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How often do you format and re-install windows?

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Just as a datapoint:

I just replaced my FreeBSD server with a Linux machine. The FreeBSD installation, although constantly updated, did not need a single reinstall between 1997 when I installed it until July 2004 when I retired it.

And that is a general-purpose machine with gaming, websurfing, http server, robots and whatnot. It wasn't just a router or something low-maintainance.
 
I wait till the system craps out or I fill up the Hard drives. Then I back up the files i want to other peoples computer over the network and and reformant and am back up and running in under 3 hours.
 
This may be a dumb question, since I have never reinstalled WinXP, but I thought there were built in traps to installing XP more than once with the serial number? Can't you only use it to reg the software one time, or as long as you are regging to the same name with the same serial number it'll work? I'm not sure, it's why i've avoided XP reinstalls.
 
I always make a ghost image of my boot drive every week. I usually reformat when XP goes apesh!t which is about every 4 months or so. I do a lot of SW testing and things can get hosed pretty easy. So I just reimage the HD after I format it. Takes about 30 min for the whole thing so its not a real pain.
 
About once a year. Once I had to because the hard drive file system was not recognized and once because I was fooling around with Suse Linux.
 
Originally posted by: Maggotry
Damn. What are you people doing that requires a reinstall every 4 to 6 months??? 😕
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Seriously. I've been running about a year and a half on my WinXP install -- albeit with a Repair Installation in the middle when I switched the MB, CPU, and video card -- and it still works just fine. If you're breaking your installation every 3-6 months, you're doing something wrong.
 
If i install a new peice of hardware ie my new hard drive,

If I get out of control spyware related issues (IE became unusable at one point)

If I start to run out of space (40GB + 1.5Mbps = P2P headache)
 
Formatting??? Only when you get a New computer and have to install a new License of Windows.:thumbsup:

Other wise Keep an Image (TrueImage, or Ghost) and reload when necessary.:music:

You can keep the image span on CD/DVD and both programs provide a Boot CD to start the loading to the Hard Drive. Can be Old Drive New formatted not formatted what ever it will load the image.:beer:

If some one can effort to reformat often it tells me that he might have a lot of information files but otherwise rather simple system.:thumbsdown: It would take me few days to install all the programs, and customize my system to current functioning if I reformat and start with the default installation.:shocked:

With image Ghosting it take 10-40 min. (depending on the size of the drive) + adjusting what ever changes I did since the last stored image. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

:sun:
 
Wow, have three computers with XP Pro and I have not reinstalled in a year and a half on any of them and I have SP2 installed on all of them. I never crash (occasional freezes) so I must be lucky. I use Firefox though, I have Ad-aware, Antivirus, Spybot, Zonealarm Pro, Netgear, Router, Spyware Blaster, etc. etc. LOL.
 
Originally posted by: Machine350
About every 6 months for me.
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Yep, With my desktop atleast. With my laptop I hav had it a little over a year and havn't felt the need to yet. I don't do a whole lot of tweaking to the lappy so I don't think there is a need to.
 
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