Does Windows rot over time?

[Chris_F]

The windows registry is possibly the worst idea ever. I think it's one of the top five reasons why Windows is a bad operating system.

 

[Quailane]

One thing that helps is the spybot S&D resident. Everytime something tries to make a registry change it asks if you want to allow it. Most of it I deny because it is just crap.

 

[Captain Newbie]

The windows registry is possibly the worst idea ever. I think it's one of the top five reasons why Windows is a bad operating system.

I disagree. I think that, on paper, a central repository of configuration information is a Good Idea, but in practice, it just doesn't work. I'd rather have a whole bunch of .conf files than how the registry is on Windows.

 

[Chris_F]

I disagree. I think that, on paper, a central repository of configuration information is a Good Idea, but in practice, it just doesn't work. I'd rather have a whole bunch of .conf files than how the registry is on Windows.

The problem is that the registry is a crucial part of the operating system and that ANY program can do WHATEVER it wants to it. That's what causes the registry to get ****ed so much.

When you install a program it likes to make a whole bunch of edits to the registry and then when you uninstall that program it doesn't fix the registry.

That's why linux (or just about any other OS) is so much better IMO.

One thing that helps is the spybot S&D resident. Everytime something tries to make a registry change it asks if you want to allow it. Most of it I deny because it is just crap.

Yeah, but most of those Spyware apps and AV's are resource hogs because they are always scanning and checking. It would be better if you didn't need one in the first place.

 

[Captain Newbie]

The problem is that the registry is a crucial part of the operating system and that ANY program can do WHATEVER it wants to it. That's what causes the registry to get ****ed so much.

When you install a program it likes to make a whole bunch of edits to the registry and then when you uninstall that program it doesn't fix the registry.

That's why linux (or just about any other OS) is so much better IMO.

This comes back to an issue I outlined above--Windows was never originally built with any notion of restricted access or priveleges. If you wisely restricted access to a registry, it'd be better. (But they don't, so it's a moot point.)

 

[fhanderson]

I've been running XP on my workstation for 3 years without any problems. This system doesn't get a lot of changes to the setup. My wifes computer has been installed 4 times in 2 years primarily due to the spyware she constantly downloads.

 

[Quest For Speed]

Windows works great if you only install a few programs and never change anything. Frequent install/uninstall of programs creat too many problems with the registry.

 

[jajmon]

ok - I 'skimmed' thru this post. I maintain 4 XP boxes in my houshold and 2@work, along with w2k and w2k3 servers@work. But the jist of this thread is the 'home' system as I gather. As far as those that posted as to having to re-install xp every 1-2months - you have a problem. The 4 xp systems I have at home (actually 2@college, 2@home) have been running for THREE years w/o ANY issues. NO need to REINSTALL EVERY 1-2 MONTHS. So what does that tell you? If you can't keep a stable install - then you are doing something wrong. I think the problem, like others have posted, is the the USER. Clicky Clicky on everything, using IE and OE, 'what's a antivirus program' , not having virus defs up to date, not having their OS patched (what is windows update?)OH I want to see pictures of so and so from an email, click here. Like someone posted about buying a refrigerater and plugging it in and just having it work, that is just the type of mentality that the 'common' pc user expects. They are not educated or care to be. they just go on their merry way an clicky clicky and all of a sudden their pc is messed up, to the point that many actually thro them in the trash and buy another, cause the other one was 'broken' and a POS because of Windows.

To end this, if you have to install windows every 1-2 months - YOU HAVE A PROBLEM


PS - I didn't vote because there wasn't section for 'Stupid End User'
PSS - I run Linux and BSD also for those that are campaining for those OS's

 

[jajmon]

Windows is very susceptible to viruses and spyware. The windows registry is susceptible to getting ****ed by viruses and when you install and uninstall a lot of software. Before you know it windows takes 5x longer to load then it did before, task manager shows you have 200 processes running and you can't even open a program without the computer bluescreening.

It's the same story every time.

If you know what your doing you can try your best to maintain windows but you usually cave in and decide to wipe the dang thing and reinstall it.

I have 34 processes running on a 3 year install of XP. If you have 200 running and have to install every 1-2 months,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,USER?

