Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

[SteveRiley]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

CCleaner

CCleaner

OK, two mentions this tool. I have always avoided third-party "cleaners" like the plague. These things muck about with the guts of Windows and usually put the systems into states that are far removed from anything resembling configurations that Microsoft tests. Seems like you guys trust this one, though...what's the difference?

[ardvark71]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

Hi Steve...

I've actually had good experiences with this product and use it myself on my Windows laptop. Piriform seems like a very legitimate company and I've never had a problem with it messing up the registry on any computer I've used it on.

Regards...

[DoYouKubuntu]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

woodyouravatarcracksmeupsmoke, with my connection issues the last few days I didn't have a chance until now to actually READ your 'happy holidays' avatar. I love it!

I thought it was a hamburger with worms coming out of it. You know, one of Woody's classroom bio projects!

I couldn't tell--I had to use one of my two favorite SeaMonkey add-ons, Image Zoom, to make out its wording, and I'm glad I did.

The answer is simple... laziness.
As long as this Sony is still breathing, or at least gasping, I am in no rush. If I put 11.04 or a previous version on it this Thursday I'll have to do it again in April. That's too much work to expect a retired person to do!

Personally, I'd invest the 15 minutes or so that it [actively] takes to install Linux. Just burn a CD/DVD prior to its arrival, pop it in the new computer's drive, boot up, walk through the install process, and then let it crank away doing updates (if you so choose at that time). If you start that up before retiring for the night, you're all set to go when you get up in the morning!

I guess I'm just so thoroughly...completely...unequivocally anti-M$ that leaving its quasi-OS on a computer simply isn't an option. But that's just me. Although I truly don't understand why anyone would choose to use it, I do respect that that's a viable choice.

[de_koraco]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

OK, two mentions this tool. I have always avoided third-party "cleaners" like the plague. These things muck about with the guts of Windows and usually put the systems into states that are far removed from anything resembling configurations that Microsoft tests. Seems like you guys trust this one, though...what's the difference?

It does a pretty good job of removing exorbitant amounts of dll's from the registry, and it has a very good confirmation dialog for every single little thing it does remove. It doesn't do anything unexpected, so the chance of it borking your system are reduced. Dunno, since I don't speak binary in the Windows API dialect, I'm happy to let it scan the registry and remove the cruft. It helps with performance, especially on OEM imaged systems, when you purge junkware. I don't use it on retail installs, as there's seldom a bunch of installing and uninstalling.

[bsniadajewski]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

AS others have said, SR, CCleaner just works, especially after you remove some applications. I took off AVG in order to put on MSE (MS Security Essentials), and before I did the install I used CCleaner to remove any remnantsof AVG. I haven't had any problems since.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

CCleaner is the best cookie remover in the business.
It also does a good job of removing bloatware that isn't listed in the Add/Remove Programs panel.
It does an outstanding job of removing cruft from the registry.
It detects "services" which I would call Trojans and removes them if you so desire.

In short, it is the best little Windows Washer tool in the business.

[Detonate]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

I make a little money solving Windows problems, so I'm thankful for Windows. If everyone used Linux, I wouldn't have any business at all.

[sithlord48]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

i've always used spybot search and destroy to clean spyware , etc (not viruses) from windows. its pretty solid software been using it for years.

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

i stoped updating my win7 box mainly cause its 100% safe now , because its unhooked and sitting unused. i only turn it on when i have to pack up some Qt program(s) i write for windows and even then i don't let it online at all.

i can releate to the update fustration. i would get a few of the critical updates, then reboot to find i have 1 or 2 more critical updates. while im on the topic why windows 7 do you force me to reboot after you install an update. it asks if i want to reboot later but seams to mostly ingore what i tell it. saying its installed but apon reboot it will sit on the shutdown screen and install the update(s) that i said it just installed. i can't even think about how many hours i've wasted waiting for it to finish. my favorate is you have an video driver update. but when the driver is updated guess what's not included,openGL support. thanks again m$ you really waste you time removing the opengl support from the video driver in an pathetic attempt to force more people to use directX.

[SteveRiley]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

Thanks for the tips about CCleaner. Perhaps I'll give this a try on an ancient cruftified laptop I have sitting around.

[ardvark71]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

Hi all...

What is cruft?

Regards...

[SteveRiley]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

Uhmm...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=cruft

[vinnywright]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

Uhmm...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=cruft

LMFAO ......that is a cool site thanks for the show their @ SteveRiley

[GreyGeek]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

Thanks for the tips about CCleaner. Perhaps I'll give this a try on an ancient cruftified laptop I have sitting around.

You can't lose. The freebie version is great.

[vinnywright]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

Thanks for the tips about CCleaner. Perhaps I'll give this a try on an ancient cruftified laptop I have sitting around.

I usually advocate Avast anti virus for my friends that would like a free Windows anti virus that is.

what do you recommend?

VINNY

[GreyGeek]

Re: Why it takes a whole day to install & update Windows

...
What is cruft?
....

The equivalent of computer sin.

The Windows registry, present in all versions of Windows since Win95, is notorious for filling up with unused or broken links to objects in the file system. An entry in the registry may point to a file on the filesystem which is no longer present, or the other way around. This often happens when Windows crashes while in the process of updating the registry. Also, the registry contains a clone of itself, and often entries don't match, but it is like two watches ... which one tells the correct time. A single entry system with parity would have been better.

In the system directory there is a program called regedit.exe, which I used to used in the past to repair broken registries, change paths to files, or remove locks and other hidden components. Editing the registry is a perilous process, and not one I'd recommend. I learned how by reading a book about it written by an MS employee who either worked on it or helped design it, I don't remember which. The book explained everything and what I leaned helped me to salvage many a Windows system in the last 14 years.

But, when CCleaner came along the need to use regedit.exe almost disappeared. I have used regedit only once in the last year.