How Many times do you do the Windows Reinstall dance?

[TheRev]

It's very rarely the OS that's the problem with computers. It's usually something the user did.

This.

it is always something the user did. i have reinstalled windows multiple times on more computers in the last year than i care to really think about in detail.

My lust for porn...........

that has to be why I keep having to do the reinstall dance. That or my OCD to have the hard drive at exactl 438.5gb

[J_Wil]

It's very rarely the OS that's the problem with computers. It's usually something the user did.

This.

it is always something the user did. i have reinstalled windows multiple times on more computers in the last year than i care to really think about in detail.

Same...I just get angry thinking about it.

[ExedExes]

I don't understand why so many people have had to reinstall Windows. I've been using it ever since 3.1 and I've never encountered such a serious computer crippling issue that has ever caused me to have to reinstall the entire operating system.

[TheRev]

In my case it's not knowing what to do.

Yesterday I boot up and upon startup everything would freeze, I start MSE do a scan...freeze.

I go try to do a system restore...took almost an hour.

SO I reinsalled windows. BUT I click on the windows part of the windows old folder freeze again. I'm worried the Hard drive might be failing. Not a big deal all my files are kept externally.

Everytime I've had to reinsall it's been something going haywire on start up. Once it was due to Malware.

[Anapan]

I do computer repairs as a side job (just through friends and aquantances) and regularly do Vista-XP downgrades for performance increase. I've gotten the procedure optimized pretty well. Usually done in about 45 mins including user-files and passwords backup and driver search.
For optimum performance I install XP Performance Edition usually with the following free apps:
WinRAR
Imgburn
Virtual Clone Drive
Foxit Reader
Firefox w/ Adblock Plus & Flash
Irfanview
Winamp (Or ITunes if preffered/necessary)
KMPlayer w/ MadVR & Lav Filters (if the hardware would benefit)
Microsoft Security Essentials

Unless someone did something really odd (deleted system files, had a virus corrupt the registry or hard-drive damage) I never really have to reinstall. Typically OS cleanup involves a first sweep through add/remove programs to get rid of obvious stuff, then Combofix, CCleaner, and a final check with Hijack This. Not much can get through that set of tools.
I don't think I've ever had to reinstall an OS on one of my computers except when the hard-drive died.

[TheRev]

The only thing I think I might be doing to screw my system up now is I got into the Appdate folder and delete what I don't think is nessessary. I'm liike Very OCD about it too.

I use CCclean EVERYTIME I close firefiox.

the first windows freeze issue I got was due to a Rar'd mugen game that would not unzip.
it made my desktop go bonkers.

[Hobie-wan]

So there ya go, stop doing that so you're not reinstalling every few months.

[aaron]

i mean, i only have to do it because it's essentially my job, and i work for a university that employs really, really, really old people. so there's that.

i haven't rebuilt my machine in a long time. laptop is for work/gaming, ipad is for porn. duh.