Re-Installing windows

[gabrielcrowe]

I'm about to re-install my crippled laptop. I'v done nothing to harm it, and yet, it sees fit to smite me, with some bizzarre unfixable windows issue.

At the moment, i'm booted into ubuntu and using it to rescue my data. i've not lost a single file, this time. i'm careful about backups, but this isnt always the case, is it?

How often do you all re-install? what kind of backups are you all keeping? are they good enough?

[Goz]

My laptop is over 3 years old and I've never had to reinstall Windows - yet. But I guess I don't play with software as much as you (probably) do.

Backups are a bit "wing and a prayer" but getting much better. I'm supposed to be an IT consultant FFS!! Practice what you preach!!

Do you an image to reinstall or just start from scratch (ouch!).

[dave_finlayson]

Reinstall every 4-6 months. Back up every day but to make reinstall's easier I have the hard drive partitioned so all my data is on a separate drive to the windows install so I can just wipe the C drive without worrying about my data.

[Cheapprices4u]

backup docs on seperate drives and sometimes on dvd and have a full image on an external drive

reinstall never unless hard ware failure

but i do run win2k3 so no bloat ware longest running system was over 2yrs before hd failed, but it was on every day

use acronis as recomended by this fine forum and old fashioned copy paste docs

[pinbrook]

Probably every 12-18months

[Duncan Rounding]

Scheduled Acronis daily differential image to spearate internal HD. Working data to an external HD plus to memory stick. Monthlies to DVD.

Tested restore and have bootable Puppy Linux on a stick for data recovery available just in case. I also keep all my shortcuts, logins, passwords etc on a another stick using Roboform Portable.

I've had to recover a number of times due to hardware failures so it's belt and braces all the way for me.

I never reinstall windows though as a matter of course.

[NormanRouxel]

I can't recall the last time I had to re-install. I'd recover from an earlier backup if I killed Windows.

All my systems are split into C drive (Windows, Program Files) and a D drive (D:/Data folder containing My Documents and other data). Other folders on D: are for non-essental data.

When I go travelling I copy my D:/Data to the laptop and copy it back when I return.

I backup C: using Acronis True Image 11 and keep several versions of D:/Data on 2 external drives.

And I've a little Snap Server NAS device sitting in a cupboard that I copy any work in progress to, especially after a lot of changes, just in case...

[dscontroller]

I've done a re-install on both the desktop and laptop in the past twelve months.

I do a total backup with Acronis True Image to a Freecom 500GB NAS every week, unless I forget!!

Also use Roboform which is synchronised between laptop, desktop and database also saved on NAS. (Wonderful piece of kit when you're getting long in the tooth!)

Having said all that I've just overwritten a pretty important file with some rubbish!

Must try to be more like Norman and Duncan!

[Duncan Rounding]

...Also use Roboform .... when you're getting long in the tooth!...

So that's why I need Roboform.

[chris ashdown]

Never re-installed windows but thought about it a few times and chickened out, just live with little snags

Use Acronis for Worktops daily on portable hard disk I take home and Jans Backup MDB every now and then on key fob

[gabrielcrowe]

Do you an image to reinstall or just start from scratch (ouch!).

I use a customised xp cd, with all the drivers I need and the cd key pre set. I have also slipstreamed service packs in, and the latest hotfixes.

I basically, put the cd in and walk away. come back 40 minutes later and its at the desktop.

[bamboo]

Consider installing all the programs you need then install Deep Freeze. This will revert your system back to your fresh install status every time your computer is re-started.

All you have to remember to do is to save all data you have created that day to a USB drive and make a redundant backup to your Google account(s) and if you are really paranoid burn a DVD.

You never ever have to faff about with the idiosyncrasies (thank god for spell checkers) of Windows again.

Edited at 10.40 to make it read right!

[Mark H]

Windows system restore (usually just to a couple of days previously) has worked for me 3/4 times over the last couple of years where previously I would have had to reinstall windows.

Stuff that has to be on my PC (eg Actinic) rather than on a NAS is constantly mirrored (in native file format rather than an image) using NTI Shadow and a USB stick.