Windows XP: A Clean Start

[damunzy]

I just got my copy of the new Maximum PC magazine and it has a great article in there about, paraphrased, 'Whiping away your system build-up and creating your own personalizec recovery discs!'. This is a really good idea for just about anyone except for freaks like my that enjoy loading every bit of software each time they do a system reload (although I am starting to get tired of it b/c my wife complains about losing information).

The cons:
Required to have a CD-R/RW Drive.
Required to have PowerQuest Drive Image 2002 ($69.95 USD) or similar software

 

[damunzy]

Here is an article from a different magazine about Drive Imaging:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,7310,00.asp

This art only talks about DriveImage 2002 and Ghost, both expensive programs (around 70 bucks).
I am trying to find a free program for this project.

 

[sumthinelse]

I use an external hard drive for backing up. If I did it every day I would need to burn CDs but I do it about once a month or so.

I got what was the current version of DriveImage about a year and a half ago from ebay for a pretty reasonable price.

Slight digression about software prices follows:

I have been living in Thailand since then (when I last used ebay). A completely different ball game here. The boxed, legal as far as I can tell, CIV3 costs about $8.00 US here. It's the English language version, exactly the same civ3.exe, and all the patches work with it. The CD looks legit and says "FOR SALE IN THAILAND ONLY." The box has Thai language on it but there ain't no Thai version of the software. Not yet anyway.

 

[damunzy]

On the digression:

Wow! I guess because of the economy over there with their money being worth less?

 

[sumthinelse]

Originally posted by PaleHorse76
On the digression:

Wow! I guess because of the economy over there with their money being worth less?

Yes. If they sold it for USD 40-50 nobody would buy it here. My CIV3 has a paper manual in Thai but of course this website is better. And the .pdf manual is in English on the CD. In fact, everything on the CD is in English. I think it's exactly the same binary image as the install CD in the US.

 

[starlifter]

LOL, those $8.00 programs are either grey market, or black market. The are, in fact, not legal, and the subject of much consternation from folks like Bill Gates. This is a big reason Bill is using as the "excuse" to develop his "real time" control of all MS OS and Application software with the ultra-mega database being tested in Redmond (the unwitting test subjects are everyone who uses MSN, btw). The first stage is the hash coding and general structure embedded into Windows XP. Barring a huge consumer backlash, the next generation after XP will not run diddly squat unless you have permission and validation from Big Brother Micro$oft for your mouse click. This will supposedly eliminate the $0.25 CD copies of MS software being distributed in the Far East, China, Asia, Russia and Africa.

I've travelled in the Far East since 1990, and have watched the software change over the years there from 5.25 " floppy to the current near-perfect knock-offs. One way to see the difference is typically on the copyright page of the manual, which often does not reference the original copyrights. That is often the only way to spot the difference. Most nations now, however, do at least acknowledge the right to copyright, except China. Red China views it as a free-for-all. Naturally .

 

[damunzy]

I know Kuwait had no problems with people making copies of computer or play station programs while I was over there. There were even N64 copies floating around but not as much as the CDs since they were harder to make.

From the way sumthinelse described the package it sounds legit...did it come boxed and all?

 

[Knight-Dragon]

There're, let's say, 'alternative' sources for PC, PSX, PS2 (yes, DVDs) games where I'm at. Quality-wise, no difference as far as I can see.

 

[sumthinelse]

Originally posted by starlifter
LOL, those $8.00 programs are either grey market, or black market.

......

One way to see the difference is typically on the copyright page of the manual, which often does not reference the original copyrights.

I can't find my manual. I guess my wife has hidden it somewhere. But the CD has all the copyrights on it. This is really different from the $0.50 copies, which exist here too. If it was black market, I don't see why they would bother to have an official-looking "For Sale in Thailand Only" notice prominently displayed on the CD, with all the ifnfogames copyright statements on the CD.

 

[Lostman]

$50.00 is a lot to spend on any freaking game. I don't care if Mr. Computer developed it.

Looks like I should go to Tailand.

 

[sumthinelse]

Originally posted by Lostman


Looks like I should go to Tailand.

Thailand. And there are more reasons to live here than the price of games. So come on!

Actually I have to return to the USA to work for a while now. The only problem is getting a job here.

 

[IceBlaZe]

My brother's been to Thailand recently.
He does say everything there is incredibly cheap.
But he also said he got sick of it... Lot's of heat, Bangkok smells of Sewers and Traffic congestion and sticky climate and the food can get annoying.
But that's just my brothers opinion after a month or two in Thailand (cameback a month ago about)

 

[sumthinelse]

Originally posted by IceBlaZe
Lot's of heat, Bangkok smells of Sewers and Traffic congestion and sticky climate and the food can get annoying.

Bangkok does have bad traffic and the resulting emissions from the cars and trucks. Did he try Chiang Mai? Ko Samui?

 

[sumthinelse]

Originally posted by PaleHorse76
I know Kuwait had no problems with people making copies of computer or play station programs while I was over there. There were even N64 copies floating around but not as much as the CDs since they were harder to make.

From the way sumthinelse described the package it sounds legit...did it come boxed and all?

Yes it looks OK, copyright statements all over the CD case and the CD itself.

It just wouldn't work to sell a game for $50 in a place where the average college graduate makes $150/month. Even $8.00 seems like a lot....