Weird question... OS personalities?

Doug

I'm not trolling.

Does anyone else have this? I format my machine a lot, and that means I have a fresh OS a lot which then slowly grows back to nearly identicle state as the last one, as/when I need certain programs, game installs, customisations, shorcuts how i like them, etc etc. But (weird bit) it kinda feels different to my last install, like it has a different, for lack of a better word, 'personality'... ya know?

I don't know how much/little everyone else reformats their machines so i probably sound like a retard...

*crosses fingers*

TroM · 01-26-2011, 02:27 | posts: 1,942

In before "what are you smoking"

Doug · 01-26-2011, 02:28 | posts: 4,795 | Location: UK

God damnit.

IcE · 01-26-2011, 03:10 | posts: 6,980 | Location: Toledo, Ohio

I also reformat all the time, but I never noticed that they take on personality lol. They're always exactly the same. The only thing that changes (rarely) is a certain program gets changed out for another. Hell, I've even been using the same desktop wallpaper for 4 years now.

Virtue · 01-26-2011, 03:16 | posts: 827 | Location: Montreal

I hate it when my OS changes personalities, so I tend to not format a lot

Nato.dbnz · 01-26-2011, 03:21 | posts: 3,255 | Location: Auckland NZ

Looking at somebody elses OS might give you a indication to aspects of their personality, I don't think the OS itself has a personality though. No matter whether I have a fresh install or 1 year + I keep everything organised nicely, uninstall unused programs, minimal desktop clutter etc. It's not that my OS has that personality, but when it comes to my PC things just have to be a certain way.

In other words, what are you smoking?

Doug · *Last edited by Doug; 01-26-2011 at 03:36.*

^ Ah you see I don't keep things that organised, i just cant be bothered and considering i never know long it's going to be until my next format (sometimes can be 6 months+). I just tend to memorise where certain files and folders are like a maze of my HDD, lol.

I think the word personality is a bit strong for what i mean...

Also.. is it that obvious :/ lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdnly

I hate it when my OS changes personalities, so I tend to not format a lot

Windows 7 Skitzophrenic x64

Nato.dbnz · 01-26-2011, 03:56 | posts: 3,255 | Location: Auckland NZ

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug

^ Ah you see I don't keep things that organised, i just cant be bothered and considering i never know long it's going to be until my next format (sometimes can be 6 months+). I just tend to memorise where certain files and folders are like a maze of my HDD, lol.

Sounds just like my friend. He runs a very sloppy ship. He also happens to be the one with all the computer problems

I like your filing system for some things though, I use it for my clothing on a regular basis.

slick3 · *Last edited by slick3; 01-26-2011 at 04:06.*

Ummm i format my PC every once in a while too ...

After every format however, i do a registry scan, "msconfig" in start menu and disable some useless services and applications that starts with windows and keep everything organized and corruption free ... When it comes to the personality part .... no comments.

I also partitioned my HDD into 3. One contains all my games, one contains my softwares, and the last one is strictly for the OS. I do that so that when i have a new OS installed, i can just restore the back-up registry for that game/software from the previous OS and get it going.

Postalisback · 01-26-2011, 04:07 | posts: 3,569 | Location: pualuiɟ

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nato.dbnz

He runs a very sloppy ship.

Oh so do I, no problems here, strange...

deltatux · 01-26-2011, 04:15 | posts: 18,759 | Location: Toronto, Canada

I only format my system when it gets really bad, but so far so good. Though these degradation seem to be more of a Windows thing since I never experienced this problem in Linux or even MacOS X.

deltatux

FULMTL · 01-26-2011, 04:24 | posts: 6,141 | Location: Portland, Oregon

I format at least once a year and back up only important stuff that I made (artwork, pictures, edits). I would like to think I'm fairly organized. I have many folders separated by categories. I used to separate my pictures I collected also, but I think as internet has gotten faster, it kinda got back logged :/

I have my PC setup to automatically empty recycle bin weekly and defrag monthly, which I think is enough to keep the hard drive healthy. You can set this up in the scheduler.

