Great news, shitheads: Formatting is NOT the cure-all soluti

[KodiaX987]

Wow, if I got a nickel for every time someone told me to format. Compy got a virus? Format! Windows locked up once? Format! Can't get the 30-month continuous uptime you wanted? Format! Power failure? Format! It's the computer's fault!

Well, today, after about 0.0000000 seconds of research, give or take 0.00000000 seconds, I have concluded the following.

Get ready, because this will be the biggest insult since the Confederate army:


FORMATTING IS FOR CHUMPS.

Sorry, you bunch of self-proclaimed tech support artists. You telling me to format is translation for "I give up and am too lazy to figure out where the problem lies, so I'll spend hours backing up my stuff, erase the contents of my hard drive, take some more hours to re-install Windows and its programs, then find out I've forgotten to back up half the stuff I wanted to back up. It's logical!"

I got a record number of "format your computer!" comments when I told them about me having the Worst Internet Connection Ever (http://www.geocities.com/worstinternetconnectionever/). They were absolutely certain that formatting would magically solve all my problems, and maybe even erase poverty in Africa and get the planet rid of AIDS while we're at it.

Here is a conversation I had just this evening over instant messenger:

Dumbass: "What's up?"
Me: "Internet connection's acting up again. As you may know already, I have the http://www.geocities.com/WorstInternetConnectionEver/
Dumbass: (notice he does not even read the webpage) "What's happening with it?"
Me: "Router basically reboots all by itself."
Dumbass: "Regularly or randomly?"
Me: "Randomly."
Dumbass: "And you're on what connection? DSL?"
Me: "Yes, DSL."
Dumbass: "Would it be too much of a problem if you formatted your HD?"
Me: (what the fuck?!) "Yes it would."
Me: "Besides, there's 4 computers connected to that router, so..."
Dumbass: "4 computers? That's great! You could move your stuff over to the other three so that you can format."
Me: *closes the conversation*


And here's another convo that doesn't really fit in here but I add it in for the bonus factor and in the hope that you guys get out there and kill CosTeLLo for the greater good of humanity:


<Shurikane> Mini-rant of the day: Formatting your computer is NOT the cure-all solution to every single one of your problems. Jesus Christ.
<carpetmuncher> dunno what to say
<CosTeLLo> what you just said was too long to read


That doesn't work. In fact, that never works. Know what formatting does? I'll give you a crash course, and make sure you don't break your boneheads on the way: formatting erases everything on your hard drive. That's all. It doesn't magically fix everything in a 50 ft range. It doesn't "make your computer run faster". It doesn't "clean up Windows". It's just a way to either reset the hard disk because you're changing to another operating system, or (more likely) a panic button because you can't clean up after your own shit when you use the fucking computer.

I know people who format every 2 months. Every 2 months! Back your shit up, erase, reinstall. Waste a day. Every 2 months! How long can I run a computer without formatting? 2 years! That's right, idiots! Two big-ass years! And I even managed this feat on Windows Millenium! And people's eyes go wide open when they hear that! 'Cause to them, it's inconceivable! And then they try to convince me to format regularly for all kinds of bullshit reasons about performance and cleaning up.


WRONG!

Your computer is slow? Check how much free space you have left, clean up the shit that's accumulated in your boot menu, and close programs.

Your computer is full of your crap? Go into Windows Explorer AND FUCKING DELETE THEM!!! It doesn't take a genius to go through your folders and figure out what you need and don't need! Hell, programs even come with a utility to uninstall them! And don't start me this bullshit about "oh but it doesnt delete in teh registry lolz" No. That doesn't happen anymore. If you notice in most uninstallers, it says stuff like "DE-REGISTERING" What does that mean? It's taking itself off the registry! Oh wow, technology! And even if it didn't, who gives a shit? It's not like the entry will be accessed anyway. It's what, one entry among several thousands? Do you have several thousand programs installed at once on your computer? I didn't think so either. And I highly doubt you will lose even a fraction of a precious MegaHertz if you leave that sacrilegous registry entry inside your Windows.

