Windows 7

Formatted my C: drive last night and installed Windows 7 proper.  Copped plenty of flak at work for buying it retail, but now that I come to think of it, it's probably the first time I've *ever* paid full price for an operating system.. The last couple have come with the PCs and before that it was all uni stuff.  

I decided not to get an upgrade, since I didn't want to spend time trying to find my Dell recovery cds or deal with any of the hassles of trying to get a key to work (having read horror stories about it).  

So backed everything up just in case (data is all on d: drive, but it was scheduled for last night anyway) then backed up my users directory to make sure I had things like my Google Earth place markers, Live Messenger history, and Chrome history/session data.

And then installed Windows 7.  Went totally smoothly.  In fact a few minutes after it started I went and hung out all my washing, then came back and it was nearly done.  Installed and restored Chrome and I was up and running again, hurrah!