Re-format advice request

Formatting my C drive soon. Time for a thorough digital lavage.
Looking for any suggestions to minimize potential anguish.
Yes, I've complete data backups & original machine's discs.
One concern was XP's SP2 patch, so I ordered it from M$ for a nominal charge.
(260Mb download is a lot of fun with dialup).
There's a bunch of other M$ security patches on my C drive as cab files, but I'm not sure what to do with them.
Figure it will take better part of a day for all the re-installs, configs, hopefully restoring my machine's previous youth and vigor.
Suggestions, comments welcome.

 

I'm thinking about doing the same thing. One obvious addition to what you said is imaging the disk when finished. So i won't have to do it all over again.

Dial-up is your enemy. If not, using just IE to update the system would be fine.
I guess what you're looking for is the updates in one package (SP2.5 lol). I don't know how you can do that other than downloading the updates, and saving the files... Then installing one by one argh

 

OK, the oracle told me this:
http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_tips87.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,126019-page,1-c,wordprocessing/article.html

The oracle said, and i quote:

http://www.google.pt/search?q=savin...s=org.mozilla:pt-PT:official&client=firefox-a

 

Also here:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=323166
note that i'll be reading some of this too. I want a package

edit: "(...) some of this too..." , so share if you find a good way to do it!

 

I forgot about this. I don't know if it's trustworthy, i got this from the UBCD4WIN forum:
http://www.winfuture.de/xpisobuilder3_en
Anybody knows if this is good?

 

Not very knowledgeable about these things, however, this might help!

http://www.ryanvm.net/msfn/updatepack.html

 

ryanvm's update pack is good if u want to integrate the updates into the cd.

if u want the updates installed from Windows try AutoPatcher XP.

 

you can also intergrate ryanvm update pack through nlite. you can also remove things you dont need. like drivers services and components. you can aslo integrate drivers, etc.

 

I would first Wipe you Hard disk with "WIPEDRIVE" to totally remove all the crap and stuff before formatting,as just formatting on its own,can still leave behind traces of junk and stuff. I use it on my system,and its sparkly & new again afterwards

 

Thanx to all for the advice.

 

I would have at least two current backups. Preferably with different programs because I have had my backup files fail after formatting and while attemting a restoration.

 

Thanx, I do.
One complete data backup on spare networked mach,
One complete data backup on USB HD (used for remote storage, in case of fire, theft, other devastation)