How often do you reinstall your computer's OS?

  • Want to keep track of this thread?
    Accounts can bookmark posts, watch threads for updates, and jump back to where you stopped reading.
    Create account
Sirius

Sirius

kiwifarms.net
Joined
May 12, 2025
I used to be really bad about that, would do it once every 3-4 days because I felt like I had made the system files "tainted" and the experience of setting things up all over again was very relaxing. Nowadays it's down to about once a month, still probably way too much. I did invest in a good USB drive to serve as a lifeboat for my important stuff recently, so that makes it a lot easier. I use Windows 10 LTSC.

Most people I know only ever do it if they're running into problems, and even then they'll get an IT person to handle the process.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
I have a tertiary machine that I'm picking around with. I've installed a new OS every week for awhile now to see what's out there.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Used to do it multiple times a year when I still used Windows. Nowadays, after I started using Linux. Maybe once a year.

And I also use Snapper and make lots of cold backups. So when I make a mistake, or an update screws something up, I can just rollback easily.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I will install Linux once I get my files sorted. But right now my computer is a mess, my downloads folder goes back half a decade, and there is random shit everywhere. And that is not mentioning all of the other devices I got laying around, and all of the files that are stored on the cloud.
To answer your question: I last did it 5 years ago.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
What? Never. I can't imagine running a bunch of installations all over again is relaxing.

But if you use Windows I recommend using WinGet. It's a better package manager than the apt shit on Linux.

In powershell:
"winget search chrome" -> search for apps
"winget list" -> list everything installed
"winget uninstall chrome"

Update everything:
"winget upgrade --unknown --all --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements --silent"

If you want to manually run some system cleanup cleanmgr is built in and really everything you need.

No idea how you could "taint" anything. But if you're more aware and conscious of managing what's installed...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
⚞⛇⚟ said:
I will install Linux once I get my files sorted. But right now my computer is a mess, my downloads folder goes back half a decade, and there is random shit everywhere. And that is not mentioning all of the other devices I got laying around, and all of the files that are stored on the cloud.
To answer your question: I last did it 5 years ago.
Click to expand...
I highly recommend dumping everything into an external SSD drive as is into folders like:
Desktop (everything in your desktop)
Documents (everything in your documents)
Downloads (everything in your downloads)
Images (same as above)
Videos (same)
etc, etc.

and installing your Linux distro of choice. From my own experience, unless you do this, you're never going to enjoy the many benefits of Linux, because there are just too many files. You can sort them properly inside Linux as well.

