Why do I have to reformat my computer every few years so that it runs well again?
545451
Not unless you wanna pay a million for it hehe\n\nYes its good to reformat every few years just cuz it helps to refresh the computers memory. Sometimes they need a clean slate because of overdose of programs that have been installed and deleted from their system.\n\nthats why its important to maintain a good system by keeping your antivirus and antispyware programs up to date. And its also important to keep those recovery discs and windows disc safely tucked away just in case this stuff happens.\n\nAnd always backup =)
1134458
it almost re-orders all the files and data, gives you more memory and virtual memory ....\nIt doesnt fix it , it just compresses it better , so things can run faster and better\nhope that helps
720187
I've never heard of it... And i hope it isn't so because Windows requires multiply reinstalls over a number of years to maintain full function.
88336
Over time Windows operating systems become unnecessarily bloated and often times corrupted because various programs fail to update or they delete needed and unneeded settings. This leads to longer startup times, slower performance and eventual failure of different hardware components, software or the Windows operating system. \n\nNot only is this frustrating but you also lose valuable time everyday thanks to an inadequate Windows registry. Plus, hiring a computer technician to ' work out the bugs' can also be costly.\n\nDownload Registry Repair Pro the free trial.\n\nAlso don't forget to run scandisk and degrag.\n\nOther softwares are available @ www.downloads.com
987314
No, cause it would still need somebody to reboot it every once in awhile.
586115
You're listing too many problems and not enough information. What exactly do you mean when you say that your computer "won't let you" restore it to an earlier date? What exactly are you doing, and how exactly is your computer responding?\n\nThe same questions apply to your other problems. You need to explain exactly what you're doing, and what's happening when you do it.\n\nYour best bet is to find a friend who's knowledgable about computers to help you through this. If you have Windows XP, let them take control of your computer with Remote Assistance to see what's going on. Your problems sound too complex to solve through Yahoo! Answers.
900197
It sounds like you need to do some serious housecleaning.  Is your hard drive completely full?  If so, delete some files to make sure you have at least ~15-20% free space.  Also, defragmentation helps.  Check for visues and spyware - they can eat up critical system resources as well.\n\nIt also may be time to back up your files and reformat your hard drive and re-install Windows.  You need to do that about once a year if you use your computer a lot.  Windows constantly accumulates problems that never really go away - sooner or later they catch up with you.
29867
The ugly truth is if you want the computer to run like it was new, you must return it to a like new state. This means reformating your hard drive and reinstalling windows, or using the system restore disk that came with your system. Over time Windows systems just get bogged down and get slower. Things like you suggested are helpful sometimes, but a good format and reinstall is sort of the cure all. It is however a bit labor intensive. If you do reformat, you may want to concider recombining your hard drive into one partition. The advantages of partitioning your hard drive into smaller logical drives are negligible these days. If you’re not ready for this yet, one additional think you may want to check is what programs are starting up when your computer starts. There are many places where these little apps like real player, hardware monitoring programs, Windows Messenger, etc hide and use your computer resources. You may want to consider adding another 512 of ram too, it may help your computer to not rely on free hard drive space as much.
1148183
first thing, defrag your hard drive, I think you should do it every month.\n\nSecond, use a disk cleaner that will clean up temp files and old registry entries that are no longer needed.\nthere are lots of free ones out there, I myself paid for one, but try out the free ones and see which ones you like. here are several to choose from, some free, some cost, take your pic\nhttp://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Search/registry_cleaner.html\nthird, go through your start up menu and turn off alot of the programs. some things like quicktime, msn, yahoo, run everytime you start windows. They run in the background and make it slightly quicker to use them, since they are already running. However if you don't mind it taking an extra few seconds to open them when you need them, turn them off. this should free up your processor and speed up your machine.\nfourth, if you are still having problems try adding some ram, it is cheap and fairly easy to install.\n\ngood luck
130159
in brief - to get rid of the useless loading of apps and processes that are no longer there. cleaning it speeds up your system.
852240
Fat chance it will help because a fresh install of the software is going to make you do it anyway! You cant just move the norton software! It needs to be completely reinstalled! By the way, no matter what people tell you, a reformat is a complicated process and no matter how well you back up files, you WILL lose data and hardware drivers not to mention any software that didnt come with an installation CD! A reformat is a last resort!
765546
Yes, it is very much possible to "start - over".  What you need to do is format your hard disk and reinstall the operating system and all the other software.  It is not that difficult, but I would suggest taking external/professional help as this is your first time.  Do not forget to take a backup copy of all the files that you require before you start the process.  Formatting your hard disk does wonders to the performance of your computer.  Your system starts up really fast, and the overall speed and stability is mindblowing!\n\nAs for the alternative, you would find a considerable increase in the system performance if you do the following this:\n1. Run a thorough Scandisk check on all your hard disk partitions.  This can be done by right clicking the drive in My Computer and selecting Tools > Error checking > Check now. (In Windows XP)\n2. Defragment all your partitions.  To do this, right click the drive on My Computer, and select Tools > Defragmentation > Defragment Now.\n3. Clean your registry and optimize it using Registry Mechanic.  You should be able to find the latest version on download.com\n\nGood luck!
132412
you can formate it and then reinstall it
985376
Reformat the HD, and then install XP,but make sure your data is backed up.
257081
you might have to restart your computer.
722215
The System Restore Service does have a small impact on computer performance, and can use 1-10% of your hard drive space (depending on your settings).  In many cases, it can be helpful just in case something strange happens, or a software installation renders the system unusable.  Personally, I have only had to use it twice - and I am very glad it was there.
614114
nope,your old computer is already obsolete, maybe u can use th HD with the only purpose of recover ur old data but probably will void the warranty in ur  new PC... just format ur old computer and donate it to a kid for homeworks, that  will make u feel better...