how often do you re-install windows?

[admael]

Vista 64-bit here. I reformat every 3 weeks. A clean format is superior to maintenance. It takes about 4 hours to reinstall everything on Vista (while it only took 2 hours when I did it with my XP 64-bit)

 

[mastergoks]

ones a month!
that is to make sure my win xp is clean and running smoothly

 

[Mekryd]

I only re-install windows when I go and screw something up with my misadventures into computer tinkering.

 

[rayminator]

I only re-install windows

between 1 to 3 years

 

[satbir]

Touchwood.. Did not require to reinstall it after purchasing my laptop 3 years ago...

 

[koyut]

Depends on how the fast the system works. I've reinstalled more than I could count. How do you keep up with the updates every reinstall?

 

[iholla]

Depends on how the fast the system works. I've reinstalled more than I could count. How do you keep up with the updates every reinstall?

What I do, I install a system state capture software. Most recovery softwares have this option. You take a virtual snap of your system b4 the upgrade or patch download and install the compare the former with the latter state.

The software gives you a detailed report of all system changes made. Copied files, registry entries and their absolute urls.

After this, you just select which new files you want added to your back-up.

Voila! You can now re-deploy your back up but with all new fixes/patches and a-vitus updates.

 

[kathy111]

i re-install it when the performance degrades so far has been 6 months using vista and before xp every 3-6 months.

 

[DefecTalisman]

Once every few months thanks to vista and a certain driver for my usb modem. Screws up DNS and then everything else. Booted one day to see a screen saying vista is trying to fix itself (shouldn't have screwed itself up in the first place) and then it told me it can't (great what now ?).

 

[wolf693]

Over the many years of my Windows experience, I've never had to reinstall. I've only upgraded from 98 SE to XP, and on my older laptop, Wind2k to XP. I do a good job of maintaining my computers.

 

[djspinister]

I run xp64 and only one reinstall so far. Whereas previous version I had to reinstall everyweek!!!

 

[lammoj]

I never had to reinstall windoes and i have been using it for about ten years

 

[DeadBattery]

I don't really use Windows, but I can see this happening.
Macs aren't this way. They just get better as you use it; Windows seems opposite.
I am not trying to advertise Apple, but I like them better than Microsoft.

 

[Hauzer]

I've formated 3 times overall. And at none of those stages I had too, I just did it to keep my computer clean.

First of all, I've had this computer for 3 years and uptil 2008 I never formated it. I was young and immature and new to this whole technology.

Once I got the internet I used to roam the internet freely not knowing what a Virus, Spyware, Malware, trojans ect.. and all such were. At the beggining of 2006, I was full of them and I had no idea to get rid of it.

One of my friends offered me a Virus/Spyware cleaner. I tried it, it said it cleaned up about 20,000 viruses and spyware. At the end I still had them, I tried NTL Netguard security (Which came with my internet package) it cleaned quite good I also ran SpyBot, Ad-Adware and still had several left.

So I tried it all again in Safe Mode. I managed to fix it, and I had left it like that for 2 years until 2008. Once I did fix it I had the biggest registry problems ever. I tried all softwares and such on download.com to fix my registry, no luck not even in safe mode.

So, again I just left it like that for another year and I formatted on 2008. And after that formated I've been trying not to mess with my registry and not install something I would uninstall. But.. I did so I formated again.

 

[zapperpost]

I can't keep Windows in shape!!
I am too lazy to re-install Windows, but my Windows XP computer has completely deteriorated. Details:
• Viruses! They ruined Internet Explorer, the OS files, csrss.exe, explorer.exe, boot.ini, the Internet Gateway, the speed, the quality, Service Pack 3, icons, registry, EVERYTHING!!!
• Spyware! Some spyware called "Internet Service" destroyed my computer. It was not removed by Kaspersky Internet Security.*

*Tested on a Windows 2000 Professional Virtual PC OS.

 

[kadaver]

When I was using win98 as my main os, I re-installed 3times a month on average but i was using a really slow computer at the time anyways.

with a lot better computer and win xp 2-3 times a year max with all the abuse I give it, i do alot of hardware modding and testing along with programming, gamming, media editing, to name a few.

 

[componentwarehouse]

Depends what I install, and if I can be bothered to backup everything and then reinstall all the programs afterwards...

 

[c00ster]

with XP I had to re-install it probably 2 times over the entire 5 years I had my computer. I bought a new one last year with Vista and I havent had to reinstall my Vista yet. I just do regular cleanups and boot time scans with my avast AV and ad-aware, so far my pc runs like a champ. Word of advice for some people out there - if you want to check out porn on your PC, buy dvd's- leave the porn sites alone!
Edit:
I am curious, does anyone think that Microsoft might possibly install undetectable viruses with the latest Service Packs to force people into buying new PC's?

I know that when I had XP I loved it, then SP2 came into the picture and a lot of my stuff stopped working. Then they offered more updates and patches to make them work again, etc. I wouldnt be surprised if SP3 came with a few termites to force everyone to buy the new Vista that has had so many bad reviews.

Microsoft has been known to enforce their monopolies on people with high-tech schemes. I wouldnt be surprised if many of our issues are snuck in through the Windows Updater.

 

[djspinister]

What would be funnier is when you do the SP3 update you end up with Vista and no way of turning back...or better yet...SP3 aka Win 3.1

DOS STRIKES AGAIN!!!!

 

[joeychua]

I reformat at least once or twice a year. I think its the file system that ms windows uses and the registry that is causing the problem, the defragment tools is not that really effective in fixing this type of problems.