Backing up Windows XP!!!!!!

[Ilwrath]

My main problem with MS service packs nowadays is how they re-enable stuff I've disabled, make IE icons re-appear on the desktop, things like that.

Egads, yes!  And it's not just the service packs that do this.  (See my previous rants about the Microsoft update treadmill and why I use RedHat Linux 9.)  Hotfixes, and "critical updates" do this, as well.  Hell, I've seen MS APPLICATIONS re-enable disabled services!!  Basically, anytime you install ANYTHING that comes out of Redmond, you have to completly go through the 15-20 step routine of checking and verifying your locked-down system configuration.  What a pain!

[mikeymike]

By far the most irritating thing about services getting re-enabled on Windows without informing the user, is I find my IIS setup has been re-enabled when I specifically didn't want it to, so I have to set it to disabled (rather than manual), and so I get errors in the event log telling me I've been a naughty boy because I've disabled a service that Windows would really like to start.

[ShadesOfGrey]

@Zolo

If I'm reading your suggestion correctly, this solution may prove more...  ...  ...  Reliable?  


@ACE    [Edit: cut and pasted the wrong name]

I've used both Ghost and DriveImage.  I persoanlly prefer DriveImage, primarily because it works from both DOS and Windows.  Otherwise they both have pretty much the same feature set.  But that's just my opinion.

I don't recall if you can get demo versions anymore (I've only used retail in recent years), but I'm sure there are plenty of sites with reviews and comparisons.  

Regardless, they're both woth worth the ~$70 they cost...

Another option might be to invest in a decent ATA RAID controller.  Like those from 3ware.  That is unless you have th cash for a real RAID solution, i.e. SCSI.