A little computer advice

[crosscountry]

I'm about to run the recovery disk on my computer. It's just time. Had the computer for over a year and it's hanging up especially with web based programs.

Other than the obvious of saving My Documents and book marks are there other things to watch for?


I'll have to reinstall all of my programs, but I'm ready for that. I'm looking for tips if you got them.

Thanks.

[cjl]

One thing to be sure of is that if you use a program such as Thunderbird or Outlook, make sure and save your e-mails or you will lose all of them. Also, make sure you have network drivers downloaded so you can get all the other drivers and updates online after you wipe everything (not sure if the recovery disk is a true wipe, or if it already has all of the drivers etc on it).

[crosscountry]

it's a fresh start with everything included.

I was thinking of moving to Thunderbird. Good thing I waited.

[ggremlin]

As a general rule of thumb, get a large storage external drive at least as large of operating system device and use NTBackup to backup everything to the storage drive as a file. That way you lost nothing as you can restore anything you might need. - Windows only of course.

If you have multiple partitions on the same drive as the OS, back them up too.

I would also look into Windows Restore under System Tools. this can restore your system back to a prior point before it started showing problems, instead of using the recovery cd. You lost any configuration information past the restore point, but no files. Do the Backup first in any case.

If you go Recovery CD.
Save the entire Documents & Settings directory, go to Tools, Folders, View and make sure to show hidden files and folders, Hide extensions and protected system files is unchecked and save the options.

Any other directory name you want.

[crosscountry]

nothing is really bad, I just want a fresh start. Maybe it's silly when things aren't that bad.

[ggremlin]

It sounds like you have some "fellow travelers", scan your system using some of the spyware detectors like Adaware or Spybot, if you have one of the current version of virus scanners, it should have a similar scanner.

It beats having to do a install of everything.

Also, if using IE, switch to a different browser, I like Firefox with the Noscript plugin, my opinion only.

[Neverfly]

nothing is really bad, I just want a fresh start. Maybe it's silly when things aren't that bad.

You are getting advised a lot here to try everything except wipe and reload

Unless you have your OS ghosted on a server- repeatedly wiping and reloading isn't a good idea...

You said that you have your back ups- and you just want a fresh start. I'm guessing that you are concerned that your computer is cluttered with a million registry entries... folders and files and .dll's from installed and uninstalled programs, fragmented ...etc...

You might download the free trial for Tune - Up. Give your system a thorough cleansing.
Clean out your registry -maybe also use RegScrubXP from Lexun (freeware)
Defrag using Auslogics or O&O Defrag- and wipe all free space.

That's probably about as close to a fresh start as you can get- without doing a wipe and reload.

[g0pher]

[me assuming you're using a pc]

screw the recovery disks... i'm sure they are just loaded with bloatware anyway. get a copy of xp pro and download all the drivers from your manufacuters website. if you like, just download the network interface drivers you use and grab everything else later. install, delete unwanted applications and then update everything. disable recovery, and strip visual properties (all can be found within system information).

after you're done... as suggested get O&O and set a schedule. also add in nod32 anti-virus, prevx1, ccleaner, adaware, or any other system treats you would like. once you're done... you'll be just fine if you keep up a weekly maintenance and stick with it. of course, accidents will happen but unless you do something completely stupid, you should be fine.

wouldn't really worry about formatting too many times, you won't hurt a single thing.

[kstebleton]

I've re-started from scratch many times, and it IS a hassle. I've started using Acronis True Image, similar to Ghost, but not yet had to restore from it.

Things easily lost: Favorites in IE - which can be exported and saved. Certain SIMPLE games tossed into the program files directory, easily forgotten about and hard to find again. Favorite backgrounds or wallpaper images. Templates for Excel or Word.

At this point, I like buying the next hard drive (they're so cheap) and starting the fresh install on it, keeping the old for a few weeks so I stand a chance of finding all of the old goodies I might have forgotten about. Then, wipe the OLD drive clean, and toss it in for more storage.

