Do computers need clean reinstalls?

Question

Hi there,
I hope some one who knows what their talking about can let me in on alittle support.
I bought my HP laptop only 3 years ago - its still a beauty and works fine - but alittle slower than when I ripped it out of its brand new case -
I guess all computers slow down with usage -

I just want to know if youre suppose to clean reinstall windows after a couple of years (because I have heard from two sources now that its good to). What are your thoughts on clean reinstalls?

Basically, I just want to have my computer in a similar condition it was when it was brand new.
Clean, fast, and simple

Answer 1

Hello There..





Well, pcs should be fast, as long as it's maintained properly..



So, First up:





- REMOVE ANY OLD ANTIVIRUS TOOLS OR ANYTHING SIMILAR



1.) Download Avast Antivirus [ http://www.avast.com ]

2.) Update and register the free license using ur email

3.) Run Full scan



Quanrantine and remove any infections found

You can also attach external drives like SD, Micro SD and Hard-disks and iPods and stuff and scan them :D



---



4.) Download Malwarebytes [ http://www.malwarebytes.org/ ]

5.) Update and Run Full Scan



Quanrantine and remove any infections found



---



6.) Download CCleaner [ http://www.piriform.com/ ]

7.) Clean all temporary files and clean registry errors



---



Restart and get a clean pc, good as new =D



Make sure you update ur antivirus everyday.







If the problem still persists, back up all ur files and do a reboot of your operating system

Take care



Regards.



best ans rite? :P

Answer 2

I have also heard that it's good to do a clean reinstall every couple of years. It gets rid of all the glitches.



But you may not need to. Here is a great free program: C Cleaner at http://www.piriform.com



Under the Windows tab, scroll down to Advanced, and put a check next to Old prefetch data

Click Run Cleaner



Then click on the Application tab and click on Run Cleaner.



That will get rid of all the garbage files and temporary files on your computer. They just give it more to do, slowing it down.



Then click on Registry, in the left hand pane.

Scan for Issues then click on Fix Selected Issues.

(Back up your registry, as they suggest. But this is a safe program and all should be well.)



Now restart.



See if that doesn't fix your problem without doing something as radical as a clean reinstall of Windows.



Run the C Cleaner once a week to keep your computer in top form.



I've been using this awhile now and it's making all the difference.

Answer 3

Computers aren't mechanical like a car, they have very few moving parts, basically the fans and hard drive. So they shouldn't really slow down. If they do it usually due to malware or a full(ish) HDD, or insufficient RAM to keep pace with what you've added to it.



A reformat and reinstall should do the trick but it's a long job re-installing all your programs and saved data. If you don't have your OS and software on CD you could have problems.