Very often, my friends complain that their system has become "dirty", and tomorrow you will have to reinstall Windows. Each time I told them that there is a more elegant solution that will turn the installation into a matter of three to five minutes, and then there was a question on the HC forum (I quote):
Subject: Restore the initial state of Win98 ...
Submitter : Pingvin, April 25, 2001, 20:15:22:
Tell me please how can I restore the basic parameters of Win98, vsmysle, so that the Windows worked as it had just been installed from disk?
I just installed some drivers, after which the system began to work not stable: before the start, Windows reports errors, the conductor time is covered by time ... and so on.
In the same place Pingvin mentioned that everything does not want to erase and reinstall the system only because there is a lot of valuable "good" on the disk.

A lot of solutions were offered, but all of them were somehow perverted. I also suggested, or rather wrote here this document. Just want to say that my method does not completely solve the problem posed in the message, it will rather help avoid such problems in the future. Links to all the mentioned resources and programs will be listed at the very bottom.

Part 1
I propose the following solution (I think 97% of the readers do not even know what I'm going to write now). The solution is to reinstall the system as soon as it becomes "dirty". With my solution, reinstalling the system takes a maximum of five minutes.
What we need:
+ Paper
+ Pen
+ Windows StartUp Disk
+ Norton Symantec Ghost (or other similar software for cloning)
+ Windows Installation Disk (the version you will be using)

First of all, I would like to say that the work will be much easier if you have more than one disk on your computer (whether physically or as Partition).
If this is not the case, but you really want to make two from one partition at once - do not despair, Partition Magic will divide into two without the need to erase anything.

With all of the below listed it is assumed that you have a second disk or another Partition.
Our version of Ghost, we install and copy the main files (ghost.exe, nothing else like) to another disk.

So, take a piece of paper and a pen. And we write out:
+ All programs that should be on a fresh installation (that is, everything that you use in your daily life). Instead of paper and pen, you can write to a file, it is not important (at the end I'll give a link to an example of my list).
+ All the most important things you need to configure and configure (dat files with icq, Dial-Up, etc.).

After that, we erase everything from the main disk (drive C :, format it) and start installing the Windows system. We install it carefully and accurately, configuring everything that is possible and necessary on the way.
After installation, first of all install all necessary drivers for work (for example, for me it is: Graphics Card, Sound Card, TV Card, Modem, Printer drivers, Digital Camera drivers), and then install patches and updates (I advise you to pump all the most important patches with Microsoft and put on the second disk \ partition).
For example, here is a list of all my updates and patches that I install for the Windows system:

[Win95]
+ [Euro Patch]
+ [IGMP Update]
+ [Service Pack 1]
+ [MS DialUp Networking Update v1.4]
+ [Winsock Update]
+ [Y2k update]

[Win98]
+ [IGMP Update]
+ [Service Pack 1]
+ [MS DialUp Networking Update v1.4]
+ [Win98 y2k Russian]
+ [Win98 y2k upd]
+ [Win98 y2k_2 upd]

[Outlook & Outlook Express]
+ [Year2k Outlook Express upd]
+ [NoHTML] - Disables the display of HTML in messages, which will increase the security of this leaky email client by as much as 99%. Click here for details.

After all the updates - we are overloaded, and we look - everything works fine.
If yes, then we continue:
Now we install all the programs that were written out on the leaflet.
We think and remember again. (And suddenly forgot something?)
We reboot again and configure all that is needed.

Now make Windows98 StartUp disk (go to my computer -> control panel -> install and uninstall programs -> there will be Tab: boot disk.) We insert clean floppy and click -> Create disk!) - why 98? Yes, because it is simple and it has drivers for CD.
Boot from the disk and load the same Ghost that you put on the disk d:
With Ghost, we make the Dump of your partition on which Windows is installed. The dump must be done on disk d: or another on which the system did not stand (on the disk you dump it, you can not write the dump itself, in my opinion it's clear why). How to dump partition'a, I will not explain - for this there are docks in Ghost, if that's not enough, then on the site Bikkel there is an additional. Docks. I will also give a link to some Russian docks below.

Boot into Windows again and work with the system.
Once the system becomes dirty and does not work well, we boot into DOS again from the floppy disk and restore your system using the same Ghost!