Have fun, and remember to think ahead - a friend of mine ran fdisk on the WRONG drive and pulled his hair out for a week until he figured HOW to recover from that one. He finally got EVERYTHING back :surprised

[Larry Jacks]

You can easily save your IE favorites by copying to C:\Documents and Settings\YourName\Favorites to a backup medium like a memory stick. You'll also want to save your email program's archieve and address book files. The exact files vary depending on what email program you're using.

The advice to scan for spyware/adware is good, as is kstebleton's suggestion of using a new hard drive and keeping the old one around in case you missed something. There are utility programs that can scan your registry for obsolete entries and clean things up. Your registry tend to just keep getting bigger as your computer gets older and that slows performance. If your computer hangs often, it might also be your virus scanner. Norton Antivirus used to cause my computer to hang up for 10 seconds or so quite frequently. Very annoying.

[crosscountry]

I don't have a new hard drive to put in (laptop) and I'm trying to keep to a minimum on the adaware and likes. I never ran a virus protector or anything until recently, only a firewall. Lately I put on a couple things, but I don't want them to be permanent.

I've uninstalled a lot of things over the year and worry about the registry, but truthfully I just want to start over. It's not bad however only slower than I remember starting.


I have an XP pro disc that I bought years ago, 2002. But Toshiba put many things I want to work right away: touch pad and others, and very few I didn't want. I highly recommend their computers.

maybe I should leave well enough alone, it's actually running pretty well.

[DOOMMaster]

nless you have your OS ghosted on a server- repeatedly wiping and reloading isn't a good idea...

I am curious as to why you would say this. There is nothing wrong with wiping and reloading. In fact, sometimes it the only thing you can do. Can it be time consuming? Yes. But it's about the only sure-fire way to make sure everything is gone. All the anti-spyware and anti-virus programs in the world can't always get everything once it's on your system. They are more of a preventative maintenance item.

What I have found the best way for keeping systems in operation is to have a full, fresh install with all your programs and files then installed, then do a image/ghost with a program such as Acronis TrueImage. That way, you don't have to spend all the extra time reloading the OS, then installing all the programs and files again. Just pull the drive from the problem computer, reimage the drive, reinstall, and go. Then all you really have to do is backup any new documents, emails, and bookmarks before you reimage.

I have about 15 different computers around my home for various tasks, so it's a huge time saver. And with how cheap hard drives have gotten in the past few years, it really isn't a huge cost either.

[Neverfly]

I am curious as to why you would say this. There is nothing wrong with wiping and reloading. In fact, sometimes it the only thing you can do. Can it be time consuming? Yes. But it's about the only sure-fire way to make sure everything is gone. All the anti-spyware and anti-virus programs in the world can't always get everything once it's on your system. They are more of a preventative maintenance item.

What I have found the best way for keeping systems in operation is to have a full, fresh install with all your programs and files then installed, then do a image/ghost with a program such as Acronis TrueImage. That way, you don't have to spend all the extra time reloading the OS, then installing all the programs and files again. Just pull the drive from the problem computer, reimage the drive, reinstall, and go. Then all you really have to do is backup any new documents, emails, and bookmarks before you reimage.

I have about 15 different computers around my home for various tasks, so it's a huge time saver. And with how cheap hard drives have gotten in the past few years, it really isn't a huge cost either.

You kinda partly answered your own question
As well as using a ghosted image (Should "ghosted image" go over into the Phrase Fossil" thread?).
As to the rest- it's more a physical- hardware issue. Repeated wiping and reloading is bad for the hard drive.

[crosscountry]

aren't hard drives supposed to read and write?

[Neverfly]

aren't hard drives supposed to read and write?

Aren't cell batteries supposed to charge and recharge?

But if you charge it constantly- or charge halfway then put it on the charger later when it's halfway -etc... It isn't good for the battery.

Won't last as long. Gets memory problems.