 

[Super Nade]

ok - I 'skimmed' thru this post. I maintain 4 XP boxes in my houshold and 2@work, along with w2k and w2k3 servers@work. But the jist of this thread is the 'home' system as I gather. As far as those that posted as to having to re-install xp every 1-2months - you have a problem. The 4 xp systems I have at home (actually 2@college, 2@home) have been running for THREE years w/o ANY issues. NO need to REINSTALL EVERY 1-2 MONTHS. So what does that tell you? If you can't keep a stable install - then you are doing something wrong. I think the problem, like others have posted, is the the USER. Clicky Clicky on everything, using IE and OE, 'what's a antivirus program' , not having virus defs up to date, not having their OS patched (what is windows update?)OH I want to see pictures of so and so from an email, click here. Like someone posted about buying a refrigerater and plugging it in and just having it work, that is just the type of mentality that the 'common' pc user expects. They are not educated or care to be. they just go on their merry way an clicky clicky and all of a sudden their pc is messed up, to the point that many actually thro them in the trash and buy another, cause the other one was 'broken' and a POS because of Windows.

To end this, if you have to install windows every 1-2 months - YOU HAVE A PROBLEM


PS - I didn't vote because there wasn't section for 'Stupid End User'
PSS - I run Linux and BSD also for those that are campaining for those OS's

Mate,

I made this poll with an ernest belief that I'm not a stupid end user. So the whole virus/spyware/external crap issue doesn't affect me. As I have mentioned in an earlier post, system stability was tested on a seperate drive meant for this very purpose. Also, any member of these forums is intelligent enough not get themselves infected by spyware and take basic precautions. So those issues are irrelevent AFA I'm concerned.

 

[Enablingwolf]

What I have come across most the time is driver issues, and improper configurations. Wether it be software bieng coded to take action in certains parts of any hive or other parts of the OS. Seems alot of software (devs) think it is the only thing installed or will be used. Guess it is part of life using a computer/.

I usually can track down an issue and repair it. Since I built this machine in Febuary I run into a few issues, but only reinstalled Windows twice. One was for.. old habit I guess. I had no reason other than it sounded fun at the time. The other was I was going in a total different storage direction. I felt I had a better chance of a stable RAID0 if I was going into a blank slate.

I have run into many driver issues along the way. Even a few boo boos on my part. So far my rig is as stable and believe it or not faster than when I laid down my last install. I kind of cheat though (in the spirit of S_N's question/poll) I use imaging to back up prior to a major change or experiment. I can recover much faster and easier if I use this tool. For a question of Windows rotting over time. I believe it is additional software and updating drivers hosing the responce time of the software we call Windows. Windows, if well cared for and fed well is a stable OS for the most part. By the time you realize what is slowing down the OS you have passed many things and forget the very minor details of what you might have done. I have done that many times over the years.

My current install is at a normal slowdown since I expect certain elelments that are added to the boot to take some time to load while windows is starting. I actually expect some things to slow my compter down by nanoseconds or something like that. Add up a bunch of them and you start to notice. One of the things I hate about any computer is the methotical searching for a minor issue jamming up parts of the rig.

 

[MRD]

It's mostly basic design issues. Windows simply is not designed for long term stability. However, its ubiquity on the desktop and very poor default level of security have made it an easy target for lots of 3rd party spyware/viruses that accelerate its demise.

You can also argue about what is user error. I do think that a very savvy user can maintain a fairly stable Win 2K/XP box, but the level of effort and knowledge required makes me wonder at what point it's user error and what point it's just poor design. Sure, if you're a really good driver and never get into any accidents a Ford Pinto is a safe car, but I still think there are fundamentally design flaws with it, as if you hit it at the wrong angle, it blows up. Windows is sort of like that. An OS shouldn't be that difficult to make secure/stable, and should not be that insecure/unstable by default.

At least it's better than Windows ME, which had an MTBF (mean time between failures) of 6.4 seconds.

 

[Enablingwolf]

It's mostly basic design issues. Windows simply is not designed for long term stability. *snipped*

You can also argue about what is user error. I do think that a very savvy user can maintain a fairly stable Win 2K/XP box, but the level of effort and knowledge required makes me wonder at what point it's user error and what point it's just poor design. *snipped* Windows is sort of like that. An OS shouldn't be that difficult to make secure/stable, and should not be that insecure/unstable by default.

Minus the very known and obvious design faults. If Windows were to have a custom logging feature for a savvy user to read the logs and return to a stable state Windows would be a great OS (or at least better). Will this happen... I believe it will never happen. If it came into fruition, would it be a hog, probally. I agree with your statments fundamentaly. Even though we have disagreed in the past. You have come close to what I have noticed since... well years ago.

When XP was still Whistler, I read about the Raw Sockets and was horrified. I still believe this is the neatest feature, but the biggest downfall and what makes a modern Windows so darn picky in how it runs.

