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Just to remind again, SmartDraw is now at version 7.3. There have been some big interface changes since version 6, so any review would need to be based on that version.

If you haven't got access to version 7.3 there is a free trial version on their website: here

Great ... will people be able to read what is going on here or will it be private support etc. ?

Good idea, kfitting ...

Again - add to the menu bar?

This could be fun, and useful ....

How about adding it to the top MenuBar ?

As with the bug tracker is this going to be open access to all registered members? If so can the site membership be integrated into the Media Wiki user database so that we only have to login once ?

If you work out how to do this automatically I will be really interested how you did it ....

It is possible to include some applications and get Windows to run the installer automatically, but I'm not sure it is possible to have preconfigured applications installed.

There is also a limit to how much you can fit on the installation CD.

This is the sort of thing thatis ideally approached via disk imaging.

One method you could try is to use a utility like TotalUninstall to take a snapshot of your system immediately after you complete windows fresh install, and then again after you have installed the required applications. You could then copy all the files and registry modifications to a backup disc and simply copy them, and reapply the registry changes after using your slipstream disc. Shouldn't be too hard to acheive.

Personally I don't really want to take the approach that Windows installs all sorts of extras. Once you have created your "slipstream extra" disc, and get it all working perfectly, by the next time you want to use it you will have changed your needs, and half of the software/drivers on the disc will need updating anyway.

My preferred approach is to make a slipstream of the most recent service pack for clean installs, and then on a fresh install do regular incremental image backups, that way you can roll back if you have issues. If you install your core applications first you can restore the image at any time, and at any key point int he set up process. Burn those backups to DVD and you have a multiple possiblilty install system that will get you up and running in minutes without user intervention.

The only disadvantage of image restoration is that you are fixed in the drive label you can use for windows from that image. eg. If you backup up a Windows installation on Drive C then it can only be restored to Drive C. If you want a multiboot system then you can image and restore the drives separately.

Slipstreaming is the way to go for a generic setup disc. If you look around there are loads of good websites that will help you compile a stipstreamed CD with all your srivers and some standard software applications ready to install.

For day to day system building (on your current hardware) imaging is the way to go. You install everything the way you want it, image the hard disc (Norton Ghost, Acronis Ture Image etc) and when you want to reinstall you just restore the image. This also has the advantage with Windows XP in that you activate windows before makng the initial image and then you never have to activate again when you reinstall. Trouble is when you change hardware the image probably won't work well, although it really depends what hardware you change ...

For slipstreaming checkout this search page for lots of links.

Here are a couple I have found useful in the past:

http://www.winsupersite.c...dowsxp_sp2_slipstream.asp
http://www.helpwithwindow...sXP/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html


This one looks helpful for your needs (at least as a starter) but I haven't used this one:

http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=284

Fixed ...

It must have been something odd happening in Internet Explorer's settings. I cleared cache/cookies/history and reset Internet Options/Security/Privacy settings to default and it now works.

Strange ...

No, I have always used the default one installed.

I have backed up the database and am going to reinstall ...

I bet it is to do with tech support messing about with my account today ...

But I don't understand how it can find it in Firefox and not in Explorer ???

SMF forums are behaving really badly so I am finding it hard to get help there. I finally managed to post a message, only for it to appear three times and people to start shouting at me!! Two of the message have locked me out so I can't delete or modify them, and everytime I try and post the site dies ... or is it just me?

Sorry to ask this here - but I can't currently logon to SMF.

I have just set up my forum, but it has developed an odd problem. If I use Firefox it works fine, if I use Internet Explorer it now has severe problems.

I have attached images below to show what I mean.

I have tried clearing the IE cache, and also I have tried changing the Theme in the form - to no avail?

Anyone any ideas?

SmartDraw is now into version 7.3

S o I dooo

Windows XP doesn't include Virtual Machine as standard. You can download it from all over the web, but not from MS. It has been a dead project for along time now with no updates. It really should be avoided.

I used to use it but find that Jave RTE is just as good and it is an active project that produces security updates.

Are visitors supposed to get a license key? Have I missed something?

Thanks Darwin - actually anyone who has seen Bridget Jones' Diary should get it (it is one of her favourite descriptions of useless boyfriends).

I feel the same. I like Nero but I don't like the way each upgrade is a minor improvement (usually just adding burners as far as I can see) and loads more bloatware that really isn't needed.

I don't really know where Nero got the idea to add all these extras to the project but someone should tell them they aren't too good at it and to concenttrate on what they do best!

From what I read on their site Nero 7 burning seems to be identical to Nero 6 burning, they appear to have added some new odds'n'ends to their media package and updated a few other items, but Nero itself (as far as i can see) is still basically version 6 ???

The other thing I dislike is the way every bit they can separate from their main apps (like Dolby 5.1 Surround in ShowTime, MP3 support etc.) comes as an extra when all the competing apps come complete. I don't use ShowTime because it just isn't as good as WinDVD, and they won't encourage me back if I have to pay an extra $30 to get the ShowTime 5.1 plugin !!

Do I get Brownie points for noticing ....

By about a factor of 10 I reckon ...

by the way where has the spell check gone for forum posts?

For all the boys out there who like to play with toys:

Try this ... cheap at twice the price 

Hey that looks like it might solve quite a few problems ...

If you want to read what it does ... from the same site:

Delayer has a simple function: to delay the execution of a program by a specified number of seconds (up to 24 days!).
Other use examples:

Pop up a periodic reminder to take a break (or get back to work!)
Periodically check E-mail, run diagnostics, etc.
Ping your ISP occasionally to keep it from disconnecting.
Automatically log off after 8 hours (assuming you have a program that will do that without user input.)
Run a sequence of programs on startup (instead of running them all at once).
Keep your taskbar tray icons in a certain order by running the startup programs in a certain sequence.

PLATFORMS: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT 4, Windows 2000, WinXp

If you want to look at the author's site and his other software look here.

Works great but would nice to be incorporated into a neat interface rather than having to edit all your shortcuts to use it ...

[fw]

Do you think fw is an appropriate set of initials 

Checkout Control Panel > System > Advanced Tab > Environment Variables (button)  and look in the list of system variables at the bottom.

(THis is for windows XP but there are similar things in other windows versions but may have different tab/button names)

Personally I would suggest the poster should be reported to his/her ISP for abuse (you have the posting IP and time so it is traceable)  - I find the comments offensive as, I'd guess, do most other people here.

Does that mean only use the forum if you see http://72.36.247.86 in the URL ??

As you said - it might be worth putting a not in the NEWS BOX that says "You are currently connected to ...." and if posts to the older server are going tobe lost warn people.

  By the way, for the moment it seems an awful lot quicker .... YIPPEEE 

it's grim up north!

Depends which country you are in ... Northern England is great ... wide open spaces, people who don't rob you ...

Northern Scotland is great too ... no one up there except for the deer

Northern Canada - need I say more?

The west isn't bad too ... Wales, the Rockies, the Andes ...

It's just South that hasn't got a lot to offer .... (unless you are in Australia, but they stand on their heads so don't count as their bood is all in the wrong places ... even noticed how red Australian's faces get?)

Some useful utilities here

Sleep used in a batch file would do it