Reinstall. what with all those programs etc.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Majki Majk
  • Start date Start date
M

Majki Majk

My compputer became slow and i would need to reinstall it. What with all
those programs and utilities which are adjusted very fine for usage, i
made a disk image, but that wouldn't change a bit i think, because i'm
sure the
harddisk must be formated after two years of usage.

?
 
Majki Majk said:
My compputer became slow and i would need to reinstall it. What with all
those programs and utilities which are adjusted very fine for usage, i
made a disk image, but that wouldn't change a bit i think, because i'm
sure the
harddisk must be formated after two years of usage.

?
Click to expand...

No, you should not have to format your machine after just two years.

Run your usual utilities:

virus checker

spyware checker

run disk cleanup

then defrag


also take unneeded apps out of startup by running msconfig
 
Before you think about reinstalling see the steps listed below.

#1: A process that's loading down your CPU:
It could be a sub-process or application that's running in the background
and taking all the CPU resources, which could be the cause of your PC
running slow.
To find and display what could be the problem try Process Explorer:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/SystemInformation/ProcessExplorer.mspx

Note: Once you have Process Explorer installed and running:
In the taskbar select View and check 'Show Process Tree' and
'Show Lower Pane' options.
Then expand the process named 'Explorer' (click on the + sign)
In the column on the left named 'CPU', look for any high CPU usage.
Next click on the CPU column to sort the processes by %CPU usage
(Highest to Lowest).
Move the mouse cursor over any process, you should see a popup with some
detailed info.
Then mouse over the process that's using most or all the CPU %.
Then click on that process to highlight it,
Now that it's highlighted, right click and from the options listed select:
'Search Online'
This should display what out there on the web about that process.
You can also double click on any process to open up a more detailed
'Properties' window.
Note: some entries like Explorer, System/Services, and
Svchost entries may need to be expanded to show the detail (sub processes),
in this case click on the + located to the left of the entry.

An alternate method using Process Explorer is to double click
on the Graph just below the Menu bar.
This will open the 'System Information' window, which has a larger display
of all three graphs.
Move your mouse over any spike in the CPU Usage graph to see what
process/application or service was the cause of the spike.

#2: Stuff that loads during boot or logon and then is always running in the
background:
If you want to list and explore what may be the cause then:
Try Autoruns from the MS Windows SysInternals site:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/Autoruns.mspx

AutoRuns will show/list all apps/etc. that load/run when you first boot
(Boot Execute tab),
when you logon (Logon tab) and other programs that load
(grouped by labeled tabs) for easy viewing.
It also provides the ability to selectively allows you to stop any program
(use with care) that you don't want to load.
You can undo any changes you have made.
Note: To get additional details on an item in the list you may need to
highlight the item (right click) and use the 'Search Online' option to get
the details, especially useful for the more obscure items in the list.

#3: Viruses
Viruses and malware can also cause your PC to slowdown or malfunction.
Malke has an excellent set of instructions on what to do:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

#4: To much crap on the hard drive:
Take a look at CCleaner as a tool to remove Internet history info, cookies,
temp files, auto complete and other junk.
In the 'Windows' tab listing check the item types you want deleted.
Note: Do not use the registry cleaning option!!!
Also available is customization, see Options/Custom to add any
other/additional folders you want files deleted from.
http://www.ccleaner.com/

#5: Defragment your hard drive.

JS
 
My compputer became slow and i would need to reinstall it. What with all
those programs and utilities which are adjusted very fine for usage, i
made a disk image, but that wouldn't change a bit i think, because i'm
sure the harddisk must be formated after two years of usage.
Click to expand...


I completely disagree. With a modicum of care, it should never be
necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other version). I've run
Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000,
Windows XP, and now Windows Vista, each for the period of time before
the next version came out, and each on two machines here. I never
reinstalled any of them, and I have never had anything more than an
occasional minor problem.

It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the technical
support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to almost
any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat and
reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them. It gets you off the
phone quickly, it almost always works, and it doesn't require them to
do any real troubleshooting (a skill that most of them obviously don't
possess in any great degree).

But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You have to
restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all your
programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and application
updates,you have to locate and install all the needed drivers for your
system, you have to recustomize Windows and all your apps to work the
way you're comfortable with.

Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome, you may
have trouble with some of them: can you find all your application CDs?
Can you find all the needed installation codes? Do you have data
backups to restore? Do you even remember all the customizations and
tweaks you may have installed to make everything work the way you
like? Occasionally there are problems that are so difficult to solve
that Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and far
between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only after all
other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified person have failed.

