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
| Re: [XPHome] How often do you do a clean install? 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
| Re: [XPHome] How often do you do a clean install? said by captokita  :Also, now that I use Acronis, reinstalls should never even be an issue. Why is that? | |
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felony
no pants
join:1999-12-05
Aurora, CO
clubs:
1 edit | Re: [XPHome] How often do you do a clean install? I use XP PRO, ACRONIS and BARTPE
I have several images of fresh XP installs, and 'mature' XP installs just the way I like them. If I ever have a need to revert, I've got my images backed up safely.
While I really have never had to do a fresh install, if I bugger something up it is nice to have a backup without going through the fuss of the actually reinstall process.
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i control airplanes. | |
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Wolfie00
My dog is an elitist
Premium
join:2005-03-12
| Re: [XPHome] How often do you do a clean install? said by felony :I use XP PRO, ACRONIS and BARTPE I have several images of fresh XP installs, and 'mature' XP installs just the way I like them. If I ever have a need to revert, I've got my images backed up safely. While I really have never had to do a fresh install, something I bugger something up and it is nice to have a backup without going through the fuss of the actually reinstall process. A wise man -- and one who uses my favorite OS and two of my favorite related software tools! 
Other than adding that System Restore can work wonders, too, I think you've got a winning strategy there!
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"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" -- a corollary of Murphy's Law
"A dog is like a child who never grows old ... always there to love and be loved" -- Aaron Katcher
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felony
no pants
join:1999-12-05
Aurora, CO
clubs: | Re: [XPHome] How often do you do a clean install? Hey! Someone agrees with me!
Only thing I don't like about it is that it the images only work with identical hardware setups, which is kinda a bummer. Unless I am missing something.
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i control airplanes. | |
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Wolfie00
My dog is an elitist
Premium
join:2005-03-12
1 edit | Re: [XPHome] How often do you do a clean install? said by felony :Hey! Someone agrees with me! Only thing I don't like about it is that it the images only work with identical hardware setups, which is kinda a bummer. Unless I am missing something. Well, their Enterprise product has a "universal restore" option, but that's not practical for a home user:
»www.acronis.com/enterprise/produ···ore.html
Other than that, it may be possible to restore to "different" hardware and rely on XP's own resiliency to adapt, or do a reinstall in place to load the right drivers -- potentially a reinstall in place with a CD that's been slipstreamed with the correct drivers if XP doesn't have them. All of which is fraught with peril, I admit!
When I built a new system a few years ago as my son's gaming computer, I slipstreamed SP2 and all the required motherboard drivers into the retail copy of XP that I already owned, and the install worked like a charm. Activation was no hassle, either, since this was a legal transfer of XP Pro retail from his old system. But that was a fresh install.
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"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" -- a corollary of Murphy's Law
"A dog is like a child who never grows old ... always there to love and be loved" -- Aaron Katcher
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not quite right
I'm not cool enough to be a Mac person
join:2001-06-23
Puyallup, WA
| 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 | Re: [XPHome] How often do you do a clean install? I wipe and reinstall my PC's about once every 2 years or so. | |
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| alchav
join:2002-05-17
Palm Desert, CA
 ·Pacific Bell - SBC
| 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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| | quatrix
Premium
join:2005-02-11
Davie, FL
| Re: [XPHome] How often do you do a clean install? said by alchav :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. Uh, no. | |
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| dave
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Verizon FIOS
| 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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jabarnut
Light Years Away
Premium,MVM
join:2005-01-22
Galaxy M31
2 edits | 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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| | BoulderHill1
join:2004-07-15
Montgomery, IL
·AT&T DSL Service
| 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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not quite right
I'm not cool enough to be a Mac person
join:2001-06-23
Puyallup, WA
| Re: [XPHome] How often do you do a clean install? said by BoulderHill1 :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 Thank You! ..... at least someone got the point I was trying to get across. Believe me when I say I've seen more poorly running machines than I ever have good running ones. 
You power users have to realize you are not the norm, and I wasn't really talking to you.
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"Not many people know this, but I happen to be quite famous." | |
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| lmacmil
join:2001-01-26
South Bend, IN
| 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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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| 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. My machine is 4 years old I have never done a fresh install. My machine works fine. How do you know how my machine runs? How do you know it's running so poorly that somehow a fresh install would make it run better? | |
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Kilroy
Premium,MVM
join:2002-11-21
Ann Arbor, MI
 ·WOW Internet and C..
| 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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OZO
Premium
join:2003-01-17
| 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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Hiker 2
Zeus
Premium
join:2002-10-27
Lebanon, NJ | Since Win XP - never. | |
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ender7074
join:2006-11-21
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Southeast
| 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 | 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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ironwalker
World Renowned
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-31
Keansburg, NJ
clubs: | Never.
