How Long?

[AlexDawson]

My main computer just died on me (various causes) but I was wondering how long it takes you guys to get a fresh computer (base format install) to running the way you would like it with all software working!

For me personally It took 15 hours to get Windows (Format + SP's + Drivers), Software and all my personal files installed and exactly how I want them

Just thought I would pass this open to see how other people go about it

[bgil]

Being partly a wise a**, I would say it depends on how much of the software is Microsoft. Compare how much longer it takes to update IE to other browsers.

I recently upgraded my monitor from CRT to widescreen, and spent about a half hour re-doing my desktop theme to take advantage of the extra real estate and deliver an appearance I like.

[logic_earth]

For me it takes less then 40 minutes to format and install Windows Vista, even less with Windows 7 now. I use a thumbdrive instead of a CD (With Vista and above you can install from USB while XP requires more work). After I get the files from the ISO copied over to the thumbdrive, I'll run vlite and setup unattended install so then all I have to do is configure the HDDs.

I got all my stuff on an external HDD so most of my files stay there, install drivers, windows update, base applications that I use daily. 1 1/2 hr to 2 hours depending how fast I want to go.

I reinstall about every 30 days or so, a lot of practice.

[wwb_99]

I never end up doing it in a straight run--too much going on, and I always have an alternate device to use. Real kicker for me is that I need to run a few of the longest installs known to modern man for common software. These installs, in no particular order are:

a) Adobe Creative Suite
b) Visual Studio 2005
c) Visual Studio 2008

In linear time, with patching and such, you can easily lose a whole work day watching blue bars for those guys. Record install time was 6.5 hours for VS 2005, but that was on a VM on a slow machine with slow disks.

[bgil]

I was also thinking about Adobe CS3 and Visual Studio - they indeed are not quick installs! I think CS3 took an hour, and if you get an error along the way...

[bizcare]

15 hours? hmmm... that seems to be too long. I would normally take 6-7 hours max. Format+Install+SP3+software. I also Install Adobe Creative Suite and Visual Studio 2008. By the way, my OS is XP, I think Vista would take longer to install.

[logic_earth]

...I think Vista would take longer to install.

You would be wrong to think that.

[shoaaib]

To reinstall all the usefull stuff my machine takes approximately 12 hrs. Time consuming task is to update all drivers / windows service packs etc from internet. May be it is because of my slow internet ( having bandwidth of only 2mb).

[ChiefLee]

It takes be about 20 minutes to perform a fresh install with about 80% of the software I need. Maybe another 15 minutes to install 95% of the rest of what I need. Then as I run into things over the next several days I install things as I need them.

But I run Ubuntu, I built a custom install cd that uses a preseed to answer all the questions and I install off of a local mirror.