How often do you format the HD?

[wchou]

I have a hd that haven't been formatted for years and it has so much errors on it that everytime I try to access it would freeze my computer.
So I would change Lan cable, change ram, update Networking drivers and changing back and forth.
Was basically pulling my hairs out as I was puzzled for awhile until it was backed up using some other file viewer other then explorer like nero, was able to backup everything then wipe the HD clean as dust.
Works great ever since, so if you have computer lagging so bad this is the culprit.
I recommend formatting at least once a month

 

[DaveSimmons]

Acronis True Image for that just-installed-fresh feeling.

 

[l Xes l]

i gotta love that feeling..

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

It was going on a year for this last time I did it (2 weeks ago)

My general goal is twice a year.

 

[saltedeggman]

i usually do it when my pc feel sluggish (due to install/uninstall programs, and thing like that)

 

[biostud]

never, only when I need to rei-install XP.

 

[imported_rod]

Only when i do serious upgrades (CPU, MoBo, Graphics) or before installing a new OS (still waiting wor windows XP 64-bit edition).

Otherwise, i keep my system de-fragged and clean with AVG anti-virus, Spybot and AdAware.

RoD

 

[bowserjs]

I usually do it once a year for "spring cleaning"

 

[airfoil]

On an average, it works out to a once a year reinstallation of the OS, which results in a format.

 

[Jeff7181]

I do it 3 or 4 times a day.

 

[Budman]

Never,I just ghost my os backup back if I have any problems.

 

[Mesix]

Ubuntu took a nose dive when I was testing different windows managers (Enlightenment at the time) and, long story short, I formatted then.

I usually format every couple months whenever I want to try a new distro.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: wchou
I have a hd that haven't been formatted for years and it has so much errors on it that everytime I try to access it would freeze my computer.
So I would change Lan cable, change ram, update Networking drivers and changing back and forth.
Was basically pulling my hairs out as I was puzzled for awhile until it was backed up using some other file viewer other then explorer like nero, was able to backup everything then wipe the HD clean as dust.
Works great ever since, so if you have computer lagging so bad this is the culprit.
I recommend formatting at least once a month

You're doing something SERIOUSLY wrong if you format every month. My PC runs great and I only have a lil 'ol AXP 2600+ mobile running at 2.2GHz and a WD 80GB drive that gets to 99.9% full. I've been on this Windows XP install for like 2yrs+ I think. And let me tell you, I beat that machine down like an animal!

 

[Jeff7]

My main system's operating system installation date is October 21, 2003. I'm figuring on possibly reinstalling Windows sometime this year - depending on how the SP2 update goes, whenever I decide to risk doing that.

As for other hard drives lately, they've been getting formatted a lot, mainly because I just sold a bunch, and formatting was part of the cleaning and diagnostics.

 

[Fern]

My gaming rig gets it anywhere from 3-8 months. It get OC'd, tested etc often, has a crap load of game demo's installed/uninstalled and drivers changed.

The office rigs go a couple years b4 reformating etc.

Fern

 

[kjacobs]

Usually once a year I reinstall windows 2000. But I don't format the drive...I buy a new hard drive and keep the old one as a backup or in case the new install does not work.

 

[ty1er]

I only Format my main partition when i do a motherboard upgrade. Other then that i use Ghost if i run into any major OS problems.

 

[stevem326]

I reformat my entire drive using a utility called WipeDrive and reinstall the OS about every 9 months or so. WipeDrive takes 11 hours to wipe my 120GB HD...hehe

It's probably overkill but I've been using this method with all of my PC's and they run flawlessly, so I'm sticking with it.

 

[theMan]

sure, that nice fresh feeling is nice, but i think its a waste of time. i just defrag every week (usually more often). i think it is more important to clean the inside of my case. especially HSF, and fan intake. i only format when i install windows, which is incredibly rare.

 

[Laffctx]

about once a year.............and ghost it back if i have problems in between

 

[stevem326]

Originally posted by: theman
sure, that nice fresh feeling is nice, but i think its a waste of time. i just defrag every week (usually more often). i think it is more important to clean the inside of my case. especially HSF, and fan intake. i only format when i install windows, which is incredibly rare.

Oh, I do that too. I even use a special defragmenting tool called Disk Keeper and tend to defrag every 2-3 days. Plus running Check Disk a few times a month is a good idea.

 

[JE78]

So far i've done it about once a year for the last 2 years.

 

[KoolDrew]

1/2 a year

 

[sandorski]

Once, when I first set it up on my system. If it gets fubared from a Mobo change or whatnot(that hasn't happened to me in 5ish years) I'll do it again because I have no choice. I avoid OS re-installs and drive formats like the plague. I have better things to do than dicking around with all that crap. I got tired of that routine in the pre-Win 98SE days and was a big reason why I hated Win95/98.

 

[corkyg]

The need to reformat a hard drive should not be calendar or time driven - but event drive. You missed the best answer in your poll:

"When necessary."