I never reinstall due to a problem, I always figure it out. It's the analytical side of my brain and the mrfixit in me.
I don't reinstall just because it's been a long time either, that makes no sense to me. | |
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jefe
Premium
join:2001-05-19
Northport, NY
·Verizon FIOS
| Never.
My main desktop machine is approaching 4 years old. The WinXP Pro installation that came with the PC is still the installation I'm running. With lots of updates, of course. But never a complete re-install.
I, like others who have replied here, have never understood why some users feel the need, or are willing to spend the time, to re-install every time the moon changes phases. | |
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Wolfie00
My dog is an elitist
Premium
join:2005-03-12
| I have never reinstalled XP since the first retail install and see no need to do it. When problems/slowdowns occur (which is very rare) it's easier to find the cause than to reinstall what by now must be hundreds of applications and tweaks on my oldest system, which I've been running as my main desktop since November, 2001!
It's true that the registry does grow and get fragmented, but I don't believe that this is a significant performance hit unless it gets truly horrendously mangled. There are tools to optimize such issues but I don't trust them and have not used them.
I'm a big critic of Microsoft so I like to give them credit when they deserve it. They did a fantastic job making XP rock-solid stable and resilient over long periods; by needlessly reinstalling, especially if there are a lot of apps involved, you're negating the benefits of that achievement!
Not sure that the OP's problem is necessarily software related but it's a difficult thing to track down and a fresh install might be a useful investigative path. Oddly enough I had occasional lockups like that start to happen a few years ago, only when the CPU was under very heavy load -- but it wasn't a thermal problem. Very strange -- but by a process of elimination I traced it to some fault in the ACPI power management -- it would only happen after the computer woke up from sleep. The problem went away when I turned off the "sleep" feature. I'm practically certain it was a hardware issue so a reinstall or repair wouldn't have helped.
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"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" -- a corollary of Murphy's Law
"A dog is like a child who never grows old ... always there to love and be loved" -- Aaron Katcher
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Maven
Premium
join:2002-03-12
Canada
| I used to clean install on a regular basis, but I stopped when Vista came out. This OS has been rock stable for me, in fact I haven't reinstalled Vista once and I've had it since day one.
I don't know where all the Vista hate is coming from. It was rocky at the beginning because of the drivers and such, but that goes for any OS. Also, it wasn't a significant update over the already solid XP, so it may have appeared fluffy to some. But that doesn't make it a bad OS in any way, the advantages over XP in terms of stability are clear to me. | |
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KB24
@amenworld.com
| Usually I do it yearly.
It would take about 5 hours to do everything. Backing up your hard drive to external drive will take an hour...thats about 50G or so worth of files. Actual installation is 30 to 45 minutes...driver installation is another 20 minutes. Applications about half an hour...or install by demand. Then putting back your 50G is another 1 hour...then customizing it like it use to be another 15 minutes.
It's okay because I usually leave the OS installation and the backing up of files and putting it back. So I'm only in front of the computer for a total of 1.5 hours.
This will clean all those dll's you don't need and registry will be fresh. Also you don't need to look for those applications you don't need anymore or plain useless and uninstall it one by one. | |
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Jeffrey
too dark too early
Premium
join:2002-12-24
Dix Hills,NY
clubs: | It's tough to remember, but with Win98 and ME, I felt like it was every 9 months or so.
With XP, I think I did it once on my one Dell after 5 years. Other than that, no reinstalls for me. | |
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quatrix
Premium
join:2005-02-11
Davie, FL | The people who told you that don't know how to take care of their PCs. I upgraded from 3.1 to 95 to 98 to 98 SE to XP Pro and haven't done a completely clean install since 3.1 before 1996. Everything still runs as smooth as silk. | |
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mike31mets
join:2004-10-30
Bronx, NY
| With XP I would format about every 6 months on average. The most I lasted was 1 year without reformatting. Ever since I moved to Vista which was around late 07 or Jan 08, I've formatted once in Aug 08. Every time a SP comes out I like to reformat, though in Vista SP1's case I actually waited until just right before I went back to school that year. I'm planning on formatting soon actually in order to install SP2. So with Vista this will have been about 7 months or so since I last reformatted.
While it's become more of a habit as a Windows user to reformat because of the registry, I think that was mostly when I was on XP. Things would just get slower as time went by. With Vista, it's been the opposite experience which is why I love it so much. It's been pretty stable and solid since installing. I haven't noticed any slow down either with time. I'm not sure if it's because of it's memory management or what not, but Vista boots up quicker than XP ever did for me too. So as far as I know I'll probably format again when SP3 comes out for Vista or whenever I move up to Win7. | |
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