer), and the instant search throughout the shell (especially in the Start menu).

That_Guy

fogeyman wrote: »

I'd go with Vista Ultimate, assuming you have decent hardware (you don't need anything special, just not absolute crap). It's very stable, has very few software compatibility issues (I haven't run into one since February of '07), and I like most of the improvements. It has some issues (networking is a little funky), but overall it's a worthy improvement over XP.

It also has a bunch of features that I can no longer live without, for example the "breadcrumb bar" (replaced the address bar in Explorer), and the instant search throughout the shell (especially in the Start menu).

The new features are great, but I an still unsure if it is really what I want for gaming. I have been running it on my laptop for a while and gaming is still a bit hit and miss. I tend to play a large number of classic games and many of them run rather weird, even with compatibility mode turned on. Also, no telnet? What the hell is that? I found a good app for it, but still.

On another note, though, I found some backup software (was unable to backup everything automatically, but I got most of it) and Steam is currently in the process of backing up while I am at the laundry mat.

Fort1tude

Why not just do a repair install? Sure it fucks up your registry so you have to reinstall some stuff but you would only have to backup your user folder in documents and settings.


EDIT: I mean stuff like My Documents and Desktop

BlackDove

I'd go with XP SP2 again if I were you. Vista needs its SP1. Bad. I'm running Ultimate 64, and sorta wish I was running XP SP2.

No real benefits from having the 8800, just a bunch of losses.

That_Guy

Fort1tude wrote: »

Why not just do a repair install? Sure it fucks up your registry so you have to reinstall some stuff but you would only have to backup your user folder in documents and settings.


EDIT: I mean stuff like My Documents and Desktop

Nah, I want to format the whole drive. I need to get a lot of junk off of the drive and I just want that "new drive freshness."

Well, I am done backing everything up, done downloading drivers, and am about to format. I have decided I am going to give Vista a try, at least for a little while. I just wish that damned SP1 would come out for it.