The operation of restoring a normal system with a reboot takes me 4 minutes (!). I hope the time difference is clear.

Notes:
1) The dump can be copied to the CD along with the Ghost itself and do everything from the CD itself.
2) Images (dumps) can be transferred from computer to computer, but in all Windows except 2000 all hardware is configured during installation, so if the machines are not identical - the system recovery does not work.
3) If the dump does not fit on the CD, then Ghost can split it into several parts to fit. Moreover, Ghost himself can write on CD.
4) You can install the server, and if you have a network card - you can restore the system through the grid!
5) When cloning systems based on Win NT, I strongly recommend changing the SID (Security IDentifier) ​​on each system after restoring each image for security reasons. You can do this with GhostWalker or other analogues. Below you will see a link to the page detailing the importance of the unique SID on each system, as well as a guide to using GhostWalker.
6) The latest version of Ghost is 7.0 (2001), it's difficult to get it now, it's just released, but 6.5 - please! It works perfectly!
ATTENTION: currently the latest version of Norton Ghost is 2002. However, the version of 2002 differs little from the version of 2001 (basically only in that in 2002 several settings and support for Windiws XP, Windows 2000 Logo Certified Workstation & Server were added).

Just in case, the description of the Ghost (2001):
Norton Ghost 2001 provides high-performance utilities for fast and safe system upgrading, backup, and recovery. This new version works faster than ever, supports the Linux EXT2 file system, writes disk images directly to many popular CDR / RW drives, clones quickly from PC to PC, and enables Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Millennium Edition users to take advantage of Its powerful tools. Designed for technically proficient PC users, Norton Ghost 2001 is based on the industry-leading Symantec Ghost 6.5 Enterprise Edition. Whether you want to back up your existing hard drive or clone it to a new one, trust Norton Ghost for fast, safe PC cloning.

He told you this is a person who reinstalls the system six times a day or more.
A better solution than Ghost for system recovery you will not find.
Good luck

Part 2
So, after the last message, I became thoughtful that the topic could be continued.
Here are some thoughts out loud ...:

Firstly , it's worth mentioning about the remote transfer of dumps (for example, via the network).
This is done in several ways:
+ Buy Ghost EnterPrise - there will be a special server in the delivery, which will help in solving the problem.
+ If there is no money, then put the server (Windows, for example 2000) on which the TFTP service with the login script is launched, so that it is immediately thrown out of the command line (if "download via network" was selected when the machine was booted).
And further all is simple, on the server there is a big winchester on which various dumps are stored. You load on the server and you download from there the necessary dump.
+ Forgot to say that the latest versions of Ghost also work with printer and USB ports - connect two computers via LPT1 or USB and download / upload the image.

Secondly , I forgot to say that Ghost is still different in that it can compress while creating a dump, there are two levels of compression - medium (but fast) and high (but slow). Useful feature.

Thirdly - I do not recommend using Ghost or other adequate software from vyn-zasun. Always use only DOS. You can, of course, and out, but not always this results in a good result (the dump produces a swap with a bunch of crap).

Fourthly , interesting docks on Ghost are on the online site of Bikkel.
In the same place there is a dock on how to make a CD with a dump. And such a CD - inserting which dump itself is installed. It is enough just to reboot (provided that in BIOS the first boot device is CD).
Briefly explain how to do this:
We take a boot diskette with DOS (for example Windows 98 StartUp Disk) and copy everything from it (together with the boot sector) to the CD. Rule a little autoexec.bat (change some settings from floppy to CD (for example - where the command line pops up when loading)), and add a couple of lines in the same autoexec, so that Ghost starts to do everything without questions. There, on the CD, copy the dump and the Ghost.exe itself. And that's all! When you insert such a CD - the computer is loaded into DOS, autoexec.bat launches the Ghost and tells it to copy the image to the hard drive without any questions.
Also, on the Ghost homepage of Symantec, a series of short documents on the use of Ghost was recently posted. Here is a list of documents from this series:
+ How to clone a computer through a LAN connection
+ How to clone from computer to computer through a USB connection
+ How to create a clone and recover it from a CD-RW disk
+ How to add a new network interface card driver to the Boot Wizard
+ How to clone disk-to-disk on a single computer

