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Why do I see so many people talking about how they had to "format the computer to get x to work"? Arent we supposed to be hackers here? (Oops, I used the H word.) personally I've never been forced to reformat my own system. Am I just really good at what I do or seriously lucky or what??? (Extra 2 question marks added for Arans benefit. Sorry no space though.)
How often do you format any given system?
When you get multiple virii and you don't have a very good anti-virus program, formatting is the only option. I find that after I format my comp runs faster. I always accumulate useless crap and virii, so I try to format as often as my dad lets me (he uses this comp too, and he doesn't like to back things up so I only format about once every 2 years).
There was a really dark time in my life when I was running ME when I virtually did it on a average I would say of every 4 months.......man those times were really dark. Part of it was my inexperience but mostly was that ME pretty much sucked. Now I have XP and everything is running smoth. I have a new found respect for Microsoft after XP.
I have XP too, but i have a newfound disrespect for Microsoft. XP sucks my big fat toe.
Home or Professional? I have Professional.Quote:
Originally posted by tim545666
I have XP too, but i have a newfound disrespect for Microsoft. XP sucks my bug fat toe.
Home. But the two are essentially the same. XP supports some crap that I don't have the need for. And it also supports .NET, which I could use... Screw microsoft I'll just get a pirated version of Win2K.
>>I find that after I format my comp runs faster. I always accumulate useless crap and virii
Which is why I occasionally go on a rampage of destruction, filling my Recycle Bin to overflowing.
>>back things up
I dont know about the rest of you but I have a 12 Gig HD... Its full. How the heck am I supposed to back everything up? I've got applications for any given task. I've optomized the settings of every one of those applications. I would be living hell to do a full backup. I just back up the important stuff.
>>Home or Professional? I have Professional.
How are you liking it, programming wise? I'm considering upgrading (from 98) as I was loathe to touch ME (or 2000 for that matter).
>>Home. But the two are essentially the same. XP supports some crap that I don't have the need for. And it also supports .NET, which I could use... Screw microsoft I'll just get a pirated version of Win2K.
Actually I hear there's a huge difference performance wise.
>>Home or Professional? I have Professional.
How are you liking it, programming wise? I'm considering upgrading (from 98) as I was loathe to touch ME (or 2000 for that matter).
I like it very much, it's the best OS I've ever used, it's like a camouflaged version of Win2k, just more "prettier":D , but besides that, I hear that XP is supposed to be what was promised when Win2k was released, but never "arrived". Blue Screen of Death, haven't seen that in a while in my house. The computer does However Freez at times, but rarely and this I think it's not really the OS fault because it used to do the same kind of weird Freezing with Windows ME at times, I mean freezing where everthing just seems to be paused on the screen, not the usual Windows Freezing, but it only happens with my PC that much as far as I know, because a couple of friends have XP and they tell me it runs good for them. Programming wise....seems to be doing ok with Direct X....I mean Visual C++ seems to do ok. Let's see what happens I've only had it for like 3 to 4 months. It's ok for programming as of right now. There's still some programs that you have download patches for, because XP is fairly new.
I formatted last because a mem chip went bad and my WIN98 stuffed up. That was a year ago.
My Win98 runs continuously for days without problems.
I am considering the move to Win2000 as it is stricter on mem usage in WIN32 API. I am avoiding actually installing XP on anything but a test system for as long as I can. Who needs Win2000 without even the limited security it provides? If I get a RAT / virus then I don't want it to have root access by default.
Then again the unlimited access to raw sockets is enticing.
Have had problems with networks between WinXP and 98 in games and found it slower than Win2000. And had problems with WinXP graphics under GDI. (drew things upside down on one PC only)
I remember those days....Quote:
There was a really dark time in my life when I was running ME
Thanks to Linux its all over though :cool: I never have to format Linux. ME on the other hand.... every month.
I reformat every once in a while because I make trouble for myself......I am always messing in the registry and altering settings and I just dont look after things as I should....
Keeping my data backed up allows a reinstall to be a pretty effective option on occasion.........And I like the spring clean feeling once in a while
I have had my computer for about 4 years now...and have not had to reformat it even once.
*other Cboard members whisper* he still uses a computer that is over 4 years old??? that thing must be out of date....oh yeah...i agree....it has to be.... *end of whispers*
nope...not out of date at all...396 MB ram, 8 GB hd and a 40 gb hd (upgraded Xmas time), GeForce 2 (upgraded Xmas time), 300 Mhz processor (okay...thats the one thing that does need an upgrade...but barely...i think a 1 GHz would do me well for years to come)
anyways, back on topic...
I have had to format the computer in my room once, because of severe malfunctions (see the thread "A word of wisdom from DavidP" and other related threads)....that computer still wont work...
if anybody can get that comp to work...i will give them like $5000...okay...not really...but it would be nice to get it to work...
