Well ....
Im sitting on the pc now in lovely 16 colours 648x480 res :P

What I would like to know is the "recommended" order for installing stuff after a fresh install of windows .....

The main few are:
VIA 4-in-1's
Windows Service Pack 2
Detonator drivers

Any help greatly appreciated!

4-in-1's
direct x
sound drivers
video drivers
service pack
cs =p

sp2
4in1s
directx
detonators

emeber, cs ? pfffffffft, we dont want a new install to be f***ed that quickly.

it was a joke i don't even play cs

i was also joking. i forgot the [joke] [/joke] in there, im sorry.

that's ok just don't do it again =p

i think she was just implying im a newbie and that automatically meant i played cs

i posted this cause i was pretty certain ppl will all say different orders .... just curious :D

ill wait till a few more ppl post b4 i install anything

ta

hemarage i think you assume too much it was a f***ing joke already
god next time i'll say toon town instead.

WOW .. and i took it as a joke

i dont even play cs so i straight away shrugged it off

chill :P

doesnt anyone know if SP2 overwrites the AGP driver which is installed with the VIA's?

when i installed SP2 last week i THINK it did ... cause i measured my vid card "performance" in 3dmark and my score was about what it was before i put on the vias

Well I would install the 4in1's first.
Windows can still work fine without the service packs so it's not a critical update straight away. The 4in1's however have been known to fix some critical issues....

I would probably go for:
4in1's
video driver (unless your windows default one allows for at least 1024x768) because it makes things so much easier later...
Service Packs
Other patches
sound drivers etc.
DirectX (I'm fairly sure the order of installing DirectX and the various drivers isn't important)
I would then consider installing the 4in1's again just in case the service pack or the patches overwrote the 4in1 modified files...
Then I would tune my desktop settings etc. to the way I like them.
Then install small utils that you use often like WinZip or whatever.
Then if available, use Ghost or something to make a backup of your install, so you have a nice fresh install image tucked away somewhere...
Then install your big apps and games.

if only i had a copy of norton ghost :(

I think i might go with the order Rukh suggested :P

i agree with most of you i think the most logical way is

-4in1's
-Network card drivers (if not auto recognised by OS)
-Other PCI card drivers (IMHO it doesn't matter what order you do them in though Video first certainly does make things nicer.)
-SP2
-PreSP3Rollup (it's on GA)
-IE6.0 (this is before windows update so i don't get bombarded with fixes for IE5.5 only to then upgrade it anyway)
-WindowsUpdate (to catch the latest and greatest)
-DirectX (i normally forget this till i need it, i don't see why some of you have it soo early on in the process) (and i've never had any DirectX issues)

I always tend to go with the:

1. Operating System
2. Service Packs
3. Drivers
4. Microsoft Office/Office Program
5. Other Applications
6. Games

then refine the install, and then image it so I can restore if necessary.

I don't have a board that uses 4 in 1's but from what I've read they would be good to put on early.

I'd go
1. OS
2. 4 in 1's (or other specific mobo related drivers)
3. WinZip or *insert fav zip prog here*
4. All your drivers, in no particular order. Though I like to start with video.
5. If you're runnin 2k you should put the service paks on about now.
6. Ghost it if you feel like it here.
7. Office and other common apps and utils here.
8. The most important part! Games!

i always go

-service pack
-direct X
-drivers (4 in 1's 1st)
-critical updates and security patched
-other crap

i havent had an install go wrong since i addopted this order and everything runs nicely so i'm happy.

What is the Service Pack 2 good for?

Last time I installed it, it f***ed my browser and wouldn't let me search the net. After a re-install of my system I never bothered with it again and everything is working fine. I figure if it is for sercurity reasons, like to stop users getting into your system easier I really couldn't care. I use a firewall and if someone really wants to get in, good on 'em. There's nothing on my machine that I can't re-download.

SP2 actually fixes quite a lot of the problems in the initial release of win2k. Id recommend you install it as it does make for a more stable system and some software wont install if you dont have it on (i think neverwinter nights does this).

sp2 updates the via drivers, so you'd definately want to install the very latest via drivers AFTER you install sp2.