How often do people reinstall their operating system

Tripnologist said:
Once every year or so.
I just keep a ghost image with my core programs + updates installed so once that's been put on, I just need to install any new updates and any games I'm playing and away I go. Completely finished in less time than it would take just to format and install XP.
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I'm a bit confused about this. Though my list of apps isn't as huge as Snowdog's its pretty huge and I'd hate to spend so much time getting things just as I want again...

So just sticking the image back on seems ideal... But doesn't that defeat the object? Isn't the point of a re-install that you start with a new slate?

Quite sure I'm missing something here.
 
Not at all often on Windows, Linux on the other hand is another matter :)
My previous Vista install lasted from launch to Jan 09, and was only wiped to install Win7.
Couple of other machines (Laptop etc.), the installs on those are generally about 2 years old again.
I've also got a P133 laptop (IBM Thinkpad 560), which still has the original Windows 95 install on it, so that'd be about 9 years old, although it doesn't get used for very much these days, & the software installed hasn't changed for about 5 of those.

Linux wise, I've got a nasty Mandriva Cooker habit on the main box, so complete and utter snafus come about once every few months or so :)
The server has lasted quite happily for 4 years over 3 motherboards, although I'm not looking forward to migrating / onto a bigger drive, which has to come soon as I'm out of case space.

Cheers

-Leezer-
 
Kua said:
So just sticking the image back on seems ideal... But doesn't that defeat the object? Isn't the point of a re-install that you start with a new slate?
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Idea is that you install the OS, install your drivers and updates and set up the basic software that you need, then take the image. By restoring it you can get back to a fresh OS without any of the stuff that tends to clog it up over time. The image only contains stuff that you'd always install on a fresh OS anyway, so it saves you lots of time.
 
I have a reinstall every so often... Maybe a month maybe a bit more, I never need to, I just do.

I am never satisfied, I even put win2000 back on last year for a couple of months and I loved it, the only reason I took it off was the image preview thing.

However, as of october last year, I actually managed to get Vista64U onto my main PC and it stayed without issue until only 3 weeks ago. The original reason why I didnt go back to XP64 was simply that vista has been such a pain to get running right on this PC, that finally doing it, I jsut didnt want to risk it.

In the end I went back to XP64 and I realise that the previous Vista64 setup was perfect.

I have now reinatlled Vista64 oince again, and its a bloody pain in the bum again, but Im not getting rid of it now, nor will I be reinstalling it any time soon.

My No2 PC on the other hand has Vista32 on and since I no longer game with it, I will be going to convert that to a purely linux file sever for my entire LAN but also an Internet server for my Ataris.
 
if ever i encounter problems that i cannot get rid of...whic is rare..so i dont reinstall a lot,i just keep my pc heavily maintained
 
I used to reinstall every 3 months or so, but i cba anymore :p

Although I did install Win 7 over Vista 64 on my desktop and laptop :)
 
I used to do it every 3-6 months, but last Christmas (07) I got this new laptop, so made a really good nLite disc with things like indexing turned off etc. I run CCleaner weekly and hasn't slowed down one single bit since installing it 16 months ago! :)
 
I install my OS every time my PC decides to screw up, everything that I want to keep such as Music, Films & Photo's are stored on one of the other drives in the PC leaving the C: drive to be wiped & re-installed as often as I like.

I rarely go over 2 months without a re-install of XP although 95% of the time its my tinkering that buggers my install & prompts a re-install in the first place! :o
 
R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
I install my OS every time my PC decides to screw up, everything that I want to keep such as Music, Films & Photo's are stored on one of the other drives in the PC leaving the C: drive to be wiped & re-installed as often as I like.

I rarely go over 2 months without a re-install of XP although 95% of the time its my tinkering that buggers my install & prompts a re-install in the first place! :o
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I am pretty much the same with my main PC...it has Vista x64 Ultimate on it with SP1. but I do re-install only when problems get really complicated and just like u, I have all my music, pics, documents and other files stored on a 1TB HDD. I try not to re-install as much as every 3mths but if it has to be done then it has to be done.
 
I reinstall my OS, now and again. It's in need of a reinstall now to be honest. It's been installed for a damn long time and want a fresh start but might wait for Windows 7 RC to appear before I do so.
 
Back in the day I used to install every month just to keep things running smooth, but now I tend to do it 3 or 4 times a year, tops. Last time was a shift from Vista 64U to XP. However, I do keep installing Linux on a USB pen (about every 6 weeks) to try it out then invariably reformat the pen 2 days later.

I need to do another reinstall now TBH, but I am going to have to wait till after the dissertation is finished.
 
my last install of Vista x64 was on since launch. Only reinstalled it recently when I upgrade my mobo and cpu.

I used to do it ever 6 months but just cant be bothered with the hassle these days.
 
XP it used to be every 4-8 months (depending on how much I'd screwed it up). I haven't reinstalled Vista since I changed to it a few months after it was released.
 
Only do a full reinstall on a new build.

I do, however, keep an image of my tweaked install with all the essential apps installed (Office, Nero, Firefox, Rivatuner, Trillian, ObjectDock and Windowsblinds, music and video players and codecs, and so on). This image is what gets restored if I encounter any problems. Probably happens every... I dunno, 8-10 months-ish.

The hassle of OS reinstalls for me lie in getting the system just how I want it again. I.e. setting the taskbar and display settings, system preferences, access settings, preferences for commonly-used apps, setting up Windowsblinds, Objectdock and my desktop calendar, installing all the right applications, codecs and drivers, getting fan and OCing profiles up in Rivatuner, etc, etc, etc...

With one 3.5GB image on my back-up HDD, I can be back to normal usability in minutes and avoid all the faff. Wouldn't want to go back to managing without Acronis TrueImage.
 
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