And perhaps most important: if you reformat and reinstall without
finding out what caused your problem, you will very likely repeat the
behavior that caused it, and quickly find your back in exactly the
same situation.

If you have problems, post the details of them here; it's likely that
someone can help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
 
I completely disagree. With a modicum of care, it should never be
necessary to reinstall Windows (XP or any other version). I've run
Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000,
Windows XP, and now Windows Vista, each for the period of time before
the next version came out, and each on two machines here. I never
reinstalled any of them, and I have never had anything more than an
occasional minor problem.

It's my belief that this mistaken notion stems from the technical
support people at many of the larger OEMs. Their solution to almost
any problem they don't quickly know the answer to is "reformat and
reinstall." That's the perfect solution for them. It gets you off the
phone quickly, it almost always works, and it doesn't require them to
do any real troubleshooting (a skill that most of them obviously don't
possess in any great degree).

But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You have to
restore all your data backups, you have to reinstall all your
programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and application
updates,you have to locate and install all the needed drivers for your
system, you have to recustomize Windows and all your apps to work the
way you're comfortable with.

Besides all those things being time-consuming and troublesome, you may
have trouble with some of them: can you find all your application CDs?
Can you find all the needed installation codes? Do you have data
backups to restore? Do you even remember all the customizations and
tweaks you may have installed to make everything work the way you
like? Occasionally there are problems that are so difficult to solve
that Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are few and far
between; reinstallation should not be a substitute for
troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only after all
other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified person have failed.

And perhaps most important: if you reformat and reinstall without
finding out what caused your problem, you will very likely repeat the
behavior that caused it, and quickly find your back in exactly the
same situation.

If you have problems, post the details of them here; it's likely that
someone can help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
Click to expand...

Ok. It seems that i have some corupted files which over the time gave me
problems, and checking the disk it tells that the disk have errors, but
not bed sectors, the service guy checked the disk and told me there's no
problem cause their utilities don't see anything nor do windows check-
but it does in a hand. It tells after trying to check the partition 2/3
on example this:Drive 2: The disk check could not be performed because
the disk check utility needs the exclusive acess to some windows files
on the disk. It prompts me for restarting and doing an automatic check.
This same message was odd to service guy too. Thats maybe the probl.no1.
If something is corrupted than it's maybe corolated with this.

I had had virus files but i managed to resolve that situation using
several anti virus programs. But they're so sophisiticated these days
that there are big chances i have it somewhere on my pc. I used registry
check and customization which did some things according to them, i
suppose it brought back registry files which i had to delete because of
their infection with the virus(gens...). That's what i understood.
 
Ok. It seems that i have some corupted files which over the time gave me
problems, and checking the disk it tells that the disk have errors, but
not bed sectors, the service guy checked the disk and told me there's no
problem cause their utilities don't see anything nor do windows check-
but it does in a hand. It tells after trying to check the partition 2/3
on example this:Drive 2: The disk check could not be performed because
the disk check utility needs the exclusive acess to some windows files
on the disk. It prompts me for restarting and doing an automatic check.
This same message was odd to service guy too. Thats maybe the probl.no1.
If something is corrupted than it's maybe corolated with this.

I had had virus files
Click to expand...


Files? Plural? How many? Which ones?

but i managed to resolve that situation using
several anti virus programs.
Click to expand...


Which programs?

But they're so sophisiticated these days
that there are big chances i have it somewhere on my pc.
Click to expand...



If you had multiple infections, I back off from what I said earlier.
That's the one situation in which your only reasonable choice my be to
clean install Windows. Removing multiple infections is very difficult.

Still, that's very different from saying "i'm sure the harddisk must
be formated after two years of usage."

I used registry
check and customization
Click to expand...



Be specific. Exactly what did you do?
 
Files? Plural? How many? Which ones?




Which programs?
Click to expand...
Avast cleaner and its patch for scanning files.
True Sword 4. Mix give me a chance to fight all these infections...

If you had multiple infections, I back off from what I said earlier.
That's the one situation in which your only reasonable choice my be to
clean install Windows. Removing multiple infections is very difficult.
Click to expand...

Yeah i know, i purposly deleted many registry files, and than done a
repair, but who knows is everything as it should be. I intend to use
registry mechanic but it tells me that this comuter can't support that
version, but on older computer it works !?

