Download SP3 here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?familyid=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en or http://preview.tinyurl.com/xp-sp3-4-christy The link to download the (free) private version of the drive image software is at the bottom of this page: http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm Silverlight is a developers tool to make websites look and feel fancy and pretty. I personally see no need for a consumer user like us to have it installed. Portable apps are simply that... portable. You can move them from computer to computer to computer with no ill effects, If you use public computers (library for example) they are great because you have your familiar programs to use instead of their strange ones and you leave no trace of your work on the public computer. Portable apps are very nice on your own personal computer(s) for the same reasons... you can move back and forth between desktop and laptop without skipping a beat. They do not write to your hard drive or your registry (except in a few cases where minimal writing is done) and thus do not bog down the registry with hundreds or thousands of line entries that must be sorted through on booting up. I once uninstalled a program and then used CCleaner to clean up the over 1500 registry line entries, folders and files the uninstaller left behind. Portable apps work just like their installed counterparts in most cases. Occasionally you may find an app with a feature or features that work differently or don't work at all in a portable. This is normally documented in the description at the download site. I have not yet been hampered by anything like that. Does the scanner produce good scans? If so I would not worry too much. But I would try to confirm you have the right cord. If the power cord has a transformer make sure the output of the transformer is putting out the right voltage for the scanner. Low power would cause the light to be dimmer than normal. Don cristy wrote: > Hi Don, > > LOL.."now I remember WHY it has been so long since I have done a "clean > install". It was a "headache". I think I got confused on the program I was > asking about. I was thinking of an imaging program similar to Ghost but > "free". I really should be using that program though on my new laptop since > it is pretty much how I want it now. I thought a free one was listed here > awhile ago. > > I am sleepy tonight but if I have any questions, you know I will be asking > ;0. A long time ago, I had ordered the sp2 CD I think but I should have sp3 > now installed on my system. I will need to see where to download it though > online if I will need to save it for later. What is Silverlight? I am > buying a router soon also, I guess best to hook that up after the clean > install. Not really sure, I understand about the portable software yet but > will google it as you suggest and look into it. > > *On another note, I have been having an issue with my old HP scanner 3570. > It use to work like a charm. I had misplaced the power cord awhile back and > thought I found the right one, still not sure but the power comes on when I > use it. The problem is the light appears burned out or something. I barely > see any light when it is scanning. I do not know if I have the wrong cord, > need a driver update, or a bulb of some kind just happened to burn out. Any > one have a clue? I really do use this scanner often and hate for it to be > out of use. > > thanks, > christy > > > --------------------------------------------------------------- Please remember to trim your replies (including this sentence and everything below it) and adjust the subject line as necessary. To subscribe, unsubscribe or modify your email settings: //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk OR To subscribe to the mailing list, send an email to pctechtalk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" in the Subject. To unsubscribe send email to pctechtalk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject. To access our Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/ //www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/ To contact only the PCTT Mod Squad, write to: pctechtalk-moderators@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To join our separate PCTableTalk off-topic group, send a blank email to: pctabletalk+subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---------------------------------------------------------------