lmacmil
join:2001-01-26
South Bend, IN
| [XPHome] How often do you do a clean install?
I have had people tell me they do a clean OS installation every 2 or 3 years to clean up all the junk that accumulates. I have never done this. My XP Home install was an upgrade from Win95 that I did in 2001 or so. I have SP3 and other updates that install via automatic update.
During this time, I have upgraded motherboards twice (doing repair installs of the OS) and am now fairly current hardware-wise (AMD 780G chipset with Athlon 4850e CPU). I am currently experiencing a problem (random lockups with loss of video) that has carried over from the recent mobo/CPU upgrade, which leads me to believe it may be software related.
I'm curious how many of you periodically do a fresh installation of your current operating system and how often you do this. Thanks. |
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captokita
Premium
join:2005-02-22
Calabash, NC
| With 98 it was almost a yearly thing, when I ran ME, it was every 6 months or so. I've never had to do a fresh install of XP OR 2000, unless it was a new computer. XP runs a lot better / stable than anything before it. Hopefully, 7 will be similar. I don't use Vista, so I can't vouch for that.
Now I know I'm in the minority with ME - I really liked it when I had it running on my old HP - ran fast / stable. (at FIRST) Most cases of me needing to do a wipe were caused by me messing around with it.
Also, now that I use Acronis, reinstalls should never even be an issue.  |
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lmacmil
join:2001-01-26
South Bend, IN
| said by captokita  :Also, now that I use Acronis, reinstalls should never even be an issue. Why is that? |
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HRM
God Bless America
Premium,MVM
join:2002-02-03
Darien, CT
clubs:  
 ·Vonage
3 edits | reply to lmacmil
Never on my desktop. 4/28/05
On a laptop, I tried manufacturers drivers and couldn't undo the video which forced me to reinstall, but I never had to otherwise.
Switching Motherboards I would do a clean install if there were different chipsets. (nvidia to nvidia would be OK in my book)
You may need to delete config files in older games to let them find new hardware such as video cards and other important things. Newer games seem to auto detect though you might have to click "use recommended settings" or such. |
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not quite right
I'm not cool enough to be a Mac person
join:2001-06-23
Puyallup, WA
| reply to lmacmil
Just suck it up .... it was time a looong time ago. I do a fresh install with any major hardware upgrade, and "spring clean" at least once a year weather it needs it or not. Never quite understood why people will put up with a poorly running machine, or spend 10 times longer trying to fix a hosed install. 
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"Not many people know this, but I happen to be quite famous." |
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dibbb
join:2003-09-19 | I wipe and reinstall my PC's about once every 2 years or so. |
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dandelion
Premium,MVM
join:2003-04-29
Germantown, TN
clubs:
 ·Comcast
| reply to lmacmil
Almost yearly on my '98, only once on my ME and like captokita was due to messing with something I shouldn't have  . Never on my XP. |
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Kilroy
Premium,MVM
join:2002-11-21
Sterling Heights, MI
·WOW Internet and C..
| reply to lmacmil
I normally do a clean install with each new OS. I buy a new hard drive, just in case things don't work I just plug the old one back in. Remove all of the drives except for the hard drive and an optical drive. Install with the DVD from the optical drive. After the OS is up and running I power off and connect the other drives and then boot and start running on my new OS.
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When will the people realize that with DRM they aren't purchasing anything? |
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alchav
join:2002-05-17
Palm Desert, CA
 ·Pacific Bell - SBC
|  reply to not quite right
said by not quite right :Just suck it up .... it was time a looong time ago. I do a fresh install with any major hardware upgrade, and "spring clean" at least once a year weather it needs it or not. Never quite understood why people will put up with a poorly running machine, or spend 10 times longer trying to fix a hosed install. Well I kind of agree with Not Quite Right, but I think he over does it. He is correct, you are way over due for a Clean Load. Changing Mobo's is a major Hardware change and should require a Clean Load, especially from an upgraded OS. Motherboards and HDD should require a Clean Load. |
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dave
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to not quite right
said by not quite right : Never quite understood why people will put up with a poorly running machine, or spend 10 times longer trying to fix a hosed install. Never quite understood why people think systems run poorly if they're not frequently reinstalled, or why people so readily decide to reinstall without even understanding the problem first. |
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La Luna
Surviving Ashraful
Premium
join:2001-07-12
Warwick, NY
clubs:
·Optimum Online
·Vonage
| ^^ Agree. Never could understand this strange need to reinstall just......because. Even if nothing is wrong. I haven't reinstalled on this XP Pro box in three years and it's running great. Then again, I try to not bork it up doing silly things if at all possible. |
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dadkins
Can you do Blu?
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
·Comcast
| reply to lmacmil
Me?
Whenever I have an Acronis image that fails to install.
Uhm... last one has lasted for about 3 years now(XP Home, right?) with MANY reimagings.
