Reloading windows question

[fmahovalich]

I have a legit copy of Windows.

Its running on my laptop...with video card and wireless hookup.


IT IS RUNNING TERRIBLY SLOW...and I WANNA RELOAD.

If I go thru CONTROL PANEL and UNINSTALL all of Windows.....Can I just reload it.

Most importantly....will the wireless set up, etc remain the same. Sorry...not to familiar what it means with Wireless and Video 'cards' mean

 

[WoodPeckr]

IT IS RUNNING TERRIBLY SLOW...and I WANNA RELOAD.

If by this you mean to format then do a clean install which IMHO is the best way to go, then yes you will lose your wireless set up. Windows will run fast again like the day you first got it. You will have to do all the OS updates and install your fav apps and programs all over again.

 

[The Options Menu]

I have a legit copy of Windows.

Its running on my laptop...with video card and wireless hookup.


IT IS RUNNING TERRIBLY SLOW...and I WANNA RELOAD.

If I go thru CONTROL PANEL and UNINSTALL all of Windows.....Can I just reload it.

Most importantly....will the wireless set up, etc remain the same. Sorry...not to familiar what it means with Wireless and Video 'cards' mean

Ideally what you want to to is not individually install stuff from Windows, but:
1. Backup your data
2. Download a Virus Scanner (Avast or AVG), a Firewall (Comodo or Zone Alarm), a Spyware Remover (Spybot S & D), and a System Cleaner (CCleaner) and put them on a removable medial (DVD / USB key).
3. You want to do a Vendor Restore / Reinstall of your OS. The laptop probably either came with a Restore DVD or a Restore Partition. There will be instructions for that on the manufacturer's website.
4. AS SOON AS YOU ARE DONE THE REINSTALL OR RESTORE PUT THE FIREWALL ON THE COMPUTER. Immediately.
5. Do all of the Windows Updates.
6. Do all of your Vendor Updates. (Via their App or their Website.)
7. Reinstall all of your software AND DO THEIR UPDATES
8. Install the software I told you to download, minus the Firewall that you already did.
9. Virus Scan your data, then reinstall it to your computer.
10. Disable anything you don't need. (CCleaner has some nice features there.)
11. Update AND run the Virus Scanner, Spyware Remover, and System cleaner once a week.

To anybody that things Windows was ever a good idea I say, "A pox on you."

 

[Quality Time]

I have a legit copy of Windows.

Its running on my laptop...with video card and wireless hookup.


IT IS RUNNING TERRIBLY SLOW...and I WANNA RELOAD.

If I go thru CONTROL PANEL and UNINSTALL all of Windows.....Can I just reload it.

Most importantly....will the wireless set up, etc remain the same. Sorry...not to familiar what it means with Wireless and Video 'cards' mean

Procedure to install a fresh copy of Windows:

1. First copy all of your data that you want to keep on a portable hard drive. Include exporting your internet favourites and cookies.
2. If you are using Microsoft Outllook or Microsoft Outlook Express find out how to copy the files to your portable drive. Note that these files are hidden and you have to unhide them. If you try to use the import/export feature you will find that your copied emails will have not date on them and you will not have any attachments saved....if you do it the way I tell you to do it your address book, emails will be copied exactly with the proper dates and attachments
3. Boot up your laptop and before it boots into Windows mode go into your BIOS setup by pressing F3...F8 or DEL....can't remember which one it is.....you should be able to see which one when you boot your laptop
Once into the BIOS setup set the boot priority to be the CD/DVD first and the hard drive second.
4. Insert the Windows CD/DVD and let her load up the new Windows. Follow the instructions. Everything will be reformatted and all data will be lost
5. Once finished, restart and go into your BIOS setup and reset the boot priority back to the default.....which is harddrive first and CD/DVD second
6. you are finished installing a fresh copy of Windows
7. Install the software that came with your laptop. That software is specific for the motherboard in your laptop
8. Install all other software such as antivirus, Microsoft WORD etc.
9. Copyand paste the files from your portable hard drive back into the lap top hard drive
10. Copy and paste the Microsoft Outlook pst files (or Outlook Express files) into the lap top

DONE

 

[Anynym]

From the Windows Install CD, you should also be presented with the option to "Repair Windows Installation". Although your system slowdown is probably not being caused by a fault in Windows, it might be worth a try (since it avoids loss of most data).

I have also found with some of my systems that "free" antivirus software was the cause of terrible performance on my system, and uninstalling (and selecting a newer free solution) improved system performance tremendously.

 

[wigglee]

i just bought a new computer with windows 7-64 and it is acting up already. The audio drivers disappear overnight, the media center won't play its own sample video, so i try to make media player the default and it won't let me.........time to re-install operating system?

 

[WoodPeckr]

Never liked M$ media player and always preferred Winamp better.

 

[wigglee]

i like winamp too but it won't work either on my new desktop

 

[WoodPeckr]

That's strange.
Winamp plays fine for me with XP, Vista and Win7 on laptop and desktop.

However Winamp sadly does not play on Linux. The Linux version of Winamp is Audacious2 which works fine.

 

[The Options Menu]

That's strange.
Winamp plays fine for me with XP, Vista and Win7 on laptop and desktop.

However Winamp sadly does not play on Linux. The Linux version of Winamp is Audacious2 which works fine.

If you're on linux I can only suggest Amarok (It really rocks, but is a KDE app) or Banshee (GNOME). But yeah, Winamp should run on anything Windows. If Winamp is too much of a pig you could always try Foobar.

 

[WoodPeckr]

I have/use both Amarok KDE and Banshee apps and they run fine with Gnome after doing the needed tweaks. That said I prefer Rhythmbox. Rhythmbox has been upgraded into a fine player IMHO on par with Amarok and Banshee.

I found M$ Media Player to be the big pig with Winamp not as bloated. Audacious2 runs leaner than both M$ Media Player and Winamp.

 

[The Options Menu]

I have/use both Amarok KDE and Banshee apps and they run fine with Gnome after doing the needed tweaks. That said I prefer Rhythmbox. Rhythmbox has been upgraded into a fine player IMHO on par with Amarok and Banshee.

I found M$ Media Player to be the big pig with Winamp not as bloated. Audacious2 runs leaner than both M$ Media Player and Winamp.

I still miss XMMS. It was pretty much the perfect oldschool Winamp knockoff for Linux. I've never run Audacious2 TBH.

 

[WoodPeckr]

I've never run Audacious2 TBH.

Audacious is a nice little player.
Audacious installs quickly with Synaptic Package Manager unlike VLC. VLC works great also but requires many more files for install and takes a little longer to install.

 

[The Options Menu]

Audacious is a nice little player.
Audacious installs quickly with Synaptic Package Manager unlike VLC. VLC works great also but requires many more files for install and takes a little longer to install.

VLC is Qt though... Not that it matters much, but I already have Qt in memory, so I tend to use VLC for video (and single audio tracks) and Amarok for audio. Though I just checked Audacious out and it looks good. It's always nice to be drowning in choice. As far as install size goes, compared to the better part of 2 TB of data, any player is a trivial size.

 

[WoodPeckr]

....I just checked Audacious out and it looks good. It's always nice to be drowning in choice.

Like to try out different players. It's nice to have all those choices. Awhile back I asked on the Ubuntu Forums if there is a way to run Winamp on Linux and a guy suggested trying Audacious which I tried and liked.