Fifthly , I forgot to say that besides Ghost there are other programs that are perhaps worse, but cheaper (some are free).
+ Universal Backup - Russian free development, which may well compete with such giants as Norton Ghost and Powerquest Drive Image, while having a very small size (190 kb). However, it can be said that this program has some advantages compared to the mentioned foreign developments - the program can archive not only entire disks and partitions, but also directly separate files and threads of the registry. In the standard program delivery there are two versions: for DOS and Win32 systems.
+ ASR - the program weighs 20kb, is very difficult to use and free. Personally, I would not bother with it, but maybe someone will be hunting, especially since I heard many positive comments about it.
+ Paragon Drive BackUp - includes Imaging Solution, Russian development, true shareware. Does about the same thing as Ghost, so I will not explain. But in general, the guys with Paragon are rare co-drivers (in terms of money).
Naturally, all these programs understand not only FAT, but also NTFS. The latest version of Ghost is still understood by Ext2FS (Linux) partitions.
+ PowerQuest Drive Image Pro - A very serious competitor to Norton Ghost. Can almost all the same thing (if you compare NOT with Norton Ghost Corporate Edition). The only difference is that Ghost works from DOS (or DOS windows), and Drive Image Pro works from Windows SafeMode.
+ HDCOPY - Another program for cloning. It supports two methods of cloning - Direct Copy (that is, the system is copied from one disk directly to another) and Image Copy (that is, creating and restoring the image).

Sixthly , since no one has become cleverer to tell me about other more steep solutions to the problem, I'll talk about the classic case, and for the coolest one I've ever seen.

I'll start my story with the introduction: there is in England such a computer company called RM (Research Machines). What are they doing? They supply computers for almost ALL (!) Schools in England (naturally at a very cheap price). In addition to building their computers (very good things), they also do some software, something like Novella, but steeper in some ways!

When the computer boots up, their own Login Screen appears, which introduces the computer into the school grid. But the peculiarity lies in the other, namely that when you load each time (!) A "clean" system is installed. The load takes half a minute more than the usual load of standard out-of-dumps 98 (and this despite the fact that, in addition to the recovery, the anti-virus checks in DOS). How does this happen? RM came up with a more fun solution than copying dumps! Simply at loading, all files are scanned by the automatic machine on a disk, the report which is compared to that which lays on the server becomes. If there are not enough files, then they are loaded, if they are superfluous, they are deleted. I will not describe the smaller details (for example, if you replace a file with another file with the same name and the same size, then its system will not replace it), but still the system is very, very cool. That is, there is no question of any distribution of Trojans by school! If you installed a trojan, then it will act only until the reboot!
From this we can conclude that if such systems existed in Russia, 98% of those schoolchildren who consider themselves kul-khatskers would immediately put their pants on, stopped using triads and would make a home. the task. The second conclusion that can be drawn is that you can only harm if you know the password from the BIOS (but that's not a problem, right?), You load it into it, you swap the boot media (you put floppy, it's not installed by default) and You boot from floppy to erase MBR or something like that. Thus, you can break ONLY one computer at a time, which is not very effective, and it will not be possible to restore such a system of problems (just insert a special floppy that comes with RM software and press a couple of buttons).

In general, the system has many advantages and disadvantages (which are obviously less). Other features of the software will not describe because it's not in the subject, but about how the server software for recovery works - I'll explain:
The server stores a special version of Windows, which serves as a wizard - all workstations are guided by this copy. To modify this copy, it is enough just to go under the special login (like Propagate, forget, do not remember) and password (the strictest secret) with any vkststeyshen. You will be given full access to all the settings plus the start menu will be a couple of admin prog. You install and configure everything as needed and in one of the admin program to save and make logout - all! The system is saved to the server, and a new copy is created.

Here such a system is, it would be nice to install it in all Russian schools, so that more people read serious books ...

Notes
All this fuss with dumps is the best and fastest solution ONLY if you are going to reinstall the system more than once in half a year. Here by the way are a list of those people who obviously need the described solution:
+ System Administrator
+ Advanced user
+ Trojan Writer \ Trojan
+ Soft Tester
+ Wareznik
+ Cool Hacker (these are those that click on all exe files in a row, and many Trojans appear - it's easier to reinstall than to search for it).

