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"Just Wondering..."

...if it's a bad thing to delete everything on your computer. Via whatever it's called (I forget...) and you have to re-install Windows XP.

Thinking of backing up anything important onto disks and then re-installing them. The sheer ammount of crap on my computer is unbelievable. Seriously. It's horrible.

Lol...

Not sure if I will, not sure if I can back it all up...

Ya every year or so a format is good even with a Registry cleaner some stuff get's left in there no matter what you do.. unless you use 2 good registry cleaners.

Good good.

Thanks for the help... :D.

Ah, might wait until I come back from LA though... Busy busy until Sunday...

The registry is the main problem, it fills up over time.

Thats why it's best to do a re-install once a year or so.

Or just don't use Windows.

I think you're talking about format. You don't actually have to type "format c:" at the command prompt if you're going to re-install Windows XP, it's installer can format the drive for you, which saves a bit of faffing around.

Formatting your hard disk and re-installing is not harmful to your computer, in fact it's beneficial if anything (faff about getting everything back to how it was notwithstanding). As Windows installations get older, they pick up more software detritus and generally get less stable and slower. A flatten + reinstall sets your operating environment back to new again.

Do you have Win Xp on the PC right now?

If so, just set your BIOS to boot from CD, insert the XP disc and go through as if you were doing a new installation. there will be an occupied partition showing up (the one you're using). Just delete that and the next couple of pages will take you through making a new one and formatting it. then you will re-install a fresh OS with nothing else on the HD.

I don't know...

I've only done it once, about a year ago.

What is that you do, again? Isn't it just a couple of commands?

I do it from time to time - nothing wrong with it. As long as you only back-up the essential stuff (anything that can be downloaded in a reasonable time can wait IMO) and the stuff you know not to be infected with spyware/adware/other crap.

I know what you mean - the amount of crap that can accumulate is terrible. sometimes it's easy to get rid of, but most of the time your comp just slows down for no apparent reason.

Long ramble short, it's not a bad thing to do. It's as safe as you can get.

p.s. were you referring to FDisk?

...if it's a bad thing to delete everything on your computer. Via whatever it's called (I forget...) and you have to re-install Windows XP.

Thinking of backing up anything important onto disks and then re-installing them. The sheer ammount of crap on my computer is unbelievable. Seriously. It's horrible.