So i think the best thing is to make a disk image on the other drive and
to format this disk drive. ...Hey mister, do you happen to know is it
possible to make a disk copy on the new disk with the same proportion so
to clone it so to make it the same, then format the first drive and then
clone all data, partitions and system back from second to first drive. ?
Still, that's very different from saying "i'm sure the harddisk must
be formated after two years of usage."
Click to expand...
I think that drivers of all programs and utilities from time to time
become mixed and after long time there must be some kind of confusion in
the system so it's wise to make a fresh reinstall. Repairing, checking
for consistency and/or customization don't work with the free
applications, maybe with the professional they do. I'm just guessing,
you might be the expert...
Be specific. Exactly what did you do?
Click to expand...
In short said, nothing clever. Repairing doesn't work, and there's no so
much options left for the normal user. I would need to know all kind of
functions like manualy cleaning registry, checking log files(for which
i don't even know where it is!?) etc.
I made chkdisk through "run" "cmd" on all 3 partitions...
 
Majki said:
Avast cleaner and its patch for scanning files.
True Sword 4. Mix give me a chance to fight all these infections...



Yeah i know, i purposly deleted many registry files, and than done a
repair, but who knows is everything as it should be. I intend to use
registry mechanic but it tells me that this comuter can't support that
version, but on older computer it works !?

So i think the best thing is to make a disk image on the other drive and
to format this disk drive. ...Hey mister, do you happen to know is it
possible to make a disk copy on the new disk with the same proportion so
to clone it so to make it the same, then format the first drive and then
clone all data, partitions and system back from second to first drive. ?

I think that drivers of all programs and utilities from time to time
become mixed and after long time there must be some kind of confusion in
the system so it's wise to make a fresh reinstall. Repairing, checking
for consistency and/or customization don't work with the free
applications, maybe with the professional they do. I'm just guessing,
you might be the expert...

In short said, nothing clever. Repairing doesn't work, and there's no so
much options left for the normal user. I would need to know all kind of
functions like manualy cleaning registry, checking log files(for which
i don't even know where it is!?) etc.
I made chkdisk through "run" "cmd" on all 3 partitions...
Click to expand...
I just turned on DEP, with the function "Turn on DEP for all programs
and servies besides those i select" !!! Surely, i do not know what it
means but i hope it'll help me i some measure.

:)
 
Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
Avast cleaner and its patch for scanning files.
True Sword 4. Mix give me a chance to fight all these infections...



Yeah i know, i purposly deleted many registry files, and than done a
repair, but who knows is everything as it should be.
Click to expand...




It sounds to me like you are just using a shotgun approach to solving
problems, without really understanding what you are doing. That
approach is destined to get you into *more* trouble, not out of it.


I intend to use
registry mechanic
Click to expand...



Ugh! Exactly the kind of thing likely to get you into more trouble.

Despite what I said earlier about reformatting and reinstalling, it's
probably the best thing to do now.

I think that drivers of all programs and utilities from time to time
become mixed and after long time there must be some kind of confusion in
the system so it's wise to make a fresh reinstall.
Click to expand...


Once again, I completely disagree.
 
It sounds to me like you are just using a shotgun approach to solving
problems, without really understanding what you are doing. That
approach is destined to get you into *more* trouble, not out of it.






Ugh! Exactly the kind of thing likely to get you into more trouble.

Despite what I said earlier about reformatting and reinstalling, it's
probably the best thing to do now.




Once again, I completely disagree.
Click to expand...
Ok.You're the boss !

I'll make a disk clone and format the drive. period.

Thanks for tha Help!
 
I concur with what Ken has said here. My machine suddenly slowed up
significantly, and after running everything I knew to rid it of malware and
viruses, I did a clean disk reinstall; and, you guessed it, now that I'm back
up and running, everything's still slow. However, on previous occasions, a
reinstall has helped, so it was worth the gamble. The challenge now is to
find the problem that hasn't gone away this time.
 
Ke, I completly agree... But I have a problem... My sister in laws computer
has 6.2 Messenger and when she attempts to sign on it directs her to upgrade
to 8.0. She downloads but will not install and back to square 1.. Any
suggestions... a 6.2 removal d/l or re-install 6.2 or something???
Joe Silvers, FL (e-mail address removed) 407-473-2126
Thank you, Joe
 
Ke, I completly agree... But I have a problem... My sister in laws computer
has 6.2 Messenger and when she attempts to sign on it directs her to upgrade
to 8.0. She downloads but will not install and back to square 1.. Any
suggestions... a 6.2 removal d/l or re-install 6.2 or something???
Joe Silvers, FL (e-mail address removed) 407-473-2126
Thank you, Joe
Click to expand...


Sorry, I know next to nothing about Messenger, and can't help you with
it. Perhaps someone else who sees your message can help.
 
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