If the system is reinstalled at intervals - once a year, the best answer to the question at the outset is: Make a backup of valuable data, format a screw and reinstall the system. At the same time, on the way, make two from one partition, and store on c: only the installed software, and on d: all your valuable junk, and then format how much it will fit, the data will remain on d :.

The only other solution that answered at least somehow the question is what the Prisoner said (I quote):
A cool thing is System Restore in Windows Me - it restores the system, and there is also an uninstallation - if you put Melenium on top of 98 or others, so there's another tip:
You can put Windows 95 or 98 and all the necessary software (which you will definitely be using) then put it on top of Milenium and everything, as soon as the system bugs completely (in the sense even System Restore does not save), you can cancel the installation of Milenium and you will have a clean 95 or 98 depending on what you put).
And my comment about this:
1) Perverted way. Moreover, all these rollbacks are buggy. And when you need a clean system, it means not only clean drivers.
2) Yes, and rolling back will take much longer than reinstalling with Ghost.

Additions
05.13.01 - On the site "Network notes", I came across very interesting information on the topic (I quote):
You tortured Windows (before losing downloadability) by the endless installation of different tweakers, boosters, overclockers and other scrap and it gives you one glitch.
And rearrange the vyn and all the programs do not want ...
No problem! There is one elegant solution:
We export all the keys from the registry, branches: HKLM \ Software and HKCU \ Software. Now go in C: \ Windows (or where it is there) and kill files with the extension * .dat (this is usually system.dat and user.dat). We transfer from the root of the disk (usually C: \) in C: \ Windows a file system.1st. Renaming it to system.dat! Now reboot .. what do we have?
Voila - the last stage of installing Windows (!) - is searching for equipment and setting the main menu ...
The system becomes virgin clean, like a baby's tear. If desired, restore the saved keys to the registry, so as not to re-run the program. That's right - 10 minutes and you have the previous windows ... just washed up;).
My comment: I did not check this method, so I can not say if it's possible to do this. If possible, this becomes the best solution for the given question at the very beginning, but the best global solution still has a method with images - it's fast and you do not have to get confused in operations (pressing a couple of buttons is not easier and faster than exporting keys and renaming files). Another HUGE disadvantage of the above method with the operation of the registry is that only the registry itself is cleaned (that is, only the system works), but the system itself is not cleaned from unnecessary programs, files and temporary "Temporary Files".

05.10.01 - I received many letters with stories about what a good way to copy Windows and Program Files folders, archive, format a disk and restore folders. I'm very bad about these methods, because both of these directories are also contaminated, so that the clean system can not be done in this way. However, for the stubborn, there is an assistant program called LN 1.11. I quote the description:
The utility for saving Win'95 long names, for example before archiving, to a file is convenient to use with Dos Navigator, which together with LN can be configured so that long names (9K) are visible.
That is, you save long names in a file, then from a clean DOS copy the above folders and archive them. After the disk format using this program and a file with a list of long names, you can restore everything or transfer it to another system. Naturally, you need to run this program from the Dos box in Win9x.

