How often do you reformat your PC?

Ernimus Prime · Jul 9, 2022

I was sitting here thinking on reformatting my PC. For reason, Corsair icue isn't able to recognize my ASUS MoBo for LED control and ASUS Aura isn't working. After uninstalling and reinstalling it. It's been a while since I have. And have added a new NVMe and extra Ram after the last install. So I was thinking. How often does the community reformat their PC's?

glasskuter · Jul 9, 2022

Never really. I am a stickler for file maintenance and making backups, as well as running SFC. If I observe an issue I can't readily resolve, out comes the Macrium boot drive.

Ghot · Jul 9, 2022

Same. At worst I delete the Windows partition, and restore from a Macrium backup.

Bree · Jul 9, 2022

Ernimus Prime said:
So I was thinking. How often does the community reformat their PC's?

Like glasscutter, never really.

System One in my specs below is running an OS that started life as Windows 7 on an older machine, got the free upgrade to Windows 10 in August 2015, then took every W10 upgrade up to 21H1. I then used Macrium Reflect to take a system image and restored that to a new machine, where it then got offered the upgrade to Windows 11.

With regular maintenance and monthly system images I've had no need for a clean install. On the (very) few occasions where problems could not easily be resolved I have restored a system image from a month or so before the problem started and avoided it the second time round.

rezpower · Jul 9, 2022

Formating is an old thing I have not done for years now! maybe last time was when I used windows 95. Then came a life saver software, (Norton Ghost) and if a serious problem was present I would restore a backup. Today I restore with AOMEI.

Even when I want to isntal a new windows OS or start from scratch, then I boot from OS USB and delete partition and install on the unallocated part.

TraderGary · Jul 9, 2022

I like to install a new, fresh system several times a year. All my data is kept in OneDrive and all my app installs are online, so I'm up and running with a clean registry and clean OS very quickly. I have a nice brisk 700Mbps Internet connection.

DigitalGoat · Jul 10, 2022

For iCUE apparently there are some issues with last couple of Nvidia driver updates interfering with iCUE's ability to recognise/ control some devices. Check the Nvidia forums for information and reported issues.

Fabler2 · Jul 10, 2022

Like others here I go with never. Nearest I've done is a repair install but just for testing. When I mess up it's just a case of restoring the C partition.

cereberus · Jul 10, 2022

Never. Last time I did a clean build was on W8.1 when my Sony laptop died.

Since then had two laptops and all have been updated through all versions of W10 and now W11. I event ported OS from Lenovo to Asus laptop so I did no clean install on latest.

If you maintain pcs properly, no need to for reinstalls. My pcs still idle at around 1% CPU after years of operation.

Even registry cleaners are largely a waste of time. I do use Soft Organiser to temove traces of uninstalled programs, but never do more than that.

strollin · Jul 10, 2022

I voted "When there is a problem" but in reality, I can't remember reformatting any of my computers in the past 35+ years.

BrianInEngland · Jul 10, 2022

Usually every couple of years, I did it in May 2021 (windows 10) but wanted a clean install of Windows 11 so did that 10 days ago. Probably won't do it again for a while. I take regular daily image backups so if I do something or there's a problem I can revert back to the most recent backup. I always make an extra backup before updating GPU drivers etc.

SlicEnDicE · Jul 10, 2022

Never, haven't had any issues in over 10 years.

syntoh · Jul 10, 2022

Never, I'm too lazy to do a fresh install.
Everything runs great, all the time

Bree · Jul 10, 2022

BrianInEngland said:
I did it in May 2021 (windows 10) but wanted a clean install of Windows 11 so did that 10 days ago.

I tend to buy used machines. I will typically do a clean install when I first get them, but that's all.

For my old 'main machine' I did a factory reset of its OEM Win7 about a year before it was offered the Win10 upgrade. That's the machine's OS that I eventually migrated to my new Win11 compatible 'main machine' to get the upgrade to Win11.

I have a second Win11 supported device that I bought recently, that one got a clean install of Win11. To be honest, I cannot find any difference between a W10 to W11 upgrade and a clean install, they both run without issues.

CountMike · Jul 10, 2022

W7 to W8 to W8.1 to W10 to W11 still working despite many HW changes/upgrades. So every 13 years.

mblack · Jul 10, 2022

when there is a new windows build update in september?

CountMike · Jul 10, 2022

mblack said:
when there is a new windows build update in september?

I may consider then but will install on another disk and use it like that for a while until I get everything going just as good or better.

Bastet · Jul 10, 2022

Before I discovered Macrium I regularly had to clean install Windows due to problems which I couldn’t fix. Now I just restore an image.

jvickers · Jul 10, 2022

Ernimus Prime said:
I was sitting here thinking on reformatting my PC. For reason, Corsair icue isn't able to recognize my ASUS MoBo for LED control and ASUS Aura isn't working. After uninstalling and reinstalling it. It's been a while since I have. And have added a new NVMe and extra Ram after the last install. So I was thinking. How often does the community reformat their PC's?

Corsair iCUE has issues with my Corsair hardware and peripherals, so I'm not surprised it has issues with your ASUS motherboard.