-
I reinstall Linux every half a year, more or less, because I always manage to fuck something up by touching stuff I shouldn't be touching. Right now I should re-install, but I'm postponing it because it's a hassle.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
rando[Numbers] said:
No idea how you could "taint" anything. But if you're more aware and conscious of managing what's installed...
Click to expand...
It's not necessarily about installing random shitware from the Internet, it's very irrational most of the time. I reinstalled it last time because I had installed the Microsoft store (which isn't present on LTSC by default) for one program, and instead of simply removing it via PowerShell when I was done I felt like a reinstall was necessary.
I have gotten a bit better about things though, like I now use portable versions of programs when I can (so they don't touch the system files) and I have my important stuff split between a separate partition and a USB drive.
I'll try to list some reasons why I've reinstalled in the past:
  • accidentally shared an SMB folder that I didn't want to
  • program left over some dependencies that I didn't feel like cleaning up
  • during setup, I left a data collection setting on because I wasn't paying attention
  • one time I felt like I was doing a "sloppy" job of configuring settings and organizing folders, just felt like it was "dirty"
  • installed the normal MS office suite instead of the LTSC 2021 edition
Basically it's all about making things absolutely perfect. I leave very little room for error with this stuff. I'm like this with my phone too, it's probably been factory reset a dozen times in the past year.
One good thing that's come out of it though is that I usually make a new email + suite of online accounts (I didn't here) just to start off fresh, so it's helping my OPSEC even if it's silly.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
NH-8340 said:
It's not necessarily about installing random shitware from the Internet, it's very irrational most of the time. I reinstalled it last time because I had installed the Microsoft store (which isn't present on LTSC by default) for one program, and instead of simply removing it via PowerShell when I was done I felt like a reinstall was necessary.
I have gotten a bit better about things though, like I now use portable versions of programs when I can (so they don't touch the system files) and I have my important stuff split between a separate partition and a USB drive.
I'll try to list some reasons why I've reinstalled in the past:
  • accidentally shared an SMB folder that I didn't want to
  • program left over some dependencies that I didn't feel like cleaning up
  • during setup, I left a data collection setting on because I wasn't paying attention
  • one time I felt like I was doing a "sloppy" job of configuring settings and organizing folders, just felt like it was "dirty"
  • installed the normal MS office suite instead of the LTSC 2021 edition
Basically it's all about making things absolutely perfect. I leave very little room for error with this stuff. I'm like this with my phone too, it's probably been factory reset a dozen times in the past year.
One good thing that's come out of it though is that I usually make a new email + suite of online accounts (I didn't here) just to start off fresh, so it's helping my OPSEC even if it's silly.
Click to expand...
I have sometimes done this out of caution as well, but I don't know how helpful it actually is. Also, keep in mind that Windows is abysmal with security and privacy. If you care about these things I highly recommend switching to Linux.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
NH-8340 said:
It's not necessarily about installing random shitware from the Internet, it's very irrational most of the time. I reinstalled it last time because I had installed the Microsoft store (which isn't present on LTSC by default) for one program, and instead of simply removing it via PowerShell when I was done I felt like a reinstall was necessary.
I have gotten a bit better about things though, like I now use portable versions of programs when I can (so they don't touch the system files) and I have my important stuff split between a separate partition and a USB drive.
I'll try to list some reasons why I've reinstalled in the past:
  • accidentally shared an SMB folder that I didn't want to
  • program left over some dependencies that I didn't feel like cleaning up
  • during setup, I left a data collection setting on because I wasn't paying attention
  • one time I felt like I was doing a "sloppy" job of configuring settings and organizing folders, just felt like it was "dirty"
  • installed the normal MS office suite instead of the LTSC 2021 edition
Basically it's all about making things absolutely perfect. I leave very little room for error with this stuff. I'm like this with my phone too, it's probably been factory reset a dozen times in the past year.
One good thing that's come out of it though is that I usually make a new email + suite of online accounts (I didn't here) just to start off fresh, so it's helping my OPSEC even if it's silly.
Click to expand...
I have never in my life felt a need to just reinstall an OS as a cleanup. Seems like a lot of overthinking here. And total overkill. This has to be some sort of habit.

Everyone else here is complaining about fucking up Linux. I don't know why anyone would use Linux outside of a docker container. Real psychopath shit to use it for personal use. That's some early 2000s stuff back when it was more customizable than windows. But it isn't anymore.

Powershell is honestly great. It's a full language. You don't have to install endless utilities like jq, curl, or deal with useless package search.

Don't think perfect is possible in any case. But cleanup is probably better than reinstall. WinDirStat is pretty nice too. It should show you how simple your own stuff is. Help you find anything you don't want.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I don't change it unless I have to. And I pretty much only ever have to because I'm building a new computer. I will say windows ten is really the last windows os I will own for personal use. I will keep a poor bastard pc in a box running the latest stuff for the occasional business reason but Linux has finally gotten to a point where I feel comfortable making the switch.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ibanez RG 350EX said:
Whenever it's necessary, which has become less and less frequent with every version of Windows. I think I last reformatted one of my computers in early 2022.
Click to expand...
Win 11 is great. I remember defragging in like 2003, and that somehow bricking a motherboard. No idea how that's possible either.

Now, with SSD defrag is completely useless. you could retrim, but it only takes a second and doesn't really do much.

Powershell, powertoys, winget, is what Linux wished it was.

Back in the early 2000s there was this goofy dream of a open source OS. All we got now is a bunch of outdated garbage. Linux is for lightweight throwaway virtual servers. Not a good option for personal use.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
That just sounds like a colossal waste of time for no good reason, so no thanks.
The only conceivable reason where I would consider to reinstall an OS is if it somehow "quasi bricks" from something in a way that can't be fixed by other means.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I used to reinstall and get a fresh and clean OS once a year, but now I am at a point where I am too dependent on my currenct config, mainly pirated software (mald figtree reference!!?), that I can't be bothered to either transfer or risk installing again onto another system. Thus I actually have to clean the system regularly, by removing bloated software and the like, thanks to wonders like Revo Uninstaller. But at a certain point I might just get a 4TB SSD and let everything accumulate lol.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom