Will Windows-7 be maintenance free?

With XP, there were several applications I needed to "maintain" performance.
A good defrag program - I used Diskeeper
A registry cleaner - I used Ace Utilities
A spyware removal tool - I used Spybot
Msconfig check - uncheck programs I don't want to run at startup
once in a while

With Windows 7, are these utilities built in and automatic?
Is Windows-7 the first maintainence free OS?

 

Automatic background defragging has been present since Vista.

There's no built in registry cleaner.

Windows Defender has been available since Vista. Microsoft is rumored to be developing a free "all inclusive" antivirus/antispyware package. Until that comes out, it's still recommended to use a third-party antivirus program.

MSCONFIG is the same as in XP. How Microsoft (or any company) could design an OS that can predict what programs you want to launch at startup is beyond me.

I don't know what you mean with "maintenance free", but all AV/AS packages are hands-off. Meaning they update and scan without user input. Defragging is automatic, shadow copies are automatic. Data backups can be configured to be automatic.

Registry cleaners have always been hit and miss - I definitely wouldn't want my OS to automatically delete things in the registry.

The best things for me with 7 have been Aero Peek and Snap. Much easier to manage multiple open windows.

 

however......

most 'hands off' apps generally start to off the humans behind the keyboard. People start to complain about slow startup, 'excessive' memory and cpu usage, false positives (and missed negatives!) and eventually the peeps start to shut off the auto features of their maintenance program.

I'm not saying that this is right or wrong, it's just they way it goes.

 

"windows" "maintenance free"
contradiction in terms there.
i think hands off windows is a long way off, certianly not 7, maybe never the way it is now. unless they go for the dumb terminal approach, with your os and apps online and maintained by someone else.
for the most, you are basically on your own looking after your computer and os.

 

took the words right out of my mouth lol

 

I personally would prefer to be "hands on" in terms of my computer and OS. When it comes to my system and the data on it, I want full control. Windows gives me just that.

 

The best thing you can do is, install everything how you like it, make backup, and reinstall backup once a month, to keep things tidy in your computer.

Windows 7 is alot better at things like defragging etc... and it does seem to have a positive effect on computer if you defrag with windows inbuilt version.

 

I manually scan for malware + viruses once ever couple months, run CCleaner to delete crap and give the registry a slight clean, then bust out a defrag.

All is fine, as it was on my year old Vista install.

 

lol i reformat more often than im sure most anyone does. i do a fresh install at least usually once a month sometimes sooner. though i do a lot of testing and my os usually ends up needing it due to a bad beta product or something else..

i dont do a image on my personal desktop system because im always swapping hardware out so i cant easily go back to the original image unless i do a bare metal restore.

but a fresh install of 7 on a fast machine takes under 10min and i put all the driver on a usb at once and then quickly install them.. whole process maybe 15-20min really

 

Do not simply use Registry Cleaner. Because they're dangerous, especially on new OSes such as Windows 7. I would suggest CCleaner(latest) since it won't touch Windows 7 system files and delete them vaguely.
Windows 7/Vista have better/superior Windows Defragmenter than Windows XP.
Windows Firewall, every Windows OSes have it.
Windows Defender, an Anti-Spyware build-in for Windows 7/Vista.

 

Windows 7 will still need some maintenance but not very much if you compare with Windows XP. That's one of the good things about Windows 7.

 

Nothing is maintenance free in this world.

 

"Maintenance-free" and "computer" or frankly ANY man-made object are contradictions.

Also, as automated as they get, relying on ONLY automated processes is folly.

 

Especially girlfriends and cars.