which of a clean install and restoring an initial image are better ?

[mj2000]

Hi all.

My windows is now some months old and as i am used to install und unistall so many programs, i feel it has been old and would like to refresh it.

I had made an initial image of it (using reflect) , right after installing it, doing my settings and installing my usual main programs.

now i d like to ask, is it better if i perform a clean install, so that drive c will be formatted, and fresh files will be copied,

or :

if i restore that image file, will the status of the system, in regard of the performance, be exactly the same as a clean install ?

thanks a lot.

 

[whs]

I would use the image. Is less work. And after all that's what we make these initial images for.

 

[strollin]

Use the image since it is already set up with the settings and programs you prefer. Either way, you will need to install a bunch of updates. I doubt you would be able to tell any difference in performance between the restored image and a clean install UNLESS your image was made when the system had some kind of performance issue.

A format isn't necessary.

 

[HarriePateman]

A clean install removes everything g but the operating system itself. Restoring from an image will only remove files/programs after the point of creating the image. So less work it required. However if you have a problem before the image was made, it's almost pointless. That why I recommend to make a new image every 2ish weeks, or before you play around with the settings.