Doug · 01-26-2011, 04:26 | posts: 4,795 | Location: UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by deltatux

I only format my system when it gets really bad, but so far so good. Though these degradation seem to be more of a Windows thing since I never experienced this problem in Linux or even MacOS X.

deltatux

I'm on a fresh install now because the last few days I've been trying out different linux distros trying to see if i could use it full time. Got CS and WoW to work (only two games i give a **** about) but not as well and bug-free as on windows

So i'm back.

dchalf10 · 01-26-2011, 04:39 | posts: 4,044

I format when I'm switching to a new primary drive, or motherboard. So once every 3 years maybe. I won't be formatting again until windows 8 comes out, and if windows 8 is a POS I'll wait even longer...

Norvekh · 01-26-2011, 07:20 | posts: 2,654 | Location: Ohio

Sunday was my one year anniversary of my current install. I plan to hold out and not do another full install until my next build which may or may not be this year (I'd prefer if it was of course). Longest I've gone with a system without a reformat is completely unknown to me. I used to reformat more often, partly because I changed hardware a lot over the last few years but also because I went from XP to Vista to 7. Ideally, I'll get a SSD to go with a new machine as my current system drive, an ancient Raptor 150GB first generation drive, is really showing its age at this point. To be fair it is nearly 5 years old though.

Year · *Last edited by Year; 01-26-2011 at 13:48.*

there's something called being "attuned", can be toward a human being, your dog, your guitar, your computer or your vehicle.. and as such you and only you might pick up or notice things that would otherwise seem totally normal to someone else.

for example when i pick my guitar i notice exactly what changed since my last play and what to do in order to restore the guitar to the way it was without any trial and error.

with this said, i did notice that each OS reinstallation feels different than the previous one, that's right before installing any of my software or drivers, this was very evident to me with Windows XP, i haven't noticed this with W7 at all.

so your question is not weird really.

Leafblower · 01-26-2011, 11:26 | posts: 1,746

I almost never re-install so no.

Year · 01-26-2011, 13:46 | posts: 11,657 | Location: ♫

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leafblower

I almost never re-install so no.

one day you'll have to re-install.. be afraid, very afraid..

H83 · 01-26-2011, 14:53 | posts: 1,028 | Location: Mars

I normally do a clean install once or twice a year, to keep the PC performing at it´s best and to keep it clean of all the spyware and viruses. I also perform a clean install everytime i make a significant hardware change, to prevent any compatibility problems.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug

I'm not trolling.

Does anyone else have this? I format my machine a lot, and that means I have a fresh OS a lot which then slowly grows back to nearly identicle state as the last one, as/when I need certain programs, game installs, customisations, shorcuts how i like them, etc etc. But (weird bit) it kinda feels different to my last install, like it has a different, for lack of a better word, 'personality'... ya know?

I don't know how much/little everyone else reformats their machines so i probably sound like a retard...

*crosses fingers*

Would you be mad with me if i told you how hard i loled when i read your post?...

It reminds me of another forum user that posted some weird story of how his PC acts differently when someone other than him uses his machine...

I also loled hard at that one...

TheHunter · 01-26-2011, 15:21 | posts: 13,439 | Location: √╥²

lol yea weird, even the icon positions on desktop and in taskbar

idk i feel more at home if i know every icon's place, lol i do the same with programs, once i found a good one i stick with it and never look back

CronoGraal · 01-26-2011, 16:11 | posts: 3,420 | Location: Sweden

i use the same desktop icons (none), similar wallpapers, and always backup my folders so that my user folder looks identical everytime.

dukedave5200 · 01-26-2011, 21:01 | posts: 3,198 | Location: Central PA

I personally think an OS can pick up the personalities of the users and the way they interact with the OS - the OS itself doesn't have a personality.

Leafblower · 01-26-2011, 21:08 | posts: 1,746

Quote:

Originally Posted by Year

one day you'll have to re-install.. be afraid, very afraid..

I did once on a 5 year install of Windows XP. I don't think anything besides a change of OS has ever been done.

Doug · 01-27-2011, 00:50 | posts: 4,795 | Location: UK

Personality was a bad choice of word... lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by H83

Would you be mad with me if i told you how hard i loled when i read your post?...

It reminds me of another forum user that posted some weird story of how his PC acts differently when someone other than him uses his machine...

I also loled hard at that one...

No

Why would I care what makes you laugh

Li4m79 · 01-27-2011, 01:21 | posts: 4,691 | Location: Scotland

i'm contemplating a clean install as i've changed my Mobo,ram,cpu,gpu since my last install, but I have everything how I want it just now, but i also know it would be good for my system...... hmmmmmmmm