SillyDog701

[James]

My computer came bundled with a recovery/reformat cd... the kind that wipes the slate clean and resets it to factory specs. Yes.. you lose everything you have not burned to cd but it does get rid of a lot of junk.

Is there any value in doing something like this once or twice a year? Can it harm the computer? I realize that it is a great inconvenience having to re-install everything but can the value outweight the inconvenience?

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[Mandrake]

James: Judging by your UA string, you are using Windows XP. Windows XP is the second most stable windows ever (after win2k) - I always used to have to reformat 98 SE, becuase it was so unreliable. But Windows XP is reliable enough that you shouldnt have to reformat more than once a year.

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[localhost]

Think that depends on the user, but I do agree that it should keep on working without any problems for more then a year. Just try to keep your computer as cleen as possible. Uninstall software you don't need or use anymore and try to keep away from spyware and adware that comes with many software (like the gator, kazaa, napster,..).

And if you decide to format your machine, make sure you backup all files you want to save (documents, photo's, mail) like it was already mentioned in this topic: http://sillydog.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1173 .

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[profman]

I can only speak for myself, but I have never had to re-format a hard drive due to problems with software or the operating system. I just constantly maintain and monitor my system. I do restore the registry files every so often (on Win 9X) when I've had some software problems. I've used DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 2000. Windows 2000 and, I hear, Windows XP is very stable.

I would only use Restore Disks if I was desperate. They usually are not even full copies of the OS.

But to each his own!

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[Fulvio]

I can only speak for myself, but I have never had to re-format a hard drive due to problems with software or the operating system. I just constantly maintain and monitor my system. I do restore the registry files every so often (on Win 9X) when I've had some software problems. I've used DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 2000. Windows 2000 and, I hear, Windows XP is very stable.

I would only use Restore Disks if I was desperate. They usually are not even full copies of the OS.

But to each his own!

I reformat my HD only once when I did not know what I was doing, on advice from a tech person. I have had a HP disaster recovery setup, which came handy after I had installed some software (Neoplanet) which gave me all sort of problems. I have been working with a crippled system since I installed Caldera Linux, which messed things up really well, and will be removed. But, I do not consider myself desperate. I have Win 98, and Microsoft would not let me get anywhere when I entered the same serial number. Fortunately, I was able to be one from Compaq, although I was not under service contract. I got everything of value on CDs.

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[Mandrake]

Well, looking at system uptime - Windows 98 can last about 3 days at best. I've had this Windows 2000 system going 3 1/2 weeks before.

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[terra]

When you buy a new system, reinstall everything immediately.

I had to use the recovery CD on an eMachine® when Windows ME pooped out after about 1 1/2 years. The process stumbled somewhere around 85% completed, with error messages about a few files that couldn't be read. Then it zoomed onward to 100% and announced that it was finished. When I tried to boot Win Me, there was nothing there.

Then I used a DOS diskette to wipe the HD clean, repartition, & reformat. I tried the restore CD again, twice, with exactly the same results. Good ol` eMachines® gave us a defective CD, and I only found out about it after the warranty was gone.

I installed an illegal copy of Windows 98SE (screw`em, an OS was already paid for once) but the drivers for the motherboard's integrated sound were lost on the defective CD, so I had to add a new sound card. Couldn't use the passive speakers any more either, so I had to get a set of powered speakers too.

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[Edward]

James: Judging by your UA string, you are using Windows XP. Windows XP is the second most stable windows ever (after win2k) - I always used to have to reformat 98 SE, becuase it was so unreliable. But Windows XP is reliable enough that you shouldnt have to reformat more than once a year.

The only times I've had to reformat and reinstall 98 SE, was due to a software problem caused by other software, in that the file association had been changed automatically. When it was changed back to the original setting, it still did not work.

Otherwise, it's been pretty good.

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