window's oil life meter

[KSoD]

Now that is where i would have to disagree. Since not all applications are compatable with each other (AOL) they can sometime cause a serious system crash with no other option but to format. I look after my system also but i also do some beta testing which causes me to run into problems. That is why i keep a Ghost Image available for that reason. I have know quite a few people that have had severe system crashes after installing AOL 9 Security Edition which left basically no choice but to format as AOL get into everything just like windows files. So no matter how careful you are and how much you take care of your system there are always situations that are beyond our control that would constitute a format of your drive. It is not required to format your system if you do maintance but it should not be said that a format should not be needed as some situations are beyond our control.

 

[pinkfloyd2005]

If you are doing testing on your computer to the point you are always reimaging your machine, you should look at getting program like vm ware so that you can test without blowing your machine up. Your circumstance is different. A normal user should be able to keep their windows squeaky clean and running fresh.

 

[BASSMASTER]

If you are doing testing on your computer to the point you are always reimaging your machine, you should look at getting program like vm ware so that you can test without blowing your machine up. Your circumstance is different. A normal user should be able to keep their windows squeaky clean and running fresh.

Users leave their PC's running all day downloading countelss files through P2P software, dowload freeware to help with everyday issues, install/uninstall software, games, change ISP's, update old drivers, install new hardware. For PC's that get constant use, it's a lot easier to do general housekeeping on your PC on a daily basis, and then re-install your OS every 6 months or so, rather than sift through your registry to try and find every instance of every piece of software that's been on your machine.

 

[neversleeps]

i defrag, never get spyware or adware hardly unless im forced to install it for something else i want and then i have that cleaned out before i even use the app i just installed. i dont get viruses hardly ever and i kno i dont have any now. i run registry cleaners and such too. so what other housekeeping measures can i take.

 

[EricB]

Here how you do it. partition your hard drive(s) to at least 3 partition. keep your data away from c drive. only use system restore on C drive.
use evidence eliminator to disable xp tracking (this is where most of the garbage is stored).

you guys know A/V adware and firewall. the will keep you xp relatively clean

Another tip is too have your temp files on another partition on the same hard drive as your C partition.

http://www.techist.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56137

 

[neversleeps]

i already have 3 partitions, e: for windows, c: for data, and h: for a linux/windows swap formatted in fat32. that way i can just format e without losing data.

 

[hikaricloud]

If it takes so long to boot, then normally there is either a registry problem or your harddrive is going out. Most likely the former. Which registry cleaner are you using? Some of them are a tad unsavory. I'd suggest using Ace Utilities...it's a trial version, but it's worth buying, if you so choose to.

Another thing...how much space is left on your hard drive? I see you have a 60gb HD with a dual boot...must be getting a tad tight on space. That could be a problem too.

 

[EricB]

i already have 3 partitions, e: for windows, c: for data, and h: for a linux/windows swap formatted in fat32. that way i can just format e without losing data.

try adding one more and make it your temp directory and your installation path

 

[waynejkruse10]

I've been spoiled now that I have a good ghost image of my machine and doign it once a month...lol. Its not the hell it used to be (reformatting, reinstall all apps, data, drivers etc) with hours of worked involved. I am back up and running in about 5 minutes to a clean desktop with everything ready to rock otherwise I would only do it about every 6 months.

That is a very good idea however i simply dont have enough space to make a image of my hdd!

 

[solaris]

Server or home pc.. there is no need to format you computer once every 7 days or whatever you do. If looked after a format should not be needed ever unless you decide to upgrade your operating system... or downgrade or change os.

All operating systems, especially windows, have simple methods of keeping it as fresh as the day you installed it.. Learn these simple tasks and you dont need to format.

hmm, that sounds very ideal in theory and practice for some, it depends on 2 factors, driver/software coding and user habits. since my new pc i average a format every 7 days or so, why? well after a few days i suddenly get netzero isp errors..my current one says cannot find resource, ive reinstalled them and did lots of things to try to fix such problems, nothing works,i had a fresh install once where 3 days later explorer crashed, no viruses or anything like that, no apparant way to fix it..the coding of the software in conflict with others or drivers seems to happen at any time, its always different, simple cleaning and defagging doesnt always cure everything...i could go on and name lots of problems that change with each format.
ive tried images like acronise/ghost..etc and i have problems getting them to restore sometimes, sometimes it works and i get new problems
so just cuz you havnt had to doesnt mean that formating isnt necessary for everyone..thats a very limited perception.