12.10.01 - Again came a sea of ​​letters from readers with comments.
As I learned from Alexander Sheiko, Norton Ghost versions 2000 and 2001 (only 6.5) had quite serious glitches, which strongly made me think about changing the program for cloning. The first glitch was the impossibility of writing to an NTFS system, you can read about it here , also, the other problem was that it was impossible to select any disk other than a floppy disk, which is written here . These and many other problems have been fixed in the versions of 2001 (7.0) and 2002, so similar problems should not arise. From myself I can add that even Ghost could not work with the new version of NTFS that is used in Windows XP. This problem was solved in the 2002 version.
Here is another of the comments I received from Alexander Sheiko:
Usually, those who started with the guest (including myself) eventually move to Drive Image. The latter is not observed glitches and it is made more convenient. .
I also received some very similar comments from other people. Yes, it seems that we will have to agree - Drive Image still probably has less glitches (although it's worth noting that for all the time I worked with Ghost 2001 (7.0) and 2002 I did not have a single glitch), and it's more convenient, but all -taki as a corporate solution, it's better that Ghost is probably nothing.
What else is Drive Image better than Ghost?
I will quote part of the letter from Vladimir:
In addition to the quality of PQ products that has long been appreciated by many (Partition Magic, etc.), DriveImage4 has the following properties:
1) Multiple levels of compression.
2) Split into volumes.
3) Password protection.
4) Smart mode (unused sectors \ file system clusters do not get into the image).
5) The image does not contain the body of the Windows paging file, which greatly reduces the size of the image. But after restoration, the file is in its place. These properties are available only in the latest versions.
6) Checking the file systems from DOS16 to NTFS (Unix system did not pack, so that about them, do not say anything).
7) Possibility of storing several sections in one image file.
8) Windows GUI package utilities allow you to navigate in the image file system. True problems with the Russian language, but everything works correctly.
9) Automatically (after several questions) adapting the image to a partition with a different size.
10) Simplicity for the user - all PQ utilities have a single interface.
11) Reliability - for all the years of PQ utility I've never been mischievous.
Of all the above properties, Ghost lacks items 4 and 5. Also, I'm questioning the point 10, because I'm not sure about the simplicity of the Ghost - for me it's simple, and maybe for others it's unbearable. Still there is a small drawback with Drive Image - Drive Image File Editor (and Image Explorer) not displaying Russian letters, although the product works correctly with Russian letters.

Regarding the method described in the addendum of 13.05.01 - a friend named Chiper_2000 willingly shared his impressions after testing this method:
In the time that has elapsed since the article was read before your answer in this way, I restored 2 computers for ~ 20 minutes each. It's worth noting that I killed all the other Windows, but after reinstalling Windows importing these two registry branches I restored 95% of the software; To 5% was something multimedia, which was the cause of the failure.
The method is, it turns out to be quite worthwhile, and now one more answer to the question posed at the beginning of the article emerges. The method is as follows:
1) Using any utility that can keep track of DLL files that the system does not use, we delete all unnecessary DLLs. For example, you can use the Clean System Directory program (CleanSys, weight 30kb).
2) (NOT mandatory) - replace all system-important DLLs with their original original versions, which were copied during the installation. To extract original DLL versions from the distribution disk, you can use the Sfc.exe program, which can be called from the "System Information". (Thanx 2: Chiper_2000)
3) Clean the system of what can be cleaned (this, for example, such folders as \ Windows \ Temp and \ Windows \ Temporary Internet Files).
4) Clean the register with one of the programs intended for this (RegCleaner, Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2000, NBG Clean Registry, EasyCleaner).
5) Do what is described in the method of 13.05.01.
6) We archive all files and format the disk, that is, we do what is described in the method from 05.10.01.

Links
+ Link to Ghost homepage here
+ Download Partition Magic and Drive Image 5.0 here
+ Take my list with the programs here (Downloaded 5721 times)
+ Bikkel Howtos site here
+ Howto's for Ghost from Symantec here
+ Another page with useful Ghost HOWTO's here
+ Additional documentation on cloning Windows 2000 here
+ Some documentation for Ghost in Russian here
+ Reasonings on the topic of cloning systems here
+ SID notes and guide for replacing SID with GhostWalker or NewSID here
+ Universal Backup Home Page
+ Download ASR here
+ Paragon Drive Backup Home Page
+ PowerQuest Drive Image Pro Home Page
+ HDCOPY Home Page
+ Home Page RM
+ Website Network Notes
+ LN Home Page 1.11
+ Download RegCleaner here
+ Clean System Directory home page
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2000 Home Page
+ Home NBG Clean Registry
+ Home Page of EasyCleaner

Patches and Updates
+ Download the latest DirectX here
+ Download the latest version of the Java Runtime Environment here
+ Download the latest version of the Microsoft Installer here
+ All Win95 updates (security updates, service packs, add-ons) are here
+ Win98 update page - will force you to download the Windows Update program so that you can download updates, everything lies here
+ Win9x DialUp Networking Update v1.4 here
+ Utility to disable Universal Plug-and-Play in Windows 98 / Me / 2000 / XP here
+ Download the patch to disable the display of HTML in Outlook can be here
+ All Win2000 updates (security updates, service packs, add-ons) are here
+ Win2000 Eng & Rus, Service Pack 2 here

Spasibes go to: Alexander Sheiko, Vladimir, Chiper_2000, Eric, Astra

[email protected]