You can create a bootable DVD much in the same way, no problem about that
. But 400MB for a sound card driver? Surely it's not only a driver
.
It is worth the effort, because you create the cd before you're going to upgrade; so when you do the down time is minimized. Also it will allow you to start from scratch if you install something that screws up everything. Not to mention the fact that you directly install the latest drivers, instead of installing Windows XP ones and then having to install newer ones.