Windows XP install

Planning

Choose:

hostname (and domain name; don't use ".local" for internal domains, because of confllicts with Macs).
IP address
administrator password

Choose partitioning scheme:

I tend to divide XP installs into:

C:\ - 20-30 GB for the Windows system only
D:\ - 10-25 GB for programs (Office, Firefox, etc.). When installing programs, instead of C:\Program Files, I install stuff into D:\
E:\ - for documents
sometimes F:\ for extra stuff

Install the OS

Consider making a new install CD integrating a custom winnt.sif answer file, and/or additional drivers. nLite makes this easy, and allows further customization of the system. An alternative to the custom install CD is to only make a winnt.sif file. The Setup Manager makes this easy if you do it for the first time. See the MS Quick Guide to Preinstalling Windows.

Configure

Start Windows update.

In between the endless reboots:

In Diskmgmt.msc : Change CD-ROM drive letter (I use X:\) so that new hard disks and/or partitions get logical drive letters. (If the machine has both a CD/DVD reader and a writer, I use W:\ for the writer).
Format additional partitions.
Label the partitions (I use "C-System", "D-Apps", "E-Docs"; keeping the drive letter in the label can be helpful sometimes)
Add to path: ;C:\bin;C:\Perl\bin or D:\bin;D:\Perl\bin
Set screen resolution
gpedit.msc : Disable autorun on all drives. (Local Computer Policy -> Administrative Templates -> System: Turn off Autoplay)
Set the NTP time servers: (for Switzerland: net time /setsntp:"ntp12.metas.ch 0.ch.pool.ntp.org 1.ch.pool.ntp.org")
In workgroups, also change the registry for more frequent updates (.reg file here ; change NTP servers if not in Switzerland), and then run w32tm /config /update
Power management
Folder settings (No hide extensions, No simple file sharing, ...)
No "Smooth-scroll list boxes" (My Computer -> Properties -> Advanced -> Performance Settings)
No "... smooth edges of screen fonts" (Display properties -> Appearance -> Effects)
My Documents to E:\ or E:\%USERNAME%
Add users (lusrmgr.msc)
Remove crap which starts automatically, like Google Desktop, Nero search, etc. and check the Run entries in the registry (using startupcpl or msconfig)

Install utilities and applications

Various utilities (C:\Bin)

Get the bin directory , extract the contents to C:\bin\ or elsewhere, and add it to the path variable. Several scripts in there use Perl, so maybe add Perl.

And possibly add Native Win32 ports of some GNU utilities : wget http://unxutils.sourceforge.net/UnxUtils.zip

and the Windows Resource Kit tools

Total Commander

(Best file manager. Shareware but fully functional unlimited trial)

wget ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/winsite/winxp/dskutil/tcmd*

Irfan View

http://www.irfanview.com/ (free for personal use only)

XnView

http://www.xnview.com/ (free for personal use only)

Notepad++

InfraRecorder

(The free CD/DVD burning solution. GPL)

http://infrarecorder.sourceforge.net/

http://downloads.sourceforge.net/infrarecorder/

Firefox

English: wget ftp://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/latest/win32/en-US/Firefox*.exe
or wget ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/mozilla/firefox/releases/latest/win32/en-US/Firefox*.exe
German: wget ftp://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/latest/win32/de/Firefox*.exe
French: wget ftp://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/latest/win32/fr/Firefox*.exe

Install with something like "Firefox Setup 2.0.0.11.exe" /S /D=D:\Mozilla\Firefox (see Mozilla wiki but there are bugs)

Add Language packs :

German: wget http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/latest/win32/xpi/de.xpi
(Swiss mirror: wget ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/mozilla/firefox/releases/latest/win32/xpi/de.xpi)

French: wget http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/latest/win32/xpi/fr.xpi
(Swiss mirror: wget ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/mozilla/firefox/releases/latest/win32/xpi/fr.xpi)

Firefox extensions

To install globally: firefox.exe -install-global-extension filename.xpi

Open in Browser (this is an indispensable workaround for misconfigured servers.)
Add Bookmark Here (or Add Bookmark Here 2: wget http://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/downloads/file/16069/)
Copy URL +

Not only for web developers, but also for any user who has web site, these are invaluable:

Web Developer (wget http://downloads.chrispederick.com/work/web-developer/web-developer.xpi)
ColorZilla
DOM Inspector (but this should have been installed by default)

Also maybe:

(I occasionally update the list of the extensions on my own machine (using InfoLister))

Thunderbird

wget ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/mozilla/thunderbird/releases/latest/win32/en-US/Thunderbird*.exe

Add Language packs :

German: wget http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/thunderbird/releases/latest/win32/xpi/de.xpi
(Swiss mirror: wget ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/mozilla/thunderbird/releases/latest/win32/xpi/de.xpi)

French: wget http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/thunderbird/releases/latest/win32/xpi/fr.xpi
(Swiss mirror: wget ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/mozilla/thunderbird/releases/latest/win32/xpi/fr.xpi)

d:\Mozilla\Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe -install-global-extension de.xpi

d:\Mozilla\Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe -install-global-extension fr.xpi

To assign a user-interface language to a profile, set the preference general.useragent.locale to the name of the locale

Add Dictionaries :

(Easiest from http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/dictionaries.html but they don't seem to be up to date)

French: wget http://downloads.mozdev.org/dictionaries/spell-fr-FR.xpi
German: wget http://downloads.mozdev.org/dictionaries/spell-de-CH.xpi

Updated dictionaries are available from the "Thunderbird Add-ons: Dictionaries" page, with completely insane file names. As of Jan. 2008, the files are

French: wget -O spell-fr.xpi --no-check-certificate https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/downloads/file/21646/dictionnaire_myspell_en_fran__ais-1.6-fx+tb+sm.xpi

German (Swiss):

wget -O spell-de-CH.xpi --no-check-certificate https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/downloads/file/10697/w_atilde_para_rterbuch_quot_deutsch_schweiz_quot_-1.0-fx+zm+tb.xpi

d:\Mozilla\Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe -install-global-extension spell-de-CH.xpi

d:\Mozilla\Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe -install-global-extension spell-fr.xpi

Calendar: Sunbird or Lightning

wget ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/mozilla/calendar/sunbird/releases/0.7/win32/en-US/sunbird-0.7.en-US.win32.installer.exe

wget ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/mozilla/calendar/sunbird/releases/0.7/win32/en-US/sunbird-0.7.en-US.win32.zip

wget ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/mozilla/calendar/lightning/releases/0.7/lightning-0.7.win32.xpi

Multimedia

http://cccp-project.net/download.php?type=cccp

http://www.cccp-project.net/wiki/index.php?title=FAQ

http://www.cccp-project.net/wiki/index.php?title=Installer_Options

(Close browser before install!)

Real Alternative.

QT Lite or QuickTime Alternative

Install Printers

PDFCreator

Office

Antivirus

Test

Check that multimedia playback (video, flash, etc.) works in browser
(try http://alma.ch/blogs/bahut/2006/09/multimedia-playback-in-browser.html)

Backup

Do a backup before the users break everything and/or install viruses...