clean install or factory reinstall?

xxsicknessxx · 29 Apr 2012

The only bonus of factory install I can see beside fixing windows issues (update issues) is it comes with Norton... which I hear isn't even as good as basic Microsoft essentiall?

Will I be seeing a huge speed boost with clean install? I mean is it possible extra running procces could be bogging down my cpu more then I know? Factory restore leaves computer slow thats for sure so would clean install be worth it?

I been debating it for awhile its just now the computer seems be running a lot better minus odd issues has with updating and with restarts which I can't be sure are not hardware what do you think :)

any worth to factory restall I a tiny bit worried of a missing driver thats not on there page if I were to clean install .... maybe I tend worry though so maybe im wrong and it go just fine and computer will stop with its very broad spectrum of errors

NoelDP · 29 Apr 2012

If you already have a clean install, and it's a happy one, then the re is no point in changing to a factory install.

Factory installs contain optimised drivers, but may also contain fluff,and things that could be considered malware - online games, and Norton for instance.

Norton (finally) uninstalls reasonably cleanly nowadays - but it's always a good idea to run the removal tool afterwards (similarly for all pre-installed AV's, always run their own removal tool afterwards)

Drivers aren't as much a problem as they used to be - most manufacturers now use drivers that are cut-down versions of the device manufacturer's own drivers, rather than the custom re-writes that used to be the case, so the device manufacturer's drivers are likely to be pretty much identical to the set in a factory install, and will probably be much more recent than either those, or any available of the computer manufacturer's site.

Note that Graphics drivers always tend to be 'special cases' - so I'd tend to use the computer manufacturer's drivers, rather then AMD or nVidia's, unless there's a problem which I know an update could solve.
If the machine is an Intel i-series using on-chip graphics, then use the Intel drivers, as they willl be fully compatible.

seavixen32 · 29 Apr 2012

Personally, I'd always go for a clean install.

It's unbelievable some of the garbage that gets loaded with a factory installation, but it's done because manufacturer's profit margins are low, so getting a kickback from third-party software increases their profit on each computer sold.

When I buy a computer I don't want Norton, Skype, Roxio Starter, Cyberlink Starter and the other obscure applications that populate the hard drive.

Unfortunately, carrying out a clean install can invalidate your warranty, so it's always best to create recovery discs first in case the box has to go in for repair.

F5ing · 29 Apr 2012

I seem to recall quite a few threads you've started, looking for resolutions to problems relating to your installation. Are you still having all these same issues, or have you reinstalled and now have new problems? Or am I thinking of a different forum member?

Anyway, you cannot beat a clean install. The level of bloat varies amongst the different OEM's, some are chock full of it. If it was me, I wouldn't let Norton stop me, as there are a number of free, effective alternatives.

I would pay particular attention to the driver info in NoelDP's post, seavixen32's post about recovery discs, and follow the this tutorial written by gregrocker:

Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

Joan Archer · 30 Apr 2012

I was thinking the same thing sibbil, I'd asked the OP some questions in an earlier post they'd made but so far haven't received an answer but they are posting more problems.