Comments on: Should I Attempt to Repair the Operating System? Or Just Format? http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/ A Resource for Computer Repair Technicians & to get PC tech support help. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:20:45 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Bryan http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/comment-page-1/#comment-10457 Bryan Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:01:21 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/#comment-10457 Don't make the decision yourself- let the customer make it on your advice. If you are going to the persons home and even business chances are the reload os is what to do- almost always. Unless they have special configuration stuff like biz VPN. Don’t make the decision yourself- let the customer make it on your advice. If you are going to the persons home and even business chances are the reload os is what to do- almost always. Unless they have special configuration stuff like biz VPN.

]]> By: gatorschaf http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/comment-page-1/#comment-9462 gatorschaf Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:30:45 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/#comment-9462 Then install Windows 7 rtm let them see what a OS can do. Then install Windows 7 rtm let them see what a OS can do.

]]> By: gatorschaf http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/comment-page-1/#comment-9461 gatorschaf Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:29:39 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/#comment-9461 Use a usb drive to capture My Documents then Format Use a usb drive to capture My Documents then Format

]]> By: Erik http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/comment-page-1/#comment-5851 Erik Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:57:15 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/#comment-5851 Here's the problem I've found w/ a reformat. The client has an older computer before companies provided a separate partition in their hard drive to restore the computer. Instead the computer came w/ the cds, but the client either threw them away (yes, threw them away!) or lost them. These computers usually came with Windows XP Home OEM. The problem is that a lot of times neither the Product Code used to install the OS nor the one provided as a sticker outside of the computer will work with a retail version of Windows XP Home. So you can't use your copy, now you have to find a copy of XP Home for the particular model of the computer. Here’s the problem I’ve found w/ a reformat. The client has an older computer before companies provided a separate partition in their hard drive to restore the computer. Instead the computer came w/ the cds, but the client either threw them away (yes, threw them away!) or lost them. These computers usually came with Windows XP Home OEM. The problem is that a lot of times neither the Product Code used to install the OS nor the one provided as a sticker outside of the computer will work with a retail version of Windows XP Home. So you can’t use your copy, now you have to find a copy of XP Home for the particular model of the computer.

]]> By: crlutes http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/comment-page-1/#comment-1444 crlutes Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:32:26 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/#comment-1444 I have just completed, well, didn't complete a job where I would clean all malware from the machine and yet lurking somewhere in the registry were things that, upon re-boot, reinstalled the nasty programs. The client did NOT have disks for the operating system nor his applications so re-format was an option. Sometimes you have to grind through. In fact, the only other case I had like this, I ended up with Symantec on the phone, at a cost of 99.99, walking through 20 minutes of "delete this, delete that" until the problem was solved. I couldn't find the same solution anywhere on the internet so it was my only option. I ended up eating the cost of the call, and some of the cost of the entire session because keeping the customer and her references was important to me. She could have bought a monster new system with the money if I had billed her for the total time I spent on this mess. I would be quicker to re-format in the future. I have just completed, well, didn’t complete a job where I would clean all malware from the machine and yet lurking somewhere in the registry were things that, upon re-boot, reinstalled the nasty programs. The client did NOT have disks for the operating system nor his applications so re-format was an option. Sometimes you have to grind through. In fact, the only other case I had like this, I ended up with Symantec on the phone, at a cost of 99.99, walking through 20 minutes of “delete this, delete that” until the problem was solved. I couldn’t find the same solution anywhere on the internet so it was my only option. I ended up eating the cost of the call, and some of the cost of the entire session because keeping the customer and her references was important to me. She could have bought a monster new system with the money if I had billed her for the total time I spent on this mess.

I would be quicker to re-format in the future.

]]> By: Adrian http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/comment-page-1/#comment-1429 Adrian Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:32:50 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/#comment-1429 In my opinion if a Format its necesary, we should partition hard drives having at least on partiton for fresh OS Install, and another one for User Data and try to teach customer to install program in that same partiton. So if in the future this problem happens again , well at least we know that User's Data its safe. And I agree with most of the Tech , one hour of trying and then Customer have to be happy. regards, In my opinion if a Format its necesary, we should partition hard drives having at least on partiton for fresh OS Install, and another one for User Data and try to teach customer to install program in that same partiton. So if in the future this problem happens again , well at least we know that User’s Data its safe.

And I agree with most of the Tech , one hour of trying and then Customer have to be happy.

regards,

]]> By: gunslinger http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/comment-page-1/#comment-1443 gunslinger Fri, 28 Dec 2007 22:47:42 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/#comment-1443 To David: fixing is not always better than formatting. The time it takes to fix a system depends on what's wrong with. While I search for drivers when you can bet that the original drivers in the first place. I use a program called driver magician. I can backup a customer's data, reformat the drive, reinstall Windows, replace the customer's data, and tweak the system for maximum speed in maybe 1 1/2 to two hours. Whereas with some viruses I have spent up to three hours trying to rid the system of the virus without success only to end up having to format anyway. Also as I said before reformatting is the only 100% sure fire way to completely read the system of viruses. To David:
fixing is not always better than formatting. The time it takes to fix a system depends on what’s wrong with. While I search for drivers when you can bet that the original drivers in the first place. I use a program called driver magician. I can backup a customer’s data, reformat the drive, reinstall Windows, replace the customer’s data, and tweak the system for maximum speed in maybe 1 1/2 to two hours. Whereas with some viruses I have spent up to three hours trying to rid the system of the virus without success only to end up having to format anyway. Also as I said before reformatting is the only 100% sure fire way to completely read the system of viruses.

]]> By: David http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/comment-page-1/#comment-1428 David Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:10:44 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/#comment-1428 fixing is always better than the format option, why erase everything? it only takes a few hours to fix it. you will spend that just searching for drivers again. fixing is always better than the format option, why erase everything?

it only takes a few hours to fix it.
you will spend that just searching for drivers again.

]]> By: Bryce W http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/comment-page-1/#comment-1430 Bryce W Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:27:35 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/#comment-1430 Virgil, In most cases, running the recovery partition will format the drive. Virgil, In most cases, running the recovery partition will format the drive.

]]> By: Virgil http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/comment-page-1/#comment-1431 Virgil Sun, 23 Dec 2007 16:31:28 +0000 http://www.technibble.com/should-i-attempt-to-repair-the-operating-system-or-just-format/#comment-1431 After reading all the responses to this situation, I am wandering why no one mentions simply using the recovery portion on the OS cd for the operating system. I have done this many times, and it has always replaced the missing dll's and such. Am I wrong or am I missing something here? After reading all the responses to this situation, I am wandering why no one mentions simply using the recovery portion on the OS cd for the operating system.
I have done this many times, and it has always replaced the missing dll’s and such. Am I wrong or am I missing something here?

]]>