I usually reformat when I move to a different OS. I just don't trust upgrading. I've been running Win2K for a while now and I like it very much. I'm still trying to move to Linux or BSD for good but I haven't had any problems with Win2K. I like to run as minimal of a system as possible (with the exception of music files) so I backup my stuff often to CDs. If I ever need it, I can put in the disc. I'm frequently uninstalling programs I haven't used for a while. If I need to use it again I'll reinstall it.
it's amazing how much crap you guys put up with from your operating system...
I've formatted my comp so many times, I practically remember all the steps!!!
I format... never, if I don't have to. I haven't been forced to yet, there's almost always a way around it. Bad virii? Meh, haven't had a virus before either. Although my NEW HD did crash 6 months after purchase... I was using a trusty Western Digital 8.4 Gig before... then upgraded to a 20 Gig fugitsu and it crashes...
Before that I hadn't formatted... well for 2 years and 6 months (Around the time I got my first computer :)) I've had my share of problems though, but I guess that's how you learn.
I'm running a Duron 800, 192MB of RAM, 8.4GIG HD, and an old nVidia TNT video card on Windows 2000. Friends of mine who think they know a lot about computers are constantly reformatting (like 4 months or so) even after that, they blame it on something beyond their control.
Formatting is the universal solvent, (next to water of course) it cures all problems with little or no thought.
I'm thinking bout formating my comp again....stupid dreamweaver :mad:...it changed my whole IE and NN config..... and my comp is so slow that going from one folder to another is like going from one webpage to another.....u wouldn't know how annoying that is until u have it.....the thing that ........es me off the most is the fact that i just formatted my comp about 2 months ago :mad:
So? Change it back. What exactly did it change?Quote:
...it changed my whole IE and NN config.....
If it's going slow, there are 1000 things you can do to speed it up... although you could take the easy way out and format (and learn nothing)
>>going from one folder to another is like going from one webpage to another
[brag] You mean the next closest thing to instantanious? [/brag] ;) You must not have a high speed connection.
I format my HD every now and then, but I try to fix things without doing it. Although, re-installing windows fresh, right after a 3.5 floppy, gives you full control, step by step, over what clutters up the HD. Even so, I try not to do it much.
Of course, you could end it all by keeping the lower end pc hooked up to the net, and make sure the high end one doesn't get connected to the net, or the computer that was using the net.
Good puter, stay good. :D
Commander, you think you have it bad, my computer can't even open up the C drive. I have to choose a specific folder or it freezes up trying to load the C drive's contents.
I do change it back, but every time I restart my comp, it changes back again, :mad:Quote:
Originally posted by Dual-Catfish
So? Change it back. What exactly did it change?
ur right !! :) I don't.. my connection is like 2-4 k/s!Quote:
Originally posted by lightatdawn
[brag] You mean the next closest thing to instantanious? [/brag] ;) You must not have a high speed connection.
Man!! what's ur comp speed? Even that don't happen to me!Quote:
Originally posted by golfinguy
Commander, you think you have it bad, my computer can't even open up the C drive. I have to choose a specific folder or it freezes up trying to load the C drive's contents.
333 mhz and 64 mb of ram
BTW, I have 62% of my resources free!!:(
my comp is old, 550 mh was the best i could get 3 yrs ago!! it's really slow, i can't play a decent game properly!
550...now look at where it is today:mad:
I format like once a month. I gather too much crap. I just back up what I want then format. It make your comp go way faster and fixes stuff ... eg. for some reason my system.ini file is f**ked so I can't go to folder options, display properties, add/remove programs or ANYTHING in the Control Panel.
Pretty screwed, eh?
Sounds like somebody using Linux..... :DQuote:
Originally posted by Unregistered
it's amazing how much crap you guys put up with from your operating system...
i think formating is the quick way out because the time it will take to find out what's wrong, how to fix it and then actually fixing it, a computer will be formatted 3 times with it's OS installed :D
does any1 ever stay in the topic? I have only formatted once, when i put XP on..And the blue screen of death has appeared only once since then (my fault though)..Of course reformatting will speed things up..think about it! I like XP myself, even though LOTS of you moan about it, BUT HAVE NOT EVEN RUN IT! Please dont slag stuff off you have never tried...just makes you look silly. Damn, have i strayed off the topic?
I'v seen xp screw up some computers really badly...I wouldn't want something like that to happen to my computer, so, if xp is dying to run on my comp, it will just have to wait :D
i'm a win2k user until MS decrapifies said OS, XP.
win2k owns your house.
>win2k owns your house.<
Tux will defend my freedom of choice.
FOR YEARS and YEARS i NEVER had to format my comp..
Then a bad virus hit and I used system Restore on my horrid compq, ever since It has gotten virus after virus and my virus "protection program" aint worth crap...
Now i recently got a new motherboard (compq's burned out)
I had no system restore...
So I had to install 98 wich is almost impossible to do when your alreaddy running ME...
I pulled out some dos skillz i didnt know I had... I used deltree to wipe out as much as possible (it got rid of enough to install 98). 98 then would not run right cause it was out over the existing files... so I restarted is dos mode and used
FORMAT /AUTOTEST c:
after my hard drive was wiped I installed win98 problem free..
:o