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paudashlake
Thanked: 6 Posts: 358
Experience: Experienced OS: Windows 7
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« Reply #1 on: July 01, 2009, 04:23:23 PM » |
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I do it all the time just because I get bored with what is on my computer at the time.;
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Hinkle Finkle Dinkle Doo. AMEN!! 
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unlovedwarrior
Thanked: 13 Posts: 3,818
someday this name will be known
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« Reply #2 on: July 01, 2009, 05:41:33 PM » |
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i cant remember 3-6 months ago
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patio Moderator
Thanked: 1023 Posts: 10,558
Experience: Beginner OS: Windows 7

Maud' Dib
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« Reply #3 on: July 01, 2009, 09:00:21 PM » |
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Monthly... Of course this requires regular backups and a decent imaging app.
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" All generalizations are false, including this one. "
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macdad-
Thanked: 39 Posts: 2,520
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« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2009, 08:02:01 AM » |
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Had to get mine reformatted a week ago(HD crash), after the repair the warranty was still good on the HD and they gave us a new one(with three times the capacity  )
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If you dont know DOS, you dont know Windows... Thats why Bill Gates created the Windows NT Family. 
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Mulreay Guest
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« Reply #7 on: July 02, 2009, 08:55:21 AM » |
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Monthly... Of course this requires regular backups and a decent imaging app.
This is probably a stupid question but what benefit do you get from re-formatting monthly?
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patio Moderator
Thanked: 1023 Posts: 10,558
Experience: Beginner OS: Windows 7

Maud' Dib
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« Reply #10 on: July 02, 2009, 05:36:33 PM » |
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August 22nd.....not much longer.
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" All generalizations are false, including this one. "
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patio Moderator
Thanked: 1023 Posts: 10,558
Experience: Beginner OS: Windows 7

Maud' Dib
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« Reply #12 on: July 02, 2009, 06:38:31 PM » |
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This is probably a stupid question but what benefit do you get from re-formatting monthly?
Hard to say .... It's an old school habit i never lost. But i rarely see any performance hits on the benchtest machine and none of the 5 OS's even hiccups.
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" All generalizations are false, including this one. "
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Mulreay Guest
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« Reply #14 on: July 02, 2009, 07:09:44 PM » |
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Hay whatever floats ya boat!
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computeruler
Thanked: 63 Posts: 3,393
Experience: Experienced OS: Windows XP
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« Reply #17 on: July 03, 2009, 10:43:12 AM » |
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Carbon Dudeoxide Global Moderator
Thanked: 145 Posts: 16,077
Certifications: List Computer: Specs Experience: Expert OS: Mac OS

Carbon - The building block of life on Earth.
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« Reply #18 on: July 03, 2009, 12:49:28 PM » |
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Mulreay Guest
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« Reply #19 on: July 03, 2009, 12:52:30 PM » |
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Are you trying to tell me something?
I'm with you on this one.
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quaxo
Thanked: 99 Posts: 3,860
Certifications: List Computer: Specs Experience: Expert OS: Windows 7

What, me worry?
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« Reply #20 on: July 03, 2009, 05:38:54 PM » |
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I don't think my desktop has been formatted since it was upgraded just over a year ago.
My laptop was formatted (restored) as soon as I got it back home. See, often when you buy computers in Thailand, they immediately fill it with pirated software like Windows, Office, and just about everything else. While my laptop did come with an authentic version of Vista, they had stuck a bunch of other crap on it while they were "checking" it. Needless to say the system was all screwed up by the time I got it, so as soon as it was out of the box and powered on.
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Cityscape
Thanked: 14 Posts: 722
Certifications: List Experience: Familiar OS: Linux variant

Running Ubuntu 10.10
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« Reply #21 on: July 03, 2009, 06:55:28 PM » |
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I reformat one of my 2 computers at least every 3 months. My Xp desktop normally 3 times a year. I'm getting ready to do a reformat again soon. And my other one....anywhere between 14 days to 2 months. The shortest time for a reformat is about 3-4 days. For example: I had XP Media edition in February. I reformatted to XP Pro for march. In early April i switched to Windows 2000. A week later i installed XP Pro alongside. Then in early June I reformatted again and installed Ubuntu Linux. Hard to say .... But i rarely see any performance hits on the benchtest machine and none of the 5 OS's even hiccups.
What are the "5 OS's"?
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patio Moderator
Thanked: 1023 Posts: 10,558
Experience: Beginner OS: Windows 7

