OT: RISKS of Re-Installing Win7 over Existing Win7

Soniclight wrote on 11/24/2014, 5:35 PM

First, to save you the time of clicking on my username for my system specs,
here they with a bit more detail and with only relevant facts than listed here at Sony:
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Operating System: Windows 7 64-bit (Premium Home, SP1)
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As hopefully clarified in the subject line, I do NOT want to re-install everything all over again (OS and all programs, etc.). Too much work has gone into customizing my system and with stuff I probably can't even quite remember...

So, why do I feel the need to possibly do this (whereby my current Windows would be moved to and become "Windows.old" or such and a new OS would be used)?

Slow boot overall (and yes, I try to streamline Services and Startup progs, I defrag and do chkdisk once in a while, etc.). For example, my older emergency OS on separate HD would whizz past "Loading Operating System..." where it barely showed up. My current system seems to hang at that from 15-30 seconds, then go on.

Desktop and Startup auto launch of Chrome and my CoreTemp CPU and RAM widget is slower than it was on my XP. I've used the Repair Boot via the Win7 installation disk whereby it found a couple of snags, repaired them but that didn't change the slow boot. From turn-computer-on to finished boot up, it can take up to 2-3 minutes. That's dinosaur age speed comparatively to what your boots probably are.

I do also occasionally have some OS hangs/slows and/or need to nuke and restart "Explorer.exe", so it's not perfect. I couldn't even close Cubase today after an unusual freexe of it even via Task Manager. So I'm a bit concerned.

Yes, I do have Index Searching on for it's useful, and I know that can slow things down especially if 3-3 other hard drives are hooked up, but seems to me it shouldn't slow down a basic boot--or maybe it does. However, even when I have only the OS drive hooked up, everything is still slow, incl. that "Loading Operating System..." temporary hang.

I've also made sure my BIOS are set right, re-installed and upgraded my mobo drivers, etc and even called Gigabyte today to make sure my BIOS were setup right.
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Alright, now down to the "risk factor" question:

My OS is pretty clean and I migrated most of my own version of "My Documents" and such onto a separate F:\ partition on the same 500 Gb SATA2 drive. All my Vegas and Cubase and Particleillusion project files and their media are on my 3Tb D:\. For now my output and test renders are also on that drive, though ideally I should have a separate HD for those. My OS/C:\ + F:\ used to be on a Seagate 1Tb but it became unstable and had so much unallocated/unused space, so I bought a smaller drive.

Re-installing a new OS over the old shouldn't affect any of these, except Cubase and its dependent EXDrummer require some core media files on the OS (migration of those wass so problematic that I gave up).

Whether this has anything to do with the slow-ness, my Adobe CS3 cyclically locks me out of using it and the files which requires me to re-install everything and so I barely use it. Wonder if that could cause some bootup problems.

All that said, what risks could I run into (besides minor things like themes and system sounds-off that I'd probably lose)? I recall doing this back in the early-mid 2000s with XP and I don't recall any major issues. But my system is a bit more complex now.
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Pardon the length of this posting, but needed to 'splain some things as well as address others that some may bring up as causes of a slow boot.
Thanks for your input and advise.

~ Philip

Comments

JJKizak wrote on 11/24/2014, 6:12 PM

I regret that I cannot help you but your boot up time sounds like my 64 bit Vista.
Three minutes and a cloud of dust. And don't try to open anything until the boot is done or it chokes. One of the problems with mine was a slightly loose CPU fan assembly. I fixed it by drilling holes into the metal behind the motherboard and used metal screws to fasten it securely. Then there was the installation of a new 800 watt power supply because the old one roached. Many people on this forum say the newer SSD drives will boot your socks off. I can't wait to try them.
JJK

Duncan H wrote on 11/24/2014, 6:56 PM

Maybe a bit off topic, but to support JJK's comment, I have a 4 &1/2 yr old Sony laptop and it has always been really slow to boot up (Win 7, 64), like 2-3 mins. I had tried many of the things that you had - defrag, removing little used programs, cleaning registry etc, to little avail. Then the HDD died, but it was still a reasonably specced laptop and so maybe 6 months ago, I self-installed a new 240 GB SSD & simply used my (Casper) mirror to reinstall all software, including OS as it was. Boots up in no time and could not be happier, cloning back all software onto new drive was quick, easy & painless.

Soniclight wrote on 11/24/2014, 8:35 PM

Thanks for replies, and it seems I'm having deja-vu all over again from a couple of years ago on...
... the switch to SSD OS drive suggestion.

We've had more than one thread on that topic and back then I backed out of getting one for my online research and some things said here pointed to that the technology was still too buggy overall. Perhaps with two (or could be more, really) years having past, maybe it's a less risky option.

Since I really don't need more than 120 Gb for my OS, getting one seems reasonably priced. Then I could use the now-OS 500 Gb SATA2 for my F:\ (My Documents and such as I mentioned in the OP). So with that consideration in mind...

What has changed in terms of the newer/current SSD? As I recall, one of the issues that made me nervous was having to watch cache or something that I don't recall what it was called. If one didn't periodically clean that out, it could cause major problems since we're basically dealing with a huge stick of RAM.

