| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | How to erase hard drive content and registry WITHOUT deleting the operating system Thread poster: Viktoria Gimbe
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| Detailed process, automatic and manual | Mar 25, 2007 |
Viktoria Gimbe wrote:
Thanks for all of the replies. However, what I want to do is very simple. I would like to remove everything except Windows and the necessary registry entries. If I can't remove everything I want, I would like to remove as much of it as possible.
I don't have a folder in my office that contains all the changes I've ever made to my configuration. I know I did a lot, and there is no way to get a list of that now. Therefore, I want to keep Windows since it would take way too much time to configure it again the way it's configured now. Not only the time it takes to configure per se, but also the time it takes to figure out what I was supposed to configure. I am sure you realize I am talking about much more time here than it takes to reinstall Windows.
Although I have nothing against opinions, what I am really looking for is a solution.
The trouble is that you don't tell us what exactly you want to keep from your windows installation. If it is just windows settings, you can use system backup tool, export settings, and then re-import them in any new installation.
I can understand it if you do want to keep your windows installation for some other reason, i have been in this situation before (when for exemple i had no dsl, and i was afraid i would delete something necessary, and have to redownload through a 56kbps connection).
In this case, as said above, the only thing you can do is uninstall everything you don't need, clean your registry with system mechanic or any other tool, download trial versions of lavasoft adware, nod or some other antivirus or some anti-spyware, RESTART your computer in safe mode, clean it with all those tools from in there, restart in normal mode, go to your c:/program files/ folder, delete any empty folder (many programs tend to leave their program folders once uninstalled, go to c:/documents and settings/administrator/ and clean any folders left there from uninstalled programs.
If you want the absolutely best, download hijackthis, the best professional antispyware/adware available, run it, then google it and post your log to a specialized forum for hijackthis. The guys there will tell you if there is anything there needing to be removed
Once you have done this, defrag your hard drive a couple of times and then go to command prompt and type chkdsk c:
Finally reinstall.
I think i have covered most automatic and manual cleanup operations. Some of which is basic, some is optional, but if you are spending a couple of days backing up, you should want a system as clean as possible
You don't really have to move your documents, since they really have minimal representation in the registry.
And after all this, keep in mind, that your system will be in a much better state than before, but still in a mediocre condition
| | | | Viktoria Gimbe 
Canada
Local time: 05:27
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Some examples | Mar 25, 2007 |
I have a program that emulates a floppy drive (this is a laptop, which means forget about floppies - woohoo!). I don't remember how I got it to work, but I do remember I had to fiddle with my Windows configuration.
I also have project management software that needs certain Windows configurations to be set in a certain way to function.
I have lots of programs that depend on databases that also need specific settings in Windows.
These are just a few of my pr... See more I have a program that emulates a floppy drive (this is a laptop, which means forget about floppies - woohoo!). I don't remember how I got it to work, but I do remember I had to fiddle with my Windows configuration.
I also have project management software that needs certain Windows configurations to be set in a certain way to function.
I have lots of programs that depend on databases that also need specific settings in Windows.
These are just a few of my problematic programs.
As I am adding a workflow for project management and archiving to my computer, I want to make sure that my system is free of any garbage (that is why I am backing up all my precious files to an external drive). However, I want to keep the settings because otherwise, it will take me weeks, if not months, to optimize my system again for all the applications I want to use. If I had to do it all again, I would again need to look for ways to set things up on the net, and that would come down to countless totally unproductive time spent in vain - that I'd rather spend working or improving my skills.
Thanks!
Edit: I saw Dimitrios' post after I posted this. It never occurred to me to use it (dope!), but thanks for suggesting hijackthis. I have used this in the past and you may be right that it could help in my situation. You are right, I am not helping in not telling you what settings I want to keep, but this is unintentional - I don't know what settings I need to keep as I have lost track of this a long time ago. You say that the approach where I don't format my drive will have mediocre results, and I'm well aware of this, but in my case, it shouldn't be that bad - I have a surprisingly clean and uncomplicated system that I have always taken good care of (firewall, antivirus, etc., and lots of careful consideration of what I download or not - I am quite anal when it comes to keeping my computer free of trouble), so even if stuff may be left behind in the registry, I expect it all to be minimal and it shouldn't really be a hindrance. I have been able to take such good care of my computer that I haven't had a single virus since I got this computer, and I had to use system restore only once, and that was only because I messed up my DSL connection when I tried to set up a network in a rather particular network setup. I also agree that sooner or later, I will have to format my drive, but I try to avoid doing that, hoping that by the time that becomes really necessary will be the time when I will replace my computer altogether. These things get obsolete so fast that I find it's not worth it doing very thorough maintenance on them too often (when a system runs as well as mine, it's unproductive to format a drive and then fiddle with all the settings). In fact, I use Office 2000 and feel an incrasingly nagging urge to upgrade, as Office 2000 is the oldest one that is still compatible with Trados and other important software I use for work. So, I'd rather do minimal maintenance on a smoothly running system than reformat and find out in a few months that I have to replace the material. Thanks for your help, Dimitrios!
[Edited at 2007-03-25 17:22] ▲ Collapse
| | | | tlmurray (X)
Local time: 05:27
English
| You should do it [reformat] anyway. | Mar 27, 2007 |
Viktoria Gimbe wrote:
... However, I want to keep the settings because otherwise, it will take me weeks, if not months, to optimize my system again for all the applications I want to use. If I had to do it all again, I would again need to look for ways to set things up on the net, and that would come down to countless totally unproductive time spent in vain - that I'd rather spend working or improving my skills.
I have a feeling that the work you went through to get things working the way you want was done somewhat inefficiently. I mean, I'm pretty anal about setting things up as well, but weeks or months is ... well, something is amiss. I think you made a mountain out of a mole hill.
But nonetheless, what would you do if your system were stolen or burned up? What I suggest is that you take the time to go through your apps and make a note of how to set up each one, making note of anything out of the ordinary, NOW, while you have your system up and running -- don't wait for disaster.
Then, for your various apps, identify anything within it you can back up periodically; for example, dictionary files of word processing apps, bookmarks, FTP bookmarks, and of course, your address books and e-mail.
My point is that restoring a system should be a one-day affair, tops, considering installing everything from scratch, tweaking preferences, rebooting 45 times, and so on. If it's NOT that short a time, then do what it takes to make it so.
[Edited at 2007-03-27 18:50]
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