Maud' Dib
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« Reply #22 on: July 03, 2009, 08:03:15 PM » |
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DOS 6.2 Win98SE Win2K XP and Vista.
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" All generalizations are false, including this one. "
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Semysig
Posts: 9
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« Reply #27 on: July 04, 2009, 05:45:39 AM » |
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I resist doing it at all costs. It's a living *censored* to reinstall all the apps and configure them again  I believe this is by design by the demonseed that is M$!
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Mulreay Guest
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« Reply #30 on: July 04, 2009, 06:41:40 AM » |
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You can use HD Imaging software (such as Acronis True Image) to take a picture of your hard drive and print it to the newly formatted hard drive, thus keeping everything you previously had.
Can you explain how that works to me please. Sorry genuine thirst for knowledge and I don't get it.
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patio Moderator
Thanked: 1023 Posts: 10,558
Experience: Beginner OS: Windows 7

Maud' Dib
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« Reply #31 on: July 04, 2009, 08:40:20 AM » |
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I have ME installed...but on a different machine...
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" All generalizations are false, including this one. "
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Calum
Thanked: 71 Posts: 2,110
Computer: Specs Experience: Beginner OS: Windows 7
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« Reply #33 on: July 04, 2009, 10:58:02 AM » |
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You use an image from time, when computer was working fine.
Sure, but from what I understood of Carbon's post, he meant - take an image, format the drive, restore the image. Sorry if that's not the case. Anyway, I still don't see the point of formatting and restoring like that. I take images myself as backups, so I can restore back if something goes wrong (I usually image before I install major sofwtare or make major hardware changes), but I don't see how regularly imaging and reformatting makes sense. Guess this is half directed at patio as he did bring it up.
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JOHNDY
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« Reply #36 on: July 11, 2009, 12:08:44 PM » |
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today i reformated
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kizza1645 Guest
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« Reply #37 on: July 14, 2009, 02:13:39 AM » |
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Like this year some time......
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graylady35
Posts: 6
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« Reply #38 on: July 14, 2009, 04:17:39 PM » |
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Glad I found this site. What is reformatting your computer, and how often should it be done?
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kizza1645 Guest
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« Reply #40 on: July 15, 2009, 12:48:38 AM » |
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Glad I found this site. What is reformatting your computer, and how often should it be done?
hmmm.. It shouldnt really be something you want to do.....let alone often. It wipes your hard drive... so you can reinstall you os.
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Text
Thanked: 1 Posts: 9
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« Reply #42 on: July 18, 2009, 11:46:04 PM » |
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I hate to reformat my computer. Before this last time I did it just the other day, it had been years since I had done it.
You know, all these nifty programs out there and not one solution that I know exists to allow someone to keep all the software the installed and paid for when they reformat. Sure, I can keep my documents and that's just easy. What I REALLY want is to be able to reformat and somehow reinstall all the programs I had with all the settings already intact. Unfortunately, I end up losing my serial numbers and it really sucks.
It's the software and software settings that I lose that makes a reformat the worst.
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Steini
Posts: 8
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« Reply #44 on: July 22, 2009, 09:29:51 PM » |
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Text, you might want to have a look at Acronis True Image.
I have been using clonezilla on a 8gb usb-stick to backup and restore xp-pro. It is incredibly fast just about 15 minuets to boot from usb-stick and till i boot up xp-pro. I format my computer only when something bad happens and that is really only like once every 2 years or so or i skip that and just buy new computer. I also use apple computers and i never ever reformat them. I used this usb-stick to duplicate xp-pro to 20 new computers, but beware that you can run into trouble trying to get the oem-key or volume-license-key into those. I recommend only doing duplication like that on linux.
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patio Moderator
Thanked: 1023 Posts: 10,558
Experience: Beginner OS: Windows 7