Reinstalling for the hell of it is a waste of time IMHO.
All the updating, and reinstalling of all my must-have software? No thanks! 
This Vista machine is still running on Factory.
Doing ok too!
Language English (United States)
Installation Time Sun May 18 16:48:24 2008
Boot Time 06/30/2009 09:23:16.375
Re-install? Hopefully never!
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Think outside the Fox... Opera |
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jabarnut
Light Years Away
Premium,MVM
join:2005-01-22
Galaxy M31
2 edits | reply to dave
said by dave :said by not quite right : Never quite understood why people will put up with a poorly running machine, or spend 10 times longer trying to fix a hosed install. Never quite understood why people think systems run poorly if they're not frequently reinstalled, or why people so readily decide to reinstall without even understanding the problem first. I also agree.
I've been running XP Pro on two machines since...(heck, I don't know, since it was first released I suppose), and I've NEVER started from scratch and done a new clean install.
You kidding? What a PITA that is!
Fact is, my machines run just as well as the day I first installed the OS...heck, I don't know, maybe better.
I do however, keep a fresh image of my system partition reasonably up to date, and also keep a record of what's changed since the last image.
Therefore, if I do have a problem (and worst case scenario, have to restore a previous image), I tend to know exactly what it was that caused the problem.
I've known other people who start from scratch just for the sake of feeling "clean" again....I'm just not one of them.
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I had a life once.....now I have a Computer and a Modem. |
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MarkAW
Barry White or lil bratt
Premium
join:2001-08-27
Canada
·Bell Sympatico
·Cogeco Cable
| reply to dadkins
When i first installed this OS back on May 10 2007 i made a image of it with Acronis and haven't seen the need to do clean install ever since.
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OZO
Premium
join:2003-01-17
| reply to lmacmil
In a while Windows OS accumulates a lot of trash in its registry and in files/folders. It contains logs of what you did with it (what programs you have ever installed, what web sites you have visited, when last time you did it, etc.) and it contains lot of old files kept from previous installations that will never be used again. That gradually slows down computer and for some may create a privacy concern. You have a doubt about it? Then make notes about how fast it runs after a year or a couple of years, check OS loading time, check registry size, check footprint that OS takes on your HD, etc. Then make a clean install and compare. You'll see (and not just feel) the difference.
I found it especially useful to make clean install after a new service pack for OS is issued. One thing is running computer after it was updated with latest service pack and another thing is running the very same computer with OS installed from the scratch using new slipstreamed disk.
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Keep it simple, it'll become complex by itself... |
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lmacmil
join:2001-01-26
South Bend, IN
| reply to not quite right
said by not quite right :Just suck it up .... it was time a looong time ago.... I do a fresh install with any major hardware upgrade You're probably right about that
And this was a very major hardware (mobo, CPU, memory, video). |
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BoulderHill1
join:2004-07-15
Montgomery, IL
·AT&T DSL Service
| reply to dave
said by dave :said by not quite right : Never quite understood why people will put up with a poorly running machine, or spend 10 times longer trying to fix a hosed install. Never quite understood why people think systems run poorly if they're not frequently reinstalled, or why people so readily decide to reinstall without even understanding the problem first. I think there is an assumption here that people "think systems run poorly if not frequently reinstalled". That is not the case. The system runs poorly for other reasons such as it has been jacked with, infected with some sort of malware/scareware, major settings tampered with, etc..
As Not Quite Right said, why spend all that time trying to fix a hosed install that in most cases never really fixes the problem, when one can save all personal data, wipe the drive and reinstall th OS in 1/10th the time. I have in the past done all the typical things one would do to "fix" infected, compromised or otherwised hosed machines such as running the whole battery of AV scanners, spyware tools, HiJackThis, etc. only to lose hours and hours of time and still have a machine that does not work properly.
I do this on a regular basis for my customers. They will bring me a machine that has been compromised in one way or another, typically due to some sort of malware infection. I will invariably ask them what personal data they have on the machine that they do not want to lose. Then the typical repair route is to backup that data, wipe the drive, reinstall the OS and other software and updates, and then restore personal data.
Customer recieves back a machine that I am completly confident will work and work as it should. All this for $50.00 |
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Hiker 2
Zeus
Premium
join:2002-10-27
Lebanon, NJ | reply to lmacmil
Since Win XP - never. |
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ender7074
join:2006-11-21
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to lmacmil
About every 6-8 months. Not because of some phantom problem but its nice to wipe it all and start with a clean slate. I typically erase the drive completely and reinstall. Is it necessary? Probably not but I enjoy doing it most of the time.
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Does Microsoft mean small and squishy? |
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banditws6
Shrinking Time and Distance
join:2001-08-18
Naples, FL | reply to lmacmil
Once every 2-3 years for me. I use Acronis now too; makes it a lot simpler than it used to be.
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"I'll follow the law until it's just stupid." -Ted Nugent |
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