For What reasons you format your pc?

[Aktiffiso]

Hi hello i am a very paranoid windows user and when i see corruptions on my sistem include when i uninstall security software i think my machine are bad and format it. For example when i install firewalls and uninstall it i see traces of drivers, traces on registry, i really format my pc for everything, when dism cleanup image does not run well or can not repair errors i format my pc. Maybe is a litle hilarious, but i wan to know you

Why you format your pc? What reasons?

How is a unestable system?

What corruption you can tolerate?

Thanks and have nice day

 

[roger_m]

I have't done a reformat on the main laptop I use for two years, and don't have any plans to do so in the future. If I ever encounter problems, I take the time to diagnose and fix them. In the rare case, I can't fix them, I restore from a recent backup. I have installed and uninstalled hundreds of programs, including several different antiviruses, during the last two years, but my laptop still runs fine.

In the past, when I've done done a clean install of Windows, it's been due to critical issues with Windows or data corruption due to a failing hard drive. Of course, I should have had working backups of my system, to restore from. But, I usually didn't, back then.

To answer your questions. I would only do a format and reinstall if there was something critical wrong, which despite by best efforts, I was unable to fix. A good example would be that Windows would not boot.

On my other laptops, I often reformat them to install different version of Windows, or just to start from scratch and see for example if I have any issues running Windows Update with a clean install of Windows. So it's just for the purposes of testing, not due to any issues.

 

[frogboy]

Only before I installed Windows 10, so it has been awhile.

 

[Xahl]

I format my PC once and a while just to keep its peak performance Nothing wrong with being paranoid nowadays, but you don't want to do it too frequently

 

[Deletedmessiah]

I format my PC when there's performance issues. Sometimes formatted for learning purposes too.

 

[Yoda]

Last month I Formated my PC.
Due to hardware updates from time to time, I had some issues with old drivers (garbages).

Also I had a strange issue (most possibly from driver compatibility):
Some times during the startup, my computer was staying at windows startup "welcome" screen, not going any further.
That issue appearing more often lately...
So I decided that it is time for a clean Install.

 

[Vasudev]

Hi hello i am a very paranoid windows user and when i see corruptions on my sistem include when i uninstall security software i think my machine are bad and format it. For example when i install firewalls and uninstall it i see traces of drivers, traces on registry, i really format my pc for everything, when dism cleanup image does not run well or can not repair errors i format my pc. Maybe is a litle hilarious, but i wan to know you

Why you format your pc? What reasons?

How is a unestable system?

What corruption you can tolerate?

Thanks and have nice day

Use Revo uninstaller to uninstall apps, drivers etc. I don't see the need to reformat unless Windows isn't working. I only reinstall when there's a new majot build for Windows.

 

[Duotone]

When I have free time and nothing else to be busy with...

 

[Rengar]

When I have free time and nothing else to be busy with...

lol

 

[Rengar]

Normally you should format your pc every year.

 

[iAwake]

I do a clean install after testing an Antivirus solution because I believe this type of programs is very hard (or nearly impossible) to remove completely. For me I have always felt Windows less stable after uninstalling antiviuses. You can do a clean install windows and install drivers and then do a system image to recover whenever you need. This is less headache than doing a format. I used both EaseUs ToDo Home and Ashampoo Backup Pro 11.

 

[TairikuOkami]

Hi hello i am a very paranoid windows user and when i see corruptions on my system include when i uninstall security software i think my machine are bad and format it.

You are definitely someone, who could use RollBack Rx Home | PC Time Machine Windows System Restore Software

Why you format your pc? What reasons?

4 times a year, because of Windows 10 upgrades. Once to install Insider close to RTM, like now and then once for the final RTM. Upgrading takes 3 hours, while clean install + everything else takes about 1-2 hours, so I would not waste time upgrading. Clean install is better and more reliable anyway, plus I can see, what has changed.

How is a unstable system?
What corruption you can tolerate?

I perform maintenance after every Windows update, plus I use uninstaller to get rid of software, so no corruptions or instabilities allowed on my PC.

 

[shmu26]

It is much easier and quicker to use system image backup, such as macrium reflect, or aomei. It will put your system back to a state prior to installing the security software that leaves behind those unwanted traces. Every time you want to uninstall security software, instead you just run a system image restore, and you are back to a clean system.

 

[brambedkar59]

I usually do it after every major Win10 upgrade, plus it's fun so why the hell not

 

[aragornnnn]

Whenever i think someone inside my machine is watching me, i clean it the "ultimate" way.

 

[bribon77]

when formatting my Pc, when I can't enter to Windows,most of the times, is conflict-why working people programs, the latest has been, for that install RollBack Home Edition, and between Shadow Defender, and restart in mode Shadow, and nothing I came out a black screen and could not enter nor safe mode, I am not another thing that the format.

 

[mlnevese]

You people must have a lot of free time Reinstalling Windows on my machine takes me more than 8 hours, between reinstalling windows itself and the software I use and configuring everything back to the way I use it. One of the proprietary software I need for work need to be remotely configured and activated by the service provider and no, before someone asks, there is no free alternative to what it does May last computer went 4 years without reformating and the current one is just 6 months old

So to answer the OP, I never format. Most Windows corruption can be corrected if you know what you are doing. The only reason I can think would force me to format my computer is a physical malfunction of the hard disk. Even then I'd probably just buy a new disk and restore my last image.

 

[roger_m]

You people must have a lot of free time Reinstalling Windows on my machine takes me more than 8 hours, between reinstalling windows itself and the software I use and configuring everything back to the way I use it.

That is one of the reasons why I do my best, to never have to reinstall Windows. I have a lot of software installed, and I've got better things to do than spend hours reinstalling software.

 

[RoboMan]

Well kind of why to create restore points and disk images/backups, so you don't have to format every time, since it's a fact some programs can ruin your boot files or system files.

I format like once a year maybe to keep it totally clean. I still do a lot of restores of disk images. You may not want to format a lot to not kill your disk. Even more if it's an SSD.

 

[Yoda]

Usually it takes 4-5 years for me before need to re-format.
Also, the average time to re-install OS and every single program again is more than 12hrs.

It is not the installing, but the reconfiguring... (Usually done next day)