Saving OS GUI settings across reinstall

[sierrabravo]

I am using Windows 7 ultimate 64-bit. The system has been running unchanged (except for regular updates from Microsoft) for several years and thus collected a lot of "garbage"and I wish to reinstall it from scratch.

I am severely visually impaired and, as a consequence, need a screen magnifier (ZoomText). I have made many customizations to "tame" the Windows 7 GUI so that it can be used with the screen magnifier. This taming process took so much time that the prospect of redoing it is sufficiently daunting that I've avoided the reinstallation for over a year and a half. Are there files or registry settings or something that I can save before reinstallation and apply them subsequent to it so that I can restore all or most of the customizations to the GUI after reinstallation?

 

[bigmck]

I am using Windows 7 ultimate 64-bit. The system has been running unchanged (except for regular updates from Microsoft) for several years and thus collected a lot of "garbage"and I wish to reinstall it from scratch.

I am severely visually impaired and, as a consequence, need a screen magnifier (ZoomText). I have made many customizations to "tame" the Windows 7 GUI so that it can be used with the screen magnifier. This taming process took so much time that the prospect of redoing it is sufficiently daunting that I've avoided the reinstallation for over a year and a half. Are there files or registry settings or something that I can save before reinstallation and apply them subsequent to it so that I can restore all or most of the customizations to the GUI after reinstallation?

Does it run slow and you think a clean install would help speed it up or is it OK and you just feel it is time for a Clean Install. If the PC is running smooth, leave it along.

 

[sierrabravo]

Dr

My system freezes about twice a day but runs rather quickly. Otherwise.

There are also some artifacts remaining from an HP all-in-one printer install it. I would like very much to get rid of.

 

[andrew129260]

Maybe we could help you with that instead of doing a clean install, but if you would like to do one, everything you would need is in this tutorial:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html <---Custom built PC

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html <--Factory PC (hp, dell etc.)

 

[Britton30]

Try the Driver Sweeper, link below my sig.

 

[sierrabravo]

Andrew, thanks very much for the offer.

I did download and look at CCleaner and thought it might accomplish what I hope to do but, it looked formidable. So I gave up on it – perhaps prematurely (my bad).

Does your suggested "cure" involve CCleaner? With some guidance I'd certainly be willing to try it!

 

[andrew129260]

Sure, I made a tutorial on it. I like ccleaner a lot.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/306648-ccleaner-delete-junk-files.html

It seems crazy at first, but read everything slowly and take some time and it will all make sense.

 

[sierrabravo]

Andrew, again thanks.

Unfortunately my eyesight is such that I cannot read the screen (is very difficult to maintain context in reading). ZoomText "speaks" the text with a synthesizer.

It is my belief that the primary problem is registry related and, if it is, will not yield to junk file cleanup.

What is your impression?

 

[andrew129260]

You have tried the screen magnifier tool in windows 7 correct? Have you ever tried the text enlargement tool?

Click rb: Type in the search box "make text" and then under the results that pop up click make text and other items larger or smaller. Try the largest setting. Then click "apply". You then have to log off and log back in to apply the changes. Should help you out. You can also adjust the browsers zoom size. Look in the settings in your browser under view or some other similar wording.


Anyways to answer your question, yes I would tell the average user to stay away from the registry cleaner but everything else is fine. Click run cleaner and your done. You can also check mark additional items to clean, but if you don't know what they are or understand it, just leave it alone.

Also, see the tools section to manage things like how many startup programs you have easily. You can easily disable programs from starting up with the pc, as well as seeing a list of all of them. Don't know what the entry is? Google the name of it.

 

[sierrabravo]

Andrew, once again, thanks.

I've been a computer professional since 1959, have programmed in over 60 languages on platforms as diverse as UNIX MVS, OS/2 and Windows. Since I lost most of my eyesight in 1997 I have tried just about every "Accessibility" feature available – by the time I have sufficient magnification so that I can discern what I am attempting to read I lose the context of the text (i.e. "what statement does this '}' terminate?"; "To what line does that checkbox belong?") This makes many things that one does with a computer quite challenging.

With the above in mind perhaps you can understand my reticence to diddle the existing installation and the desire to tame a new one.

 

[bigmck]

Andrew, once again, thanks.

I've been a computer professional since 1959, have programmed in over 60 languages on platforms as diverse as UNIX MVS, OS/2 and Windows.

sierrabravo -- I am very curious as to what type of thing you worked on in 1959 and those early years. If you could tell us a bit about it, it would be very interesting. Thanks,

 

[sierrabravo]

Dr

As a student:
In 1955 IBM gave my University (Penn State) from which we built a computer we called Pennstac.
Summer programming on Univac I, IBM 701, 650, 704

As a professional:
"Programmed" numerous punchcard machines (IBM card programmed calculator, 601A, 607, 610 (this program was stored one punched paper tape as a paper loop) etc.; stored program machines; IBM 709, STRETCH, etc. participated in the development of MDSOS, wrote a Fortran compiler

Numerous hardware and software developments e.g. Architecture of IBM System/360, OS/360.

I guess that pretty well covers my early years.

 

[bigmck]

As a student:
In 1955 IBM gave my University (Penn State) from which we built a computer we called Pennstac.
Summer programming on Univac I, IBM 701, 650, 704

As a professional:
"Programmed" numerous punchcard machines (IBM card programmed calculator, 601A, 607, 610 (this program was stored one punched paper tape as a paper loop) etc.; stored program machines; IBM 709, STRETCH, etc. participated in the development of MDSOS, wrote a Fortran compiler

Numerous hardware and software developments e.g. Architecture of IBM System/360, OS/360.

I guess that pretty well covers my early years.

Thanks, that is interesting just thinking about computers in their early stages. I remember seeing the Univac on the quiz shows in the 1960's.