Maud' Dib
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« Reply #45 on: July 23, 2009, 05:27:36 AM » |
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Your XP install fits on an 8G usb stik ? ?
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" All generalizations are false, including this one. "
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Ivy CH Queen
Thanked: 48 Posts: 1,604
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« Reply #46 on: July 23, 2009, 05:44:55 AM » |
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Ok, Everyone needs to know this, An year back, I used to be reformatting my computer every month, Once I had to reformat it 4 times a month!!!!!!!! The malware removal section used to be flooding with my topics. One day I decided that I'm not gonna call these people from my computer manufacturer company to clean my PC anymore, I almost felt like they were not cleaning the pc completely and I had to call them so many times and pay them so much money!! So I decided to learn to reformat my own computer, I read up a lot of guides and tutorials but it was confusing, but then Patio gave me this tutorial and that was it, I reformatted my computer and ever since I have never ever had a virus or any kind of malware on my computer. Proof
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Use what talent you possess. The woods would be very silent If no birds sang except those that sang best- Henry Van Dyke
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squall_01
Thanked: 78 Posts: 6,210
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« Reply #47 on: July 23, 2009, 05:47:30 AM » |
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there is a limit to how many times that you can do that if it isnt a one offered with your machine.
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Windows 7 RC Tester. Working on it. Your monitor says etchasketch on the side!
If I fall who is there to pick me up now. I stand alone but I stand as the gaurdian for whom I wish to protect. The sound of my blade utters my name as you fall. For I shall not move. For those that forsake the very people are wosres
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squall_01
Thanked: 78 Posts: 6,210
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« Reply #49 on: July 23, 2009, 05:53:15 AM » |
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why there is a line of protection tools.
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Windows 7 RC Tester. Working on it. Your monitor says etchasketch on the side!
If I fall who is there to pick me up now. I stand alone but I stand as the gaurdian for whom I wish to protect. The sound of my blade utters my name as you fall. For I shall not move. For those that forsake the very people are wosres
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Ivy CH Queen
Thanked: 48 Posts: 1,604
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« Reply #51 on: July 23, 2009, 06:00:40 AM » |
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That would depend on how careful you've been on the Internet...
Nooey, that depended on how the pc was cleaned, those people were not completely cleaning the computer,so that they could keep coming back. And once I cleaned the pc myself, honeestly, sincerely, without any greed (lol) It was cleaned forever, My computing habits are same as Ever.
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Use what talent you possess. The woods would be very silent If no birds sang except those that sang best- Henry Van Dyke
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squall_01
Thanked: 78 Posts: 6,210
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« Reply #52 on: July 23, 2009, 06:02:38 AM » |
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you can get stuff from any where like myspace or what not so I heard.
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Windows 7 RC Tester. Working on it. Your monitor says etchasketch on the side!
If I fall who is there to pick me up now. I stand alone but I stand as the gaurdian for whom I wish to protect. The sound of my blade utters my name as you fall. For I shall not move. For those that forsake the very people are wosres
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kpac Web moderator
Thanked: 179 Posts: 5,827
Certifications: List Computer: Specs Experience: Expert OS: Windows 7
kpac®
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« Reply #53 on: July 23, 2009, 06:13:16 AM » |
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Nooey, that depended on how the pc was cleaned, those people were not completely cleaning the computer,so that they could keep coming back. And once I cleaned the pc myself, honeestly, sincerely, without any greed (lol) It was cleaned forever, My computing habits are same as Ever.
Oh, so you mean the PC was so infected that all that could be done was a reformat? Then that's okay.  Just the way you put it originally sounded like it is now impossible to get malware.... 
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Steini
Posts: 8
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« Reply #55 on: July 23, 2009, 08:23:20 AM » |
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Your XP install fits on an 8G usb stik ? ?
XP + sp3 + drivers + some updates + tools. The usb-stick even had some space left. I did add java + .net + new internet explorer + flash + etc. afterwards from different usb-stick Clonezilla strips out the pagefile and some other temporary files before it compresses everything to gzip archive. And I think that is the reason for it being so fast and small, I mean the usb-stick is not capable of reading data that fast but you are only reading gzip image and the cpu is uncompressing it in memory.
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Aegis
Thanked: 66 Posts: 2,691
Experience: Experienced OS: Windows XP

