An Old School Geek’s approach to Installing & Setting Up a Windows PC

mneal · 24 May 2013

Ok, I think I see what you mean. It was the reference to the user profile as a system drive that threw me off.

I was planning on using all of the SSD (128GB) as system. Then on the platter drive, set up a 250GB partition for user profile and the rest for data.

Am I correct in thinking that, if I've linked the libraries in the user profiles to directories in the data drive, that there's very little to get corrupted in the user profile that would ordinarily require a reinstall or re-creation of the user profile?

Kari · 24 May 2013

Yes, that is a correct assumption. The best part of using the sysprep method instead of manually moving folders one by one is that even if something happens to system drive, the user data is completely secured.

It also makes separate backups and images possible: in the example in my previous post simply create a system image and then separately a Users image. If something happens to system drive you only need to restore system image, if (highly unlikely) user profiles will be damaged you only need to restore the Users image.

Kari

mneal · 24 May 2013

So, I do the initial install, set up 250gb for user profiles/appdata, 500gb for backups, the rest for data. Do an initial backup of system and user profile partitions after the install and I'm pretty much good to go. I'm liking this better and better.

Can games and such be installed in the initial setup, or is it better to wait until after you create users? It's only me using the computer, btw.

Kari · 24 May 2013

Your plan seems OK, that's at least how I would do it.

As it is only you accessing the PC I would install all software only after the first normal boot. In case of several user accounts I would install software which is meant for all users in Audit Mode, software for your account only after the first normal boot.

mneal · 24 May 2013

Do you still recommend making an initial 'clean' backup, or just do it after the first normal boot, as well?

Kari · 24 May 2013

That's up to you, something you need to decide. I like to create an initial system image as I call it in Audit Mode before creating any user profiles, after installing all drivers and updates. Doing this will give me a fresh, cleanly installed Windows when or if the image is restored, the machine will afterwards boot as if booted the first time starting with asking the initial user name.

All benefits of a fresh install but all updates and drivers installed, starting from a clean and virgin Windows without any user specific information or settings. There's nothing wrong in creating the first image after Windows is set up and first normal OOBE boot done, only difference being that your first user profile already exists, the time zone is already set up and various network settings already exist.

mneal · 24 May 2013

Good point - and, it's not like I can't make another backup after setting all that up if I want.

Britton30 · 01 Jun 2013

I just copy/pasted to Word 2007 and printed a nice double-sided 9 page booklet to follow. Hand to have a hard copy to look at like I also did with Move User Files During Installation tut.

Kari · 01 Jun 2013

Gary, my great passion Sysprep is only presented very shortly in this guide. Knowing your experience with sysprepping, even if I say so myself this tutorial is a good appendix to Part 3 of the guide: System Preparation Tool - Use to Customize Windows.

Britton30 · 01 Jun 2013

Thanks Kari, that is nearly a college level tutorial.