Hey Lifehacker, I have an old Lenovo laptop and an old Toshiba laptop. I need to do a full restore of the laptop that's still working better. Is it OK to use, say, the Lenovo install discs on a Toshiba laptop?

Reinstalling Windows can be a long, gruelling experience. Once you get the OS running you have to download updates, track down the right drivers, install your apps, and put everything else together. As an alternative, here's how to create a custom installation disc with everything already on it.

Microsoft has made upgrading to Windows 8 really easy with its upgrade tool, but if you have special needs and need a more traditional installation disc, you might not know where to look. Here's how to create one.

Don't like Windows 8's new interface? Think Mountain Lion is an uneasy adaptation of iOS? Sick of Ubuntu Unity and the new ads that come along with it? Maybe it's time to create your ideal operating system with just the features you want. Arch Linux can make it happen, providing the foundation for your : it lets you build your own personal killer Linux distribution.

Windows is great, but it isn't exactly what you would call lean. It comes with a whole host of programs, features and services that take up unnecessary space and may slow down your machine. If you'd rather have a slimmer installation of Windows, you can create your own Windows installer with RT Se7en Lite -- complete with lots of other customisations so you can turn Windows into your dream OS. Here's how to do it.

So you've just discovered a great new calendar, music player or other program, and you want to install it on your machine. Here's how to do it on both Windows and Mac OS X.

We've shown you how to manually create a bootable Mac OS X Lion DVD or thumb drive, but now an app called Lion DiskMaker can automate the process for you. You just download it, insert the media you want to use to create your install, and let it take care of the rest.

If you have especially slow internet, or for any other reason want a physical copy of OS X Lion, you can buy it on a flash drive for $75 from Apple. 9to5Mac is reporting that some users may be able to get them free of charge if they're "unable to use Lion's built-in recovery tools".

Getting Lion from the App Store is convenient, and Apple will be releasing a USB version in August, but there's no need to pay the extra cash. You can easily make your own Lion install DVD or flash drive with the App Store installer and Disk Utility.

Most printers are easy to set up by following the manufacturer's instructions and using the installation disc. The process is a little trickier if you're new to computing and don't have the CD or instructions any more. This beginner's guide will show you how to get your printer up and running.

Installing apps under Mac OS X is fairly straightforward, but takes a somewhat different approach to the model Windows users are familiar with. Here's the three methods you're most likely to encounter.

When you need to reinstall Windows, you shouldn't have to spend an entire day installing years of updates, drivers and necessary software along with it. Here's how to create a Windows installation disc (or USB stick) that's up to date, customised, auto-installing, and far less time-sucking than your original.

Ubuntu's store-like Software center was the first step in making applications much easier to find and install for the Linux desktop. The next step: letting users try out apps without having to even commit to a temporary installation.

There's a kind of two-step process to installing Ubuntu Linux on a system: running through the actual installation, then booting into the desktop and waiting for a huge load of updates to download. Use a Minimal image instead, and you'll install directly from up-to-date repositories.

We've long been huge fans of bulk-installing tool Ninite, and today they added a helpful feature that lets you link straight to your custom packages, for super simple sharing and remote troubleshooting.

Windows only: Ubuntu has Synaptic, OS X has the App Store, but Windows users are often left to fend for themselves when it comes to installing programs. Npackd is a central hub from which you can discover, install and manage your software.

If you find that there's some Apple software you want on your computer but it's buried in a large package of stuff you don't want (or stuff that the installer won't let you install), Pacifist will bypass the barrier for you.

Windows/Linux: Re-installing your favourite software in a new system takes time — boring, click-to-proceed time you could spend more wisely. Ninite, the web-based installer that takes the nag out of installs, now offers great custom packages for Ubuntu Linux.

Collecting and installing all your favourite apps is usually the most tedious part of a fresh OS installation. FreeApps makes bulk installation of popular free and open-source applications a snap.