How oftern do you...

iCraig said:
That actually makes sense in a way. The system drive is barebone Windows, so I guess you lose nothing other than temporary files per re-image. However, you would get the same effect by just doing a disk clean-up and a defrag. Fresh Windows installations do not degrade within 2 weeks. Even my old XP machine which was on its original installation up until 6 months ago, worked fairly well surviving on regular maintenance.
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Thanks, I feel slightly better about it now. Fair point about same effect using clean up and defrag but how long does defrag take? Considerably longer than re-imaging using Ghost or Acronis. I keep a few essential programs on the image as well so I don't have to bother reinstalling/re-registering etc.
 
True, my PC takes about 45 minutes to defrag all local drives. Acronis takes what? 2 minutes? :D

However, it's something I can leave to do whilst eating dinner.
 
Never..

Just use Virtual Machines to test new programs and all that.
If the install really does go **** up then I just ghost back to an image I made after my last format.

Simple :)
 
bledd. said:
your pc needs a defrag after only installing windows, why buy new hardware all the time only to hamper it's performance
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I don't all the time, i did write that incorrectly, but i mean when i get a new GPU or something i usally do format. I should look at a defrag.. Ill leave it overnight, my system drives me crazy as it hangs when it boots at the welcome screen..
 
Last time I did a format was around September 2005 when I did an upgrade. Recently did another upgrade but I have 4hds so didn't bother with a format, just installed on to a different drive.

Generally speaking my drives always have data on them so I don't format. More a question of installing Windows onto a different drive and then deleting all the directories from the previous installation.

Even then I haven't had cause to reinstall windows for nearly 2 years now. Sure this means things are a bit sub-optimal, but historically 90% of the time I've done it has been due to major problems not just minor performance concerns.

As for defragging I usually only do that a couple of times a year these days, as it takes such an age due to very limited free space.
 
With XP it was 2-3months only because something would happen in which it was just easier to do it that way.

I do like to keep the same install for as long as possible. I think you must be doing something wrong if you need to format you hard disc drives that much.
 
Loowi_ashley said:
like to format your hard-drive to keep your computer clean and up to speed?
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Never, I got my 3 year old xp install for intel/nforce chipsets still and using it.
And still got dual booted also a 5yr old SiS chipset xp install.

I've got too many apps to reinstall so can't be bothered with new installs.
 
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I must say I format my pc once a week. One week it is XP x64 the next is vista x64 and then XP x64 and then vista x64 and soo on :D

I defrag about 12 times a day every time I download or install something I defrag because if you do it as much as I it only takes 40 secs each time and keeps the HDD perfect.

I use o&o 10 pro :cool:
 
I usually do it every few months, although right now I've had Vista 64 installed since February and its still running very smoothly so I feel no need to format.
 
NVIDIA_x64 said:
I must say I format my pc once a week. One week it is XP x64 the next is vista x64 and then XP x64 and then vista x64 and soo on :D

I defrag about 12 times a day every time I download or install something I defrag because if you do it as much as I it only takes 40 secs each time and keeps the HDD perfect:
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Are you serious?
 
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