• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

longest you've gone without an OS reinstall?

rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Windows can get so bogged down over the course of a few years that you just need a reinstall. What's the longest you've gone on a personal, every-day machine without needing one?

I'm asking because my brother's Dell has been kicking for 7 years and these days it just takes forever to even load Windows, and even surfing is slow. Defrag / adaware / antivirus... nothing came back positive. I advised an OS reinstall. I don't think I've ever gone past 3 years.
 
Right now I am on year 3 of this machine, and have three others. None have ever been reinstalled. That is not necessary if you maintain your system to include periodic registry scrubbing and manual folder deletions. That would include periodic deletion of the Internet cache folder contents.
 
I've got a dell desktop used everyday for web/email/word and it takes forever to turn on, but once it starts it runs ok, browsing isn't fast, but it is alot faster than I would have expected it to be after 5 years.

Also have an emachines laptop used for almost the same thing, going on three years since the last time i reinstalled the OS and it is getting pretty slow. I'm thinking about reinstalling windows when I get a chance.

I've had my main laptop for a little less than a year, and I have O&O defrag set to defrag by name every time the Screen Saver goes on. I think that really helps, and it runs as fast as it did on day 1. (takes about 2x as long to boot up but once it is started it flies)
 
I have an old Dell Dimensio 8200 XP Home & SP2
from about 2001 or so .. I only had to use my
Ghost Image once (to roll back a version of Motorola
Mobile Phone Tools) that had updated to newest version
and then, of course, it would not see my Razr V3M
Turned out to be a problem with that release. But I didn't
have the original download of the prior version. Just for the
version before that one. If the pc is really slow, check the
memory. Maybe you need to add some. On my Toshiba
laptop, it used to take forever to load up. It only had 256MB
RAM .. added another 256MB stick and it now loads very fast.
 
Since I got smart about the things I permit on my system, and how I go about managing installations and files in general, I never reinstall any more.
 
XP pro on a lappy purchased in Jan 04 - still going strong

Do not load very much junk onto it and kept the kids away from it after the first year.

That makes 4 years:thumbsup:
 
I pretty much don't reinstall on my primary machine unless I have a chipset/hardware change and even then I have been able to not reinstall. Plus I have Acronis which negates that need if something is too borked to mess with. Only time I did many reinstalls was when I had much less experience, and it was for just that (experience).
 
I had gone for about 3 years with my Dell 8400 (MCE2005). I only formatted/reinstalled because I bought a new computer and gave that one to my brother-in-law.

Daily anti-virus scans, Windows Defender scans, scheduled defrags, smart web surfing habits, etc...the system never slowed down. Certain hardware problems arose (failed OS HDD - restored with Acronis to a replacement, failed RAM, failed Firewire card, etc...), but the OS was plenty stable.
 
Five years with XP Pro, retired three months ago for Vista Ultimate 64-bit.

That copy of XP lived through three hard drive clonings and four different motherboards. Still have it on an 80GB drive just in case I ever need any of my old stuff or have issues gaming under Vista.
 
nothing beats a fresh install. it just has a clean, snappy feeling to it. i try to reformat every 6 months or so.

 
been running vista since it was released to the web. have installed many, many programs/games and other junk. Even had a couple viruses. Boot times might have slowed a bit but nothing else. Will install my legit copy as soon as it crashes.. If ever.
 
Since I upgraded to win2k from win98 (and now XP) I do it about once a year. Funny thing is I always do a base image but I never end up using it since its so out of date by then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top