Is it hard to do a clean install?

Yes, is it?

When my notebook comes, it surely will be fully loaded with bloatware. I don't want that. Somewhere here there's a guide on how to do a clean install. I read it, and even if English isn't my primary language, I think I could do it. But I'm not sure. Just as much as I want to remove the bloatware, I don't want to do anything that could ruin the machine.

I'm very used to computers and have a sense for logic. I lack in knowledge about how the computer looks inside its shelf, but I really don't have to open the damn thing, right?

So, how hard is it to do a clean install, and is it worth it? The computer is a Dell XPS M1330.

Thanks.

 

Quite easy I have done my Vostro 25 times in 9 months.

 

its very easy to do, if ur using vista it can get all the drivers for you once installed as long as u have the wireless adapters driver installed ur fine. I have both vista and xp on my laptop and there both really easy to install. dont worry about doing damage to ur machine its perfectly normal to do a clean install.

 

If you follow the guide verbatim that Les has compiled (I believe its in the Dell section) then you should be good to go.

 

25 times in 9 months? whuuuut

 

Quiete easy to do it! U just need to know what to install and have ur drivers handy! ur system ill feel twice as fast!

 

You just have to do all the tweaks again, that's the worst part

 

It is nor hard but it works. Yesterday i did clean install to my notebook. Can you tell, the performance has dramatically improved, everything works smoothly and flawlessly. However, create recovery discs, just in case.

 

I've done it 4 times in 5 weeks.
I blame Microsoft

It's quite easy, just get the drivers, backup your data, pop the CD in, and boot off of it.

 

It's not hard, it just takes time to get everything back up and running again.

Mainly backing up and restoring all your files and applications takes the longest, then would be updating Windows.

Also, it's alright to do a Quick Refomat in the reinstall menu if you positively know that there are no bad sectors on your hard disk.

 

Just make sure you grab a copy of Acronis True Image. Coz after you have formatted, installed all the drivers/updates, tweaked you system. U want to save everything you've done at that point before going futher with installing ur applications just incase you want to format in the future, ull save yourself alot of trouble, simply load the old backup image u saved and everything is restored within 10 minutes! That's how I do it!

 

I usually reinstall windows once in 1,5 years. Don't expierence problems mostly with windows. Besides, the restoring of performance takes a while - installation of applications, data and media recovery, update installation, system tweaking.

 

Im very picky about every FPS (DOD surious league player)

 

Installing/reinstalling is easy, but takes time and can be a hassle unless time is not an issue. IBO's advice, IMO, is excellent.

Just because it hasn't been mentioned, I'd like to tell you that there are folks who prefer to simply clean their systems as an alternative to reinstalling Windows (I'm not one of them). A pretty good job can be done by removing bloat and junk you don't need, if a complete clean install seems too complicated, and the results can be very effective. Not sure where exactly, but I believe there are guides here at NBR for removing junk from new machines, and Decrapifier is an app some choose to use in getting started.

 

Yes, that's what I first had in mind. But it's still hard to clean the register from unnecessary data, I think?

Thank you all, you have encouraged me well, when it comes, there will be a reinstallation.

 

If you decide on just cleaning the junk, Decrapifyer, CCleaner, and RegSeeker do a pretty good job. You have to be extremely careful though with the Registry, which, I think, is the main reason most prefer to simply reinstall. FWIW, I've never had any issues at all with CCleaner - it's a great app to have even after clean installs.

 

i wouldnt say its hard, but it can be an annoying and time-consuming task. Its even more annoying when you dont know exactly what to do. That said, do it once and at least you'll then know what to do next time, and its probably worth it, depending on the amount of bloatware you have