PC Magazine has a nicely documented tip outlining how to create an Windows XP SP2 recovery disk with all of the current drivers and updates for your PC. This is a problem that gets worse the longer you own your PC. As new service packs, security patches, and updated drivers are released over time, the investment you need to make to rebuild your PC (which it seems I do once or twice a year) gets longer. Having an up to date recovery disk handy is good insurance.