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« Reply #56 on: July 23, 2009, 08:48:47 AM » |
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i have not reformatted for about 2 years don't see any need/sense to when its going fine , unless you can show me i'm wrong There is a lot to be said for the adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." We can find examples of people who updated drivers, or updated the BIOS on the computer (the instruction set that tells the computer what to do, and how to "set" itself when you turn it on) who updated for no real reason, and got themselves into trouble, especially when "messing with" the BIOS.
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 "For you, a thousand times over." - "The Kite Runner"
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toodawgs
Posts: 4
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« Reply #58 on: July 23, 2009, 12:17:00 PM » |
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Re-what-mat? 
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patio Moderator
Thanked: 1023 Posts: 10,558
Experience: Beginner OS: Windows 7

Maud' Dib
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« Reply #61 on: July 23, 2009, 05:08:24 PM » |
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Not here...but good on you.
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" All generalizations are false, including this one. "
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wow
Posts: 2
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« Reply #64 on: July 25, 2009, 08:13:05 AM » |
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Last month
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mammananny
Posts: 4
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« Reply #66 on: July 26, 2009, 02:04:10 PM » |
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I make a mess of my computers on a regular basis. Mammananny
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juedjo
Posts: 1
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« Reply #67 on: July 27, 2009, 10:48:59 AM » |
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I reformat when things get jacked up enough from the viruses (viri?) that are constantly going around... But there's some real good anti-virus programs out there now. I'm hoping reformatting my laptop will get it performing at 100% again. I was running it with outdated anti-virus protection and it's to the point now where it doesn't boot up right, and I haven't been able to run it from the battery in a long while, not because the battery is bad, but because of not having proper virus protection. Not sure if reformatting will fix it, I haven't used it in months. Now that I've a disc to reformat it with I shall do so! Then I'll have to come back here and change my poll answer! I'm not even sure when the last time I reformatted my desktop computer. I'm not sure if I ever have this one! 
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squall_01
Thanked: 78 Posts: 6,210
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« Reply #69 on: July 30, 2009, 05:37:10 AM » |
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 those are two differnt things.
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Windows 7 RC Tester. Working on it. Your monitor says etchasketch on the side!
If I fall who is there to pick me up now. I stand alone but I stand as the gaurdian for whom I wish to protect. The sound of my blade utters my name as you fall. For I shall not move. For those that forsake the very people are wosres
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Kucingkurap
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« Reply #72 on: August 03, 2009, 03:21:46 AM » |
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at 00.00.00 31 July 2009. why?
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Mulreay Guest
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« Reply #74 on: August 03, 2009, 07:03:42 AM » |
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at 00.00.00 31 July 2009. why?
Why is it that date? Why? Why? Why? Love posts like this where you have no idea what the person means.
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Mulreay Guest
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« Reply #76 on: August 03, 2009, 07:15:12 AM » |
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squall_01
Thanked: 78 Posts: 6,210
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« Reply #77 on: August 05, 2009, 02:06:51 AM » |
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I had too at one point, till I seen how he was.
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Windows 7 RC Tester. Working on it. Your monitor says etchasketch on the side!
If I fall who is there to pick me up now. I stand alone but I stand as the gaurdian for whom I wish to protect. The sound of my blade utters my name as you fall. For I shall not move. For those that forsake the very people are wosres
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Mulreay Guest
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« Reply #78 on: August 05, 2009, 09:22:47 AM » |
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I was joking.
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squall_01
Thanked: 78 Posts: 6,210
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« Reply #81 on: August 05, 2009, 06:01:27 PM » |
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I was being serious though.
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Windows 7 RC Tester. Working on it. Your monitor says etchasketch on the side!
If I fall who is there to pick me up now. I stand alone but I stand as the gaurdian for whom I wish to protect. The sound of my blade utters my name as you fall. For I shall not move. For those that forsake the very people are wosres
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