NA - nuke computer, reload, being sure to save desktop data

[Skip Miller]

I have a generic MS desktop where the kids have surfed with abandon for enough years filling it so full of crapware that it now takes a full 10 minutes to boot to the point when icons appear on the screen (and it still isn't fully loaded - the disc churns away for another 10 minutes although it will operate slowly from the icons appear state. They have given up on this computer and have moved on. My wife, however, uses the computer for business and is perfectly willing to use it (never turns it off so she never reboots) because she doesn't want to lose all the data links she has on her home screen (about 60 icons worth). This is a windows 7 machine, 3.2 Gig AMD processor, fully populated RAM at 8 megs, 1.3T hard drive, with about 1T available. I just peeked and Task Manager shows no applications running except POA and System. But there are one hundred processes running.

First question: Is this machine worth saving? How far behind the technology curve is it, for use as a backup desktop machine (though primary for wife...)

Second, I have all the software on CDs including Win7. If I backup everything (all the data is supposed to be on Carbonite) and nuke the system partition, I assume I can just reload as required, but I do not know if my wife's desktop icons are stored and if Carbonite has them backed up. Will the icons survive? How do I transfer them?

Thanks for the advice of the board. I'm not computer illiterate but this task is near the edge (or perhaps just beyond) my expertise.

-Skip

 

[exncsurfer]

depends on what the icons are

I don't know what '60 icons worth of data links' is. If they are shortcuts to programs that were installed, they would probably need reinstalled after. If they are data files or internet shortcuts(links), you could copy them, but the app needed to open them would have to be on the re-install.

I think it would be worth re-installing windows and continue using it, if you can do it yourself without too much time wasted. I have older pc's than that that get daily use at my house.

 

[RJM62]

I can count all the times that I had to reinstall Windows to clear up a problem using my fingers. I did it many more times because it was quicker than fixing the system and there was nothing on it that needed to be saved, but rarely did I come across a system that was so thoroughly hosed that I couldn't make it run almost like-new in two or three hours.

I suggest you ask around and find a local geek that makes housecalls, and have him or her take a machete, and then a scalpel, to that machine. Your wife should be there so the tech will know what is and isn't important, especially if she uses some oddball programs for work. Then have the geek uninstall all the garbage, run a good malware scan, remove the bazillion bad registry entries that will be left over using something like CCleaner (which includes the only registry cleaner I've ever come across that doesn't break more than it fixes), and finish up with a CHKDSK and DEFRAG just for good measure.

You actually can do all this yourself if you like. None of it is difficult. It's just time-consuming.

Rich

 

[Norman]

You can try running Malwarebytes Junk Removal Tool. May not get everything, but it's a start.

 

[deonb]

If you're comfortable with the registry, rename these keys to something else (e.g. rename 'Run' to 'RunX' ).


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run


You'll get rid of 90% of unwanted startup applications.

 

[Skip Miller]

Thanks to all who have responded so far. I have run CrapCleaner and Malware Bytes and it is much better but not perfect. Let's see if I and my wife can live with it in this new improved state.... -Skip