Windows 7 starter ISO for clean install?

I advise you to use this Imaging with free Macrium as backup software.
the recovery ISO is Here is the link to my Skydrive site. Burn it to DVD. You can use it in case of unbootable win7 (to restore the image). In case you don't have a DVD drive:

1. Use a flash drive. Create an empty PRIMARY partition (NTFS) on it. Mark it ACTIVE. Partition - Mark as Active
2. Extract files from ISO using WINRAR (or other extracting utility). Put extracted files on paritition you created in step 1.
3. Try to boot from flash drive

Does it boot? Does it see the external drive with the backup image (usb2.0 ports should work)? Does it see internal disk?
If all is fine, you can use the rescue dvd/usb for disaster restore.

curiouscat said:

Currently installing them.

What's the graphics driver got to do with back up and how do I know if it's the right one? All seems to be working properly. I just want to install my main programs and then save os like that so next time I want to reinstall I have everything I need straightaway.

Just check "device manager" to see if all devices are fine. Graphics driver is most likely "standard VGA driver" after installation. But you have a NVIDIA one or ATI I think(?) What driver is listed? What graphics card do you have?

Also check "windows updates" : recommended and optional updates and decide yourself which ones you want.

Indeed it has nothing to do with backup. But I want you to make a backup after everything has been installed.... that's a good baseline

curiouscat said:

Thanks will check when updates finished.

You can check now as well in "device manager". What graphics driver is listed? You don't know if you have ATI or NVIDIA?

curiouscat said:

Where am I looking in device manager. Can't see a graphics tab?

"display adapter"

Driver Install - Device Manager
Also interesting:
Hardware Identification
Device Manager - Finding Unknown Devices

Something like this, is it NVDIA or ATI or....?

To get this information, open the Device Manager. Click to expand the category you are interested in and then double-click the relevant sub-category (alternatively, click on the sub-category and then click on the Properties icon). In the Properties page that appears, click on the Details tab. In the Properties dropdown, select Hardware Ids. The information you require can usually be found in the first entry.



The information that we want is already highlighted, so let's have a look at it in more detail. I've copied it here, to make it clearer.

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0611&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_A2

We are only interested in the data highlighted in RED (the vendor) and BLUE (the device ID).