In other words, aside from the assumed improvements in reliability,
What is the maintenance on SSD that is different from mechanical drives?

Soniclight wrote on 11/24/2014, 8:48 PM

PS: I don't use Casper but the with-HD-bundled Acronis True Image (got tired of the buggy commercial version back in 2011 after upgrading 3 times) and would use that to transfer the OS to the SSD if I decide to get one. Simpler, faster, easier to use IMO.

GeeBax wrote on 11/24/2014, 9:20 PM

I was waiting to see if someone would mention the SSD.

I have been using them from day one and would NEVER use a spinning disk except as an archive destination. Earlier on there were issues with them and some dodgy makes (avoid OCZ like the plague), but I now have around 12 Sandisk SSDs in use and not a hiccup from any of them.

I also use Casper, and it is dead easy to make a clone with it, my copy does it once a week on all 3 of my computers.

Even if you don't move to an SSD, the symptoms you report sound very much like a failing drive, so I would at the very least make a copy and replace as soon as possible, before you can't recover the information.

Byron K wrote on 11/24/2014, 10:54 PM

I was getting 2+ minutes boot times on my Win7 i7 machine and moved over to an Intel 120GB SSD. My boot times are around 20 seconds. I'll never go back to regular HDs for my system and applications. In order to keep my ssd from failing I plan to upgade it as prices drop for larger sized drives.

TheHappyFriar wrote on 11/25/2014, 5:49 AM

I've done the "reinstall the OS w/o formatting/fdisking my drive". I don't do that any more. The positives were: my stuff wasn't erased in a drive format, I didn't need to wait for a drive format.

The negatives were: lots of junk I don't need still on the drive. Any issues on the drive previously (like corrupted installs, viruses, etc) still there. Most software will want you to reinstall anyway.

What I'd do if reinstalling my software/drivers/etc. concerned me so much (and you'll spend more time installing/rebooting for drivers & windows updates) is make a backup of a freshly installed OS with all your stuff installed.

Kit wrote on 11/25/2014, 4:17 PM

I would go for a new SSD and a clean install of Windows followed by the software with disk imaging throughout the process. I have 6 images of my system at various stages of installation. I can go back to a virgin installation with all my personal customisations should I so choose. I consider disk imaging to be more important than anti-virus. Having said this I've stuck with Macrium free. I've often considered getting the paid for version but don't like the key system they use.

Byron K wrote on 11/25/2014, 8:32 PM

You have two good options:
1. Create an image of your current system, and drop it on a new SSD.
2. Create a new clean system on the SSD that can dual boot to your old system, and install the apps as you need them.

I went w/ option 2, and would boot into my original system as needed if I didn't have time to load an app that I needed right away, then made time later to load it on the SSD. I haven't booted into my old system in almost 7 months and work primarily off the SSD now.

Soniclight wrote on 11/26/2014, 10:26 PM

A while later...

Well, I found out one reason a couple of my non-OS drives were clicking and seemed unreliable -- a "my bad". :

Since I built my own hefty computer cabinet with a separate bay for my hard drives with its own door, I have 4 (I think) 80mm fans for the drives; to power them I spliced into one of the three for-HD power cables. Things have worked fine it seems, but I think what happened at some point is a matter of amperage -- having those fans run off of the same power cord may have syphoned off or made the electrical current either not as strong or consistent.

And I may have used that same cord for the OS at some point. Result: one of my 1.5 Tb has semingly 530 or so bad sectors and while I've written 0s to it and tested it to the hilt and in now works with the other power cables, it's probably not going to last for eternity. T'was one of my backup drives.

As to the OS and going SD as suggested:by many of you...

I'm pretty sure I'm going to take the plunge -- finally. After doing some research online and reading that Tom's Hardware and Anandtech both highly recommend the Samsung 850 Pro. It's not the cheapest drive but seems to be the most reliable. Incl a 10 year and/or TBW warranty. I explained my particular computer usage--only very occasional video and audio editing--and the 10 year warranty would apply, not the TBW (that's for real power users and enterprise).

So I'm planning on getting the 128 Gb one. My current OS is about 80 Gb, and I could probably reduce that some. Talking to Samsung they said that it is best to not fill up the OS drive much past 50% for best performance. I may be a wee bit over that but not by much.

A bit scary to switch to a whole new technology for my OS, but then many have done so with satisfaction and benefits.
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As to the thread's opening question, I may or may not do that kind of install. Once I get the SSD, I may just also take the plunge and re-install everything however a lengthy and pain in le derriere process it may be. But I'll start by cloning my current OS on to the SSD, see how it behaves, then go from there.

OK, we can consider this thread completed. Thanks again for your input. And for those of you in the U.S. and/or otherwise celebrating Thanksgivings Day,
Happy T-Day to all.

~ Philip

Soniclight wrote on 11/28/2014, 5:07 PM

Short closing note....

Well, I finally took the plunge and ordered my first SSD, the aforementioned well-reviewed Samsung 850 Pro 128 Gb from B&H. Then added a Toshiba 7200 rpm 3TB to that order as a just-in-case backup of backup drive.

So I'm slowly catching up with some of you. But I'm glad I waited a the 2-3 years before doing so for the technology is more, pardon the pun, solid these days.