How often do you reinstall Windows?
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I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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I had Win95 installed on a dual processor machine ( :-D ) for about 5 years before I always got the error message that the registry is full and I couldn't install any software anymore. RegClean extended the life a little bit but finally I've installed WinXP on the same machine 2 years ago. Never had to reinstall Windows and I install every CTP, SDK and Beta on this machine.
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I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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The longest run i've ever had was on the laptop i'm using right now. I went three years on a single installation of Windows, and might have gone longer if the harddrive hadn't crashed a few weeks back. It fit like an old shoe, ya know? Everything configured just how i like it. That said, the old shoe metaphor is apt in one other way: it stunk. Some things didn't work at all, other things were slow, there was more junk in more places than i could ever track down. And my user account, where most of those comfortable settings were stored, was full of other sorts of junk - old shell extensions and file associations. I had to disable the "open with..." menu item, because with it enabled, opening the context menu could take 10-20 seconds or more, even on local files. I never did figure out what it was trying to load during that time, other than that it scanned most of the registry. I'll probably not wait so long next time...
---- I just want you to be happy; That's my only little wish...
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I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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Hardly ever. Only when I upgrade the hard disk (which I did on one laptop) or add a second one (which is now my boot disk). I've been using those two laptops for several years now, and only recently, because my client sent them to me, do I have a desktop XP machine and desktop Vista machine. For testing the software, of course. Turns out my laptops and their video cards are too ancient to play simultaneously 4 or more MPEG-4's with overlays, etc. Marc
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh Smith -
I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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Have you considered running running in a virtualized machine that can be re-imaged periodically? (My original post had an incorrect link) Wikipedia has a good comparison table of Virtual Machines available for various platforms. That would allow you to hose your WinXP install without fear. I'm moving towards this with my development box.
---------------------- Chris Cole
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I had Win95 installed on a dual processor machine ( :-D ) for about 5 years before I always got the error message that the registry is full and I couldn't install any software anymore. RegClean extended the life a little bit but finally I've installed WinXP on the same machine 2 years ago. Never had to reinstall Windows and I install every CTP, SDK and Beta on this machine.
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I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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3-6 months.
Captain See Sharpabout to reinstall Windows XP on my computer
Win95 -> reinstalled 1's Win98 -> reinstalled 5 times. WinXP -> reinstalled 8+ WinVista -> hope it does not follow the trend. To me windows get cluttered and slower much quicker the more resent you go.
Captain See SharpI'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.
On a new instalation you always feel "This is how my PC should run" and then comes the service packs :(
Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity
No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness. ~Sheik Abd-al-Kadir
I can't always be wrong ... or can I? -
Have you considered running running in a virtualized machine that can be re-imaged periodically? (My original post had an incorrect link) Wikipedia has a good comparison table of Virtual Machines available for various platforms. That would allow you to hose your WinXP install without fear. I'm moving towards this with my development box.
---------------------- Chris Cole
Chris Cole wrote:
Have you considered running running in a virtual machine that can be re-imaged periodically?
Yeah, I have almost every version of Windows in virtual machines but those are just to play with and test my programs and use untrustworthy software.
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I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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:omg: Use Virtuals Machines for questionable products! Throw hardware at the problem :)
You can only be young once. But you can always be immature. - Dave Barry
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I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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Typically once per year, but that has slipped some of the last few years as it takes way to long to reinstall and configure all the apps. It can take me weeks before I have a system back up and running with everything. Most of the time now, I just buy another HD and HD tray and install to a fresh drive leaving my old install untouched, then if I forget something I can just slide the old drive in and be right back in the old install. Sure wish we could go backwards to the style of Windows 3.1. Most of the time you could blow out the OS, reinstall the OS, copy the folders you had your programs in and then create shortcuts to the exe or com files (I even made a simple program back then that searched your drive and created all the shortcuts (added to Program Manager).
Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: Vista for Web Development, Read this first! Latest Tech Blog Post: USA City Burnt To Death...
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I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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Once every 2-3 years or so.
-- Painstakingly Drawn Before a Live Audience
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So you have been using the same computer for about 7 years? Its amazing that you have been using Windows 95 for that long. Whats the specs on that machine?
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I've bought the PC 8 years ago, was a dual P2 400 MHz with 512 MB RAM and a Riva TNT2 Ultra (32 MB :-D). I've killed the memory and CPUs when I've pressed a wire of the CPU fan into a memory socket and turned the PC on. Haven't seen that the wire was under the memory when I pressed it into the socket :( I've replaced the P2s with P3s with 800 MHz and now 768 MB RAM (actually 1 GB, but the board doesn't support it). The Riva TNT2 was too slow to play C&C Generals so I've replaced them with a GeForce FX5200 (board does only support AGP x1 :-D) and it runs fine. Actually I can still do everything with this PC*, but I'll replace it with a Quad Opteron next weekend. * I can even run Vista in VMWare :laugh:
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I've bought the PC 8 years ago, was a dual P2 400 MHz with 512 MB RAM and a Riva TNT2 Ultra (32 MB :-D). I've killed the memory and CPUs when I've pressed a wire of the CPU fan into a memory socket and turned the PC on. Haven't seen that the wire was under the memory when I pressed it into the socket :( I've replaced the P2s with P3s with 800 MHz and now 768 MB RAM (actually 1 GB, but the board doesn't support it). The Riva TNT2 was too slow to play C&C Generals so I've replaced them with a GeForce FX5200 (board does only support AGP x1 :-D) and it runs fine. Actually I can still do everything with this PC*, but I'll replace it with a Quad Opteron next weekend. * I can even run Vista in VMWare :laugh:
Andre Buenger wrote:
I've bought the PC 8 years ago, was a dual P2 400 MHz with 512 MB RAM and a Riva TNT2 Ultra (32 MB ). I've killed the memory and CPUs when I've pressed a wire of the CPU fan into a memory socket and turned the PC on. Haven't seen that the wire was under the memory when I pressed it into the socket I've replaced the P2s with P3s with 800 MHz and now 768 MB RAM (actually 1 GB, but the board doesn't support it). The Riva TNT2 was too slow to play C&C Generals so I've replaced them with a GeForce FX5200 (board does only support AGP x1 ) and it runs fine. Actually I can still do everything with this PC, but I'll replace it with a Quad Opteron next weekend.
