I usually format my computer about once a year like clockwork; whether it needs it or not. I find that it just helps. Windows collects a lot of gunk over time that just needs to be cleaned out (in fact, if I have to spend more than a couple hours troubleshooting an issue I format the computer and start over). Doing this may take about a day, from start to finish, but when It’s complete the computer I’m left with is always a lot stronger and faster than the one I started with.

Since I manage the network for my day job, as just one of my responsibilities, I’ve carried this idea forward into taking care of client computers with a couple of additions for the corporate workplace. If a virus or any piece of spyware infects one of my machines we format it and start over (it’s too much work trying to disinfect it and I’m never 100% satisfied the virus or spyware won’t return).

The process for completing a complete reset goes something like this:

1. Backup Files
2. Install Windows (w/ format)
3. Install Drivers
4. Activate OS (this SUCKS)
5. Update OS
6. Add to Domain
7. Install Needed Programs
8. Restore Files
9. Hand Off to User

The above can usually take anywhere from 5 to 7 hours depending on activation issues and the programs needed. When doing this on my personal computer it sucks, but not nearly as bad as when it has to be done to 8; I’ve just spent the last 3 days creating Windows XP boxes for my domain. Of course, during this time I didn’t do any “real” work (coding) or make money for the company in any substantive way.

Now, once upon a time I had a staff. I had them always make sure there was a few spare computers around in case something happened; to be used to replace a users computer and get the user back up and running ASAP. If we needed a computer it worked like such:

1. Backup Files
2. Install Needed Programs
3. Restore Files
4. Hand Off to User

Like a pit crew, we usually had the turn around time down to an unpit crew like time of about 20 minutes. This was usually followed by restoring the computer back to factory install and adding it to the queue of stand by computers.

Now that I only have a staff of one it becomes a little tougher to manage the network in a preventive way without taking time away from my real love; programming. Since we’re about to head into a couple months of project work it behooved us to prepare the network for the reality of a Windows life; we needed to do this.

We started Monday morning with 5 computers to do with an order of 3 to provide to users which then needed to be reset as well. We set up computers at 3 different, unused, workstations and began the process. Starting at 10AM, we finished the first one at 3PM and the third about 30 minutes later (of course all the computers are different models which required different drivers and updates).

Repeat above paragraph two more times.

Sigh…

There has to be a better way. I wish I could lay this pain squarely on the shoulders of Microsoft but that’s not fair. Sure, the update process for Windows takes it’s fair share of time to complete, and the shear volume of updates to complete is amazing but, no, it’s not all painful because of Windows.

Here are the minimum programs I need to install on a workstation with the time it takes to finish:

1. MS Office 2003 (10 minutes)
2. Adobe CS3 (60 minutes)
3. Adobe Acrobat (30 minutes)
4. Eset Nod32 (3 minutes)
5. Edit Plus 3 (1 minutes)
6. MS Project (15 minutes)
7. MS Visio (15 minutes)

As you can see, Adobe installers take a while too. And that’s not even including the updates, of which there are many.

How come there isn’t some way to automate this; I know it’s possible but a solution’s never come into my world. Considering how frequent setting up a computer happens in the corporate world I’m surprised.

Of course I could be wrong…