a question about softwares your PC must have

hi, im planning to have or reformat my CPU since i feel its getting worse everytime it stops working. so i would like to ask you guys, what softwares do you install after reformating your PC before you start trashin*cough using computer for your needs? from basic reaserch to hardcore online gaming. what do you think it should have?

OS (prefer XP)
Antivirus/spyware
Internet connection software (if you have)
then the not essential stuff like games and live messenger etc

"Must have"...hmm...maybe...NO$GBA, EPSXE, PROJECT 64, VISUAL BOY ADVANCE, NEORAGE X, ZSNES...ART MONEY !!!

firewall (sygate personal firewall) firefox, spybot search and destroy, 7zip

to add onto loony's post, spywareblaster goes with spybot SD, winrar goes with 7zip, also make sure to get some sort of registry cleaner, defragmenter (the stock one sucks), peerguardian2 for p2p protection and a bittorrent client.

what about stuff like direct x? or Mircrosoft framework 2.0? audio softwares etc.by the way, what do you guys think of Tune up Utilities 2008?

Firefox, Direct X, Drivers, Microsoft Framework 3.5 (may need it later), media players, uTorrent, antivirus etc., emulators, burning programs, graphics editors, Revo etc.^I've used it once, it's alright, only used it for adding themes and boot screens though.

Firefox. 'nuff said.

firefox
spybot search and destroy
winrar
windows xp, sp3, redistributable
directx
video card driver
avg antivirus (if you like visiting dangerous websites and running every exe you can encounter)
a HOSTS filewinamp
k-like codec pack & quicktime alternative & real alternativeutorrent
alcohol 120% or daemon tools
ultraeditofficeThat's about it I guess... What else do I have installed...

what do you put in your hosts file?all I have are spybot entries and the server for PSO (since it told me to put it in there)edit: I also have aim.com in the hosts file on the shitty desktop since I told my sister to keep AIM off of the shitty desktop and keep AIM on the better one. (she isn't smart enough to transfer the install file from one computer to another)

Firefox, AVG, a anti-spyware software, and Counter-Strike.

Skype
GIMP or Photoshop
A good IDE

Firefox, CCleaner, Revo Uninstaller, Miranda IM/ Pidgin, some antivirus/spyware cleaner, GIMP/Photoshop, Openoffice/Office 2003

Yes Revo is very good. Also, some sort of Office application suite as well.

before you go formating your hdd. alot of speed issues can be caused by problems that are easy to fix.1. uninstall programmes you don't use any more.2.get this http://majorgeeks.com/download1575.html run it get rid of the shit on your pc3. defrag, you need to remember your pc writes things to the hdd like a monkey throwing poop its not strategicly
placed and after a while it takes a long time to get through it.4.the biggest cause i see of slow pc's that i have to sort out is that every time you install a programme it puts something that runs in the background and its not needed. go to run in the start menu and type in msconfig go to start up and un check everything that says it is in programme files unless its anti virus ect use your judgement.5. finaly if you have alot of crap on your desktop that will be doing it as well put it all in a folder move that folder to your documents make a short cut and place the short cut on your desktop. it does make a difference.if you do all that and your pc isn't any quicker than get a new one ;D, you don't need to reformat all the time just keep it clean in the first place it does make all the differance. my pc that has 2.4 dual core and 2gig of ram runs faster then my mates with a 3.3 dual and 4gig of ram all because he doesn't keep it clean.also check you gots a good amount of ram nobody ever has enough ram, also check to see if your hdd is in ntfc and not fat 32. and if it is you don't need to format just get a programme like partition manager and change it.come on guys you should be giving this info too

the main reason you need to reformat is because programs don't uninstall properly and leave shit all over the place, and change files without undoing the changes and stuff and its extremely difficult to fix manually. Also Windows seems to deteriorate by itself.

And reaching and opening files take longer, as they are scattered over the place.

well im planning to reformat because my PC tend to restart/freeze/hang when i play online games. it really sucks when it just stops.

Oh wait, you all forgot P()r/\/!

Loonylion · #16the main reason you need to reformat is because programs don't uninstall properly and leave shit all over the place,

anandjones · #17And reaching and opening files take longer, as they are scattered over the place.

said that already

equitypeteyyou need to remember your PC writes things to the hdd like a monkey throwing poop its not strategically
placed and after a while it takes a long time to get through it.

and empty temp folders (the programme i gave a link to, does remove some of that crap and be sure that the first time you do it i will bet that you will delete about 5GB of crap. and remove all the broken shortcuts so it removes all the file paths that don't work any more, then defrag. trust me it helps.i know that eventually it is good to have a format but if you do all the things i listed before you'll find both you and your PC is happyalso from the sound of it, it could be a heat issue. open your case and clean the dust out. games are demanding and cause heat if your PC is full of dust it will cut out when it gets to hot.i wish you guys would listen to me sometimes i know loony is the resident PC expert but i have fixed enough of other peoples to know that if you go through the to do list i made your problem will most likely be fixed.and loony I'm surprised you are not preaching the same thing especially that if the guy has to ask what programmes he needs after formating probably shouldn't do it till there a bit more PC savvy and should look for alternative speedup/cleanup methods at least till all is lost and a format becomes needed.