I bet that cost a fortune! Command & Conquer has always been my favorite game, I have the original DOS version and I have Generals Zero Hour. Company of Heroes is pretty good too, but C&C is still my favorite.
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I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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I don't well maybe that isn't accurate. I make a ghost image of my base install and update it periodically. It is nice to go back to a square one installation after you screwed it up doing whatever too it... With ghost I am back to about 95% functional in 15 minutes. I keep trying to get it closer to 100% but there is always something left undone or unaccounted for with the image...
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I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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i don't reinstall it per se, but i do have 8 to 10 hard drives hanging around (for the 3 to 5 computers), each with its own installation of windows and horde of files. Most of them go out of service because of bad sectors and mechanical problems since they are already at half-life when i install them. I'm looking to probably buy a few new drives and back these up so i can make sure my stuff is safe and turn the platters of the old ones into windchimes. I still mostly run Win98, though i do have XP on several machines....surprised? but look at my hardware...i mostly salvage, so by the time i get my hands on a computer it's a couple years old. I'd rather have Win2K on most, but i don't have a copy, so i'm perfectly fine with what i have running... Roswell
"Angelinos -- excuse me. There will be civility today."
Antonio VillaRaigosa
City Mayor, Los Angeles, CA -
Once every 2-3 years or so.
-- Painstakingly Drawn Before a Live Audience
I'm with you on this one. It just takes so long to get the system back how I like it that I would rather live with the cobwebs than have to wallpaper all over again.
Ðavid Wulff What kind of music to programmers listen to?
Join the Code Project Last.fm group | dwulff
I'm so gangsta I eat cereal without the milk -
I'm curious because I am about to reinstall Windows XP on my computer. I end up reinstalling every 2-8 months and its a habit that is hard for me to break. I'm hooked, it just feels good to reinstall.:)
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At work it's rare - I ran NT4 for nearly 6 years on the original install. Been running the original XP install ever since. At home it's fairly often - once per year at a minimum on my main box. I have a secondary machine that gets various flavors of Linux thrown at it every couple months. I've got Ubuntu running on it now and it might just stay a while. ;)
"I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image." - Stephen Hawking
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Have you considered running running in a virtualized machine that can be re-imaged periodically? (My original post had an incorrect link) Wikipedia has a good comparison table of Virtual Machines available for various platforms. That would allow you to hose your WinXP install without fear. I'm moving towards this with my development box.
---------------------- Chris Cole
Nice list I do all server/distributed process development under virtualization. However inevitably or eventually I will screw up the host for one reason or the other. So good old imaging to the rescue for the host. Reconfiguring the previous image can take a few hours but only if I have a few difficult additions. I install Office and two versions of Visual Studio on a different drive to save space on the image file and speed up the re-imaging process.
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I'm with you on this one. It just takes so long to get the system back how I like it that I would rather live with the cobwebs than have to wallpaper all over again.
Ðavid Wulff What kind of music to programmers listen to?
Join the Code Project Last.fm group | dwulff
I'm so gangsta I eat cereal without the milkAlso, if you take care of the operating system, it doesn't slow down that much. Defragging, registry clean up, app uninstallation, etc, does wonder. In fact, the current install I have is about 2 years old. It runs very well :)
-- Fun for the whole family - except grandma and grandpa
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Also, if you take care of the operating system, it doesn't slow down that much. Defragging, registry clean up, app uninstallation, etc, does wonder. In fact, the current install I have is about 2 years old. It runs very well :)
-- Fun for the whole family - except grandma and grandpa
I can't understand people who have hundreds of applications installed. There is no way they can use them all. Every time I go to install something new the first thing I do is browse through my installed software list and see what hasn't been used and can be removed. I figure it is like hoovering the inside of your car to clear out all the fast food wrappers and fuel receipts. If you let it build up to much you won't be able to see out of the windows. I work with one guy who had four columns of folders on his start menu before cleaning them up to three and a half. I just couldn't live like that. Heck, more than two windows on my task bar per monitor is too many. :~ I must admit I haven't defragged since Windows 2000. My machine has never clogged enough to warrant it.
Ðavid Wulff What kind of music to programmers listen to?
Join the Code Project Last.fm group | dwulff
I'm so gangsta I eat cereal without the milk