[g0pher]

let me clear something up. formatting a drive will do no more damage than installing and removing programs or everyday use. zeroing out the drive 20 times a day might eventually lead to something going wrong (there are a few moving parts in there after all). but technically, you have nothing to worry about.

neverfly, i can understand your concern... but honestly comparing a hd to a battery is like comparing an apple to a roastbeef sandwich.

[ggremlin]

G0pher is correct, hard drive sand batteries are different technologies and can't be compared.

All devices with moving parts will wear out eventually, but a good drive will last five to six years or longer. You are lucky to get three years out of a battery before it no longer holds a charge. Drives will normally continue to work run up to the end.

On a laptop, a recovery cd would normally be the best refresh option, the speciality drivers for the PC devices can sometime be found no where else.

Crosscountry, if you ain't running any virus scanner I would strongly recommend you install one, viruses and malware are just too easy to pick up even with a firewall. I know that lately the software has become bloated, but most of the packages can be customized to run only the critical scanners.

I assume you are doing the standard stuff
1. Defrag Hard Drive
2. Clear the Temporary Internet files cache and drop the limit, by default it is set to 10% of the partation; on a 300 Gig drive, that's 30 Gig.
3. Uninstall applications you don't need or auto-installed and don't want.
4. Download Ad-aware and Spybot, use a well-known download site, I recommend www.download.com, part of C-Net. They are other scanners, I normally use two or three different scanners when a PC is infected with malware or suspected.

[g0pher]

then of course there is always the option of creating a stripped virtual machine and browsing from that no worries if you screw anything up, just reload the image and you're good to go. that or download deepfreeze :-)

[Neverfly]

I've been informed by several hardware folks that wiping and reloading (repeatedly) is hard on a hard drive.

Since this thread, I have conferred with several 'experts' on this and they all confirmed what g0pher and ggremlin said. I was wrong, writing and re-writing on a drive isn't really a problem, well no more so than the fact that it has moving parts and it is 'wear and tear' anyway.

Given personal experience that I had three drives that I re-formatted regularly go out on me much sooner than expected- I took the counsel that re-formatting regularly can ba bad for a drive at face value. Perhaps it was just bad luck instead.

[DOOMMaster]

I've been informed by several hardware folks that wiping and reloading (repeatedly) is hard on a hard drive.

Since this thread, I have conferred with several 'experts' on this and they all confirmed what g0pher and ggremlin said. I was wrong, writing and re-writing on a drive isn't really a problem, well no more so than the fact that it has moving parts and it is 'wear and tear' anyway.

Given personal experience that I had three drives that I re-formatted regularly go out on me much sooner than expected- I took the counsel that re-formatting regularly can ba bad for a drive at face value. Perhaps it was just bad luck instead.

Make sure you are running a full surface scan on the disk. Sometimes a disk will develop a bad sector, causing problems with formatting and writing. I've had hard drives develop them, but the rest of the drive is still usable. As long as you aren't having the problem of having bad sectors continually develop (which is a sign you should just replace the drive), you can continue to use it after marking the bad sectors out. I have a old drive, probably 4-5 years old, that has 4 bad sectors. Never developed anymore and it's still being used today.

[crosscountry]

got my new RAM installed and I'm going for the recovery


if I'm not back, wait.

[suntrack2]

I'm about to run the recovery disk on my computer. It's just time. Had the computer for over a year and it's hanging up especially with web based programs.

Other than the obvious of saving My Documents and book marks are there other things to watch for?


I'll have to reinstall all of my programs, but I'm ready for that. I'm looking for tips if you got them.

Thanks.

a. have you checked the anti virus software
b. have you checked the setting of the computer
c. is the computer hard disk is full of material, is there a sufficient space to save another material.
d. do you download the material from the web only, or you are taking first the material on the "CD" and then install it

[crosscountry]

I got the computer running again. It's got a lot of useless junk preinstalled that I'll have to remove. Then I can start working on my own programs.