You got a virus? Oh my God, run for your lives! It's gonna eat everything! Well, maybe, if you weren't smart enough to protect yourself beforehand. It's called firewall and antivirus. I don't care how much you despise them. Running a computer on the Internet without either of these is like fighting the Battle of Normandy with a plastic sword and a G-string. My anti-virus sees the virus and cleans it off immediately. I don't even need to raise my little finger. And neither should you. So unless you actually jack off to formatting your computer, this shouldn't be your method of action when (and IF) you get infected.

I hope that rant was helpful to you. If you knew all that already, then here is a gold medal for your well-done homework. Everyone else can suck it.

[geewj]

Q. How often should I reformat and reinstall Windows 95/98/Me?
A. Windows and Windows programs tends to get bogged down on themselves and tends to scatter all kinds of files on the hard drive. The Windows registry also gets full of entries, so of which get left behind even after a program is uninstalled. A reformat and reinstall once or twice a year is advisable to keep a system free of the various bits of garbage and useless entries in the registry. Windows Me is new, so it's hard to say if such advice applies. Check back with us in the summer of 2001.


Lots of times by the time people get around to having weird complicated issues, they are due for a reformat anyways. So it just makes things easier.


But yeah, for the router, it sounded like your routers problem, not your computer.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

Indeed.

Don't overcomplicate anything.

Remember you telling me about your fan acting up? Or I remember, for whatever reason.

It was a simple problem, easily solved when checked right?

People telling you reformatting = cure all, failing to mention how tedious it is get your gold star. they surely deserve the praise. [/sarcasm of this paragraph]

I've re-formatted exactly once, after messing something up badly myself. Live and learn. Use precautions, don't jump to conclusions, find info(something the internet is actually used for besides boredom remover, heh), and use your computer without breaking it.

But who follows rules and standards nowadays, when talking about your latest virus is soo much cooler! http://pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_disapprove.gif

[Deathscythealpha]

People do seem to use 'Format Your PC' as a cure all for most problems. Sometimes people need to sit down and have a look at whats wrong instead of reaching for the magical Reformating CD. A quick poke and a prod can normally sort out the PC quicker then sitting down and waiting all those hours to get your machine sorted.

And I knew one of the younger chaps at my Dads work used to reformat every 3 months juts to 'Regain Speed'. Well, if he has the patience to do that...



On 2005-09-16 15:55, KodiaX987 wrote:
...is like fighting the Battle of Normandy with a plastic sword and a G-string.


So thats why they chucked me out of the War Recreation Society, I knew I should have turned up more appropriately dressed.

[Rubius-sama]

Although KodiaX's problem was the router, not the PC...formatting is still healthy for your PC. I format mine at least twice a year. You're not going to look like a genius by telling people they should search for the problem instead of formatting. That is easier said than done. It takes a bit of technical knowledge and over 90% of PC users don't have that. Sometimes, depending on how bad the problem is, you can't even fix it unless you format.

Like the other person said, by the time your PC gets bugged down with whatever, your due for a format anyways.




Here are the things I have been told about this problem:

"You need more RAM." (Computer shop)

That has got to be the stupidest/funniest thing I've ever heard. LOL...I just could not stop laughing XD

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Rubius-sama on 2005-09-17 02:35 ]</font>

[InfinityXXX]

On my last cpu,(before my bro downloaded the virus and destroyed my cpu)) I never formatted. I had it for over 5 or 6 healthy yrs and I just never did it. >.<

[Link00seven]

I have a Compaq Presario 2256 that my dad bought in 1998 and it was never formatted until today. It was just so clogged up with useless bullshit over the last 7 years that I just said "screw it, it'll probably run better after a reformat anyway."

As for your topic, I won't reformat unless I seriously get lost on an issue with my PC, which doesn't happen very often. When it gets to the point of Windows won't even boot anymore, then I just boot up my trusty Linux distro http://pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif At that point, if I still have an issue that I can't fix, then its time to reformat and try that.

[Mystil]

I've never formatted. And I have not used the defragger in about 4 years.

[BrokenHope]

Partions are your friend, I can format and reinstall my system partion in less time than it would take to troubleshoot and fix the problem at hand.

If you have to back up your data before you can even do a reinstall then you should take another look at how you have your hard drives set up.

[adamgnome104]

My dad had to pay some dumbshit 30 dollars and all he did was reformat our computer.

I need PSO BB and other videogames not laggy.

WTF WOULD REFORMATTING DO!?

IT DID NOTING BY THE FUCKING WAY!