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QOTW: Do you 'clean install' Windows on your PC/laptop?

by Parm Mann on 20 February 2015, 16:30

Tags: Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

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What's the worst thing about a shiny new Windows PC or laptop? In our estimation, it's the seemingly inevitable glut of bloatware that's pre-loaded by the manufacturer. Some are bigger culprits than others, but this week, Lenovo - the world's largest PC maker - has faced a backlash after users found adware running on their systems.

The controversial software, dubbed Superfish, has been delivering custom advertisements to web browsers, and has been deemed a serious privacy threat by security experts who have quickly cracked the unwanted software, leaving infected users open to attack.

Lenovo has responded to the trending online outrage by stating that Superfish preloads were stopped in January and has also provided PDF instructions on how to uninstall the software. However, this latest incident raises lasting questions regarding PC bloatware and comes in a year in which Microsoft wants consumers to move from "needing Windows to choosing Windows, to loving Windows."

The most common remedy for bloatware is to 'clean install,' through which Windows is re-installed on the system without any third-party software. The process has become more complicated as many PCs now ship without an optical drive or Windows installation media, and for novice users, a clean install can be daunting endeavour.

That brings us to this week's question, where we're asking: do you 'clean install' Windows on your PC/laptop? Yes or no, let us know your reasons for or against using the comments facility below.



HEXUS Forums :: 64 Comments

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Yes, always. Without preinstalled third-party software Win works better and i don't need that trial antivirus, fake ad-blockerы and battery optimisers :)
I did, but thankfully I had the old system backed up, because apparently Lenovo doesn't put the three actually useful programs on their site for download. -_-
I got a budget Lenovo laptop with Win 8. I wanted to clean install Windows 7 but it turns out Lenovo refused to provide drivers for 7. Since then I won't touch any laptop made by Lenovo.

To answer the question though I will always install fresh, because who knows what crapware the vendor embedded into the Windows install, and uninstalling rarely gets rid of it completely. Mostly it's full of junk apps that either are third party junk or crappy utilities nobody needs. I prefer to choose what goes onto my system.
No. I install Linux
Yep, always format and clean install. I've never left it as it has arrived from the factory. This was way before any spyware revelations.