Noobie Windows 7 question - Reformatting ever needed?

[Kabob]

I've been an XP guy for years, never owned a Vista or Windows 7 machine. I'm looking at building a Win 7 machine and I'm trying to figure out if I need to spend the money on an OEM copy or the "one install only" copy. How likely is it that a reformat/reinstall will be needed with Windows 7 (I'm not really into the file sharing thing)? I figure with several years of development maybe they've streamlined things a bit.

 

[lxskllr]

You should never have to reinstall do to the O/S; XP, Vista, or anything else. That said, as long as it goes on the same machine, you're allowed to do that according to the EULA. If you don't intend on building a new machine in the next couple years, save the money and get oem.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

I usually never have to do a reinstall, and have rarely done so. Sometimes, when trying to fix malware, I end up doing it but not normally.

 

[w7pro]

Despite the general distaste for reformatting/clean installs, it's always a good idea to want to have that option just in case your computer is infected (as Chiefcrowe pointed out) to a point where anti-virus software and system restore isn't enough.

-- Ryan
Windows Outreach Team

 

[VirtualLarry]

I've been an XP guy for years, never owned a Vista or Windows 7 machine. I'm looking at building a Win 7 machine and I'm trying to figure out if I need to spend the money on an OEM copy or the "one install only" copy. How likely is it that a reformat/reinstall will be needed with Windows 7 (I'm not really into the file sharing thing)? I figure with several years of development maybe they've streamlined things a bit.

What is the "one install only" copy? Someone's technet key?

OEM and Retail allow re-installation on the same machine unlimited times. Retail allows you to move between machines (motherboards).

 

[Kabob]

The "System Builder" as I understood it you could only install once and never again (even on the same computer). Maybe I'm crazy.

But OEM I can reinstall as many times (on the same machine) as I want, correct? That's the route I'd want.

 

[lxskllr]

oem=system builder. Different words, same thing.

 

[corkyg]

OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer.

 

[SimMike2]

I backup and image my operating system once per week, using both Acronis and the built-in Windows 7 imaging and backup software. This way if something goes drastically wrong, like my SSD fails, I can restore a relatively fresh copy without having to do a complete reinstall to a blank drive.