Here's what I do when I for example reload the OS:
copy c:\program files\sony to some other location via right click: copy and paste.
You'll need about 5 GB! If you don't have that, then just copy the PAKS subdirectory to DVD-R, as that's the bulk of the downloads...
Now if you flatlined your system you reinstall motherboard drivers, then AGP/video driver, then audio, next DirectX 9.0c,
then install Everquest II (you just want it to write the system registry entries for you, as it's a nuisance otherwise), now copy your previously saved "sony" directory on top of the sony directory that was just created at install, or optionally just the PAKS subdirectory two directory levels down from "sony". When you restart, if you just copied the PAKS you still save 88-93% or so of the new downloads. But if you saved the whole sony directory and all subdirectories under it, you don't have to fiddle with your saved options, such as hotbars and video options, which in my case would be about 20 to 30 minutes tuning as I have a dirt cheap graphics card, which means more work getting it to go fast rather than throwing money at it and staying at defaults.
Anyway, works for me, I've done this a lot.
- GS