How often do you clean reinstall your workstation computer

[Chris Davis]

I can't remember the last time I had to reinstall. Probably because of a bad hard drive or something. "Windows Rot" is largely a thing of the past and even then was generally caused by cheap and/or free software. Use your work computer for work and your play computer for play and you'll never have a problem.

[Stelios Christofides]

Originally Posted by Jeff Pulera

If your edit machine is solely dedicated to editing - meaning no internet, no email, no other apps, no updates, you "just edit", and you keep temp files and cache cleaned and drives defragged, you could theoretically go for years! In other words, just use the machine as an "appliance" and it is trouble-free. The Newtek TriCaster video switchers are Windows-based under the hood, and if you don't mess with things, they will run a good long time without issue.

We do from time to time get calls from NLE workstation customers that will claim to still be happily using the workstation we sold them 6 or 7 years ago, having never connected to the internet or done ANY upgrades. They just keep working when you don't mess with things.

In my own case, I install way too many little apps and such and use the machine as an all-purpose email, web browsing, iTunes, etc. machine and find that about once a year things deteriorate to where I need a full reinstall. In fact, I am overdue as the last several weeks things have gotten progressively worse and I'm having a lot of problems editing. I don't mind reinstalling Windows and Adobe so much, that goes pretty quickly - it is all the other little stuff, like email and dozens of other apps, many electronic, that require me to keep track of the downloaded files AND the license keys. Ugh.

How do you do then the updates if you are not connected to the internet? I have 2 PCs one for everything ( internet, small applications, DVD burning, Photoshop e.t.c) and on only dedicated for editing but on this dedicated PC I also have internet just for occasionally web blousing. I do occasionally manual updated of win 7.

stelios

[Dave Partington]

Originally Posted by Stelios Christofides

How do you do then the updates if you are not connected to the internet?

Connect to the internet, do the updates, disconnect again. I would have thought that obvious ;)

[Stelios Christofides]

Dave

Is it a problem for this dedicated PC to be connected to the interneteven if you are not using it (I mean the internet)?
I am just editing but the PC stays connected.

stelios

[James Palanza]

I run a pc with windows 7, I do the reinstall usually once a year. I guess I could have a mac and never do it, but then again, I saved about 2,000 dollars building my own PC workstation instead of having a comparable mac.

Worth it

[Rob Cantwell]

id only do it every few years when i'd replace the PC with a updated one, i run win 7 on a desktop and a laptop and Vista!!! on a reserve/retired desktop.
I'm always connected to the net and it's pretty ok these days, anyone using windows 8 is there any difference for workflow etc.

[Chip Thome]

I don't have a dedicated workstation, mine is used for everything. I also am not afraid to go anywhere or do anything with it, because fear keeps you for experiencing things. Now this also tends to lend itself to me mooking my computer up from time to time. But that's been the case since getting my Performa back in '95.

Like Jeff, I do it when performance changes. Typically I will notice small things not going according to Hoyle. When that happens, typically on a weekend, I back up all the data, and give it a flush and fill. Like Jeff I too zero out the entire drive. Then do a reload and watch how smoothly everything goes back in. I have had reinstalls go south, maybe from a hickup from the DVD. Anyways, you know soon enough it isn't right, so then do it all over again.

I was doing this almost every 3 months and this time around I am now out past 6 and still going fine.

[Dave Partington]

Originally Posted by Stelios Christofides

Dave

Is it a problem for this dedicated PC to be connected to the interneteven if you are not using it (I mean the internet)?
I am just editing but the PC stays connected.

stelios

No. Personally my machines are connected to the internet all the time. I was merely answering your question about updates :)

[Tim Kay]

I recently had to do a complete OS reinstall on my machine after having software issues. Luckily nothing was lost and I'm happy to have saved all my projects. Doing a scheduled, maintance back up/reinstall i've found is a great way to keep the machine not only running the fastest (as it gets rid of tons of junk you'll never use again), but if forces you save your recent video productions too, which is always a great thing !