Re-Installing Windows

[t0rek]

I'm just about to format my HD and re-install Windows in order to fix some problems... So what can I do this time to get better results of doing this and better perfomance? Any advices or tips?

[vileP]

Depends on what you are having problems. I would first get more memort and maybe a new sound card instead of using Intel's integerated audio.

[t0rek]

I know that Intel's sound that I have it's not very good but it does the job and I have no problem with it... In fact I'm not having hardware problems... It is just that Windows get crappy after 6 months of use...

[jollyrancher]

It is just that Windows get crappy after 6 months of use...

That's not true... I used the same Win98 install on my laptop for 4 years before my HD started getting bad clusters and had to be replaced. I mean it's just software and unless you start messing with system folers/files, Windows isn't going to work differently just because of use/age. I assume you defragment your HD and make sure you don't have any trojans/viruses, so reinstalling sounds like a waste of time to me.

[RJARRRPCGP]

I'm just about to format my HD and re-install Windows in order to fix some problems... So what can I do this time to get better results of doing this and better perfomance? Any advices or tips?

If you can and want to install Service Pack 1, install Service Pack 1 *BEFORE*
installing the chipset drivers.

Install the chipset drivers *BEFORE* installing other Windows software.


Now, Windows XP Pro should be faster, because all of the driver components are installed in the proper order, allowing faster AGP and HDD access.

[AlphaWolf]

That's not true... I used the same Win98 install on my laptop for 4 years before my HD started getting bad clusters and had to be replaced.

Actually it is true, with your typical win user (especially those who download and install a lot of software,) 6 months is usually a good cycle for reformatting and starting from nothing. The reason for this has nothing to do with the physical state of the hard disk, the reason is because 99.99% of all windows software out there doesn't adaquately clean up after itself, and its extremely difficult to track every little mess that they leave behind, whether its excess registry keys, or even excess files stuck in your system directories which you aren't even sure if they belong or not. When you keep this stuff up, eventually there will be a significant performance loss.

t0rek: my suggestion is to only install software that you know you'll use (except don't install any of those stupid tweak programs as they are useless...about the only usefull one is tweakui from microsoft themselves) and don't let ANYTHING configure itself to run at startup unless its really necessary. Also, have a look at this page:

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

Also, if you want to have any service packs installed, its always better to have them streamlined to the disc. E.g, go on the emule network and look for an ISO of windows XP that already has SP1a loaded onto the disc.

[jollyrancher]

99.99% of all windows software out there doesn't adaquately clean up after itself, and its extremely difficult to track every little mess that they leave behind, whether its excess registry keys, or even excess files stuck in your system directories which you aren't even sure if they belong or not. When you keep this stuff up, eventually there will be a significant performance loss.

You're right in the sense that I forgot to mention to use regedit/msconfig or some type of registry cleaner utility. If you let numerous programs keep adding themselves to the startup or win.ini without doing anything, you're going to have performance loss.

[AlphaWolf]

You're right in the sense that I forgot to mention to use regedit/msconfig or some type of registry cleaner utility. If you let numerous programs keep adding themselves to the startup or win.ini without doing anything, you're going to have performance loss.

well, no matter how much you use anything like regcleaner or msconfig, they'll never do an adequate enough job. IMO theres no point in bothering with em honestly.

[Stezo2k]

one thing i have noticed, is on my pc and my best friends is that fat32 runs much faster on our systems, we both use xp, and it runs flawlessly on a fat32 partition, if you want secure data i'd say use a ntfs partition seperate from your xp installation

[t0rek]

Nice advices... thanks guys...

[KingTom]

mmm... advice