Windows is a street walker in a wild side of town. By default it is open for anyone to have a party, but at a price. Anyone can have fun with it, but are you going to get a little something for your time while using it?
Since this is a Windows thread I will not toss in a Linux anology.

 

[Contra]

windows like anyother program doesnt rot (or go bad)


like any other program YOU make it go bad by removing,deleteing,moving programs and downloading viruses





(i know no one thinks they get viruses with a virus scanner

but i dont wanna explain how you are wrong)

if left alone as long as the HDD didnt fall apart then the O/S would last many ,many,many years right?

so that is your answer

 

[Lionsault_100]

i used to be on a format cycle of every 30 days or so on my OS drive, and keep important stuff on my storage drive, but i've been on a pretty good roll with this install going strong since mid summer. i think of your system is powerful enough it can absorb any "rotting"

 

[Chris_F]

If you can't keep a stable install - then you are doing something wrong.

First of all, I over exaggerated my post. Second of all, I didn't say I had to reformat 1-2 month because it became unstable, but rather to keep windows running just as good as a newly installed version of windows.

If you have a install that's been running for 3 years and is "stable", good for you. Here's a cookie. Chances are there's a lot more that's wrong with it then you know. "Stable" could mean anything. You could have hordes of spyware, a tattered registry and an overall slow system and it still be "stable".

Like I said before you don't have that problem with something like Linux. You could run it for years and still have the same exact operating system you had before.

if left alone as long as the HDD didnt fall apart then the O/S would last many ,many,many years right?

Not necessarily. There are enough security holes that as long as it had an internet connection it could mess it's self up on it's own.

 

[Contra]

First of all, I over exaggerated my post. Second of all, I didn't say I had to reformat 1-2 month because it became unstable, but rather to keep windows running just as good as a newly installed version of windows.

If you have a install that's been running for 3 years and is "stable", good for you. Here's a cookie. Chances are there's a lot more that's wrong with it then you know. "Stable" could mean anything. You could have hordes of spyware, a tattered registry and an overall slow system and it still be "stable".

Like I said before you don't have that problem with something like Linux. You could run it for years and still have the same exact operating system you had before.


Not necessarily. There are enough security holes that as long as it had an internet connection it could mess it's self up on it's own.

but we are talking about outside influence'


what i mean is that the O/S doesnt fall apart on its own YOU or A Hacker

make is screw up

although i must admit Windows doesnt seem to stand up as well as Linux

it isnt because the O/S is Crap (although it is)

it is human error EVERY TIME

 

[Audioaficionado]

Mate,

I made this poll with an ernest belief that I'm not a stupid end user. So the whole virus/spyware/external crap issue doesn't affect me. As I have mentioned in an earlier post, system stability was tested on a seperate drive meant for this very purpose. Also, any member of these forums is intelligent enough not get themselves infected by spyware and take basic precautions. So those issues are irrelevent AFA I'm concerned.

Most if not all my problems with windows XP has been through damage done by poorly written third party apps. Windows also dosen't make it easy to find the problems either so you are pretty much on your own.

Heavy gaming with lots of crashes and continuous installing and uninstalling chews up windows the fastest.

Virii, bots, worms, and spyware are no brainers that all of us should be savvy enough to keep off our systems.

 

[Chris_F]

Most if not all my problems with windows XP has been through damage done by poorly written third party apps.

That's still a problem with the operating system though. It shouldn't allow 3rd party apps to screw your computer up and then not give you any information which could be used to fix the problem.

Window's (IMO) is a bunch of smoke and mirrors. The thing is the mirrors shatter, give you 7 years of bad luck and the smoke gives you cancer.

Windows is a great OS or Windows is a crap OS. Whatever the case I couldn't stand it any longer so now I do just about everything on Linux. The only thing I keep windows around for is games like BF2 and CS:S. I've installed a program similar to deep freeze which totally restores my windows partition to the way I want it so I know longer have a problem with windows screwing it's self over.

 

[MRD]

it is human error EVERY TIME

It's not fair to place all the blame on human error. An OS should be reasonably robust and resistant to ill effects of human error. Windoze is not. That's an OS flaw, even if that flaw is only revealed in the presence of certain human behaviors.

Obviously, no OS can be infinitely user-proof. If you take a debian stable linux box and immerse it in your swimming pool, it will stop working. However, windows is so easy to corrupt, which is a flaw.

if left alone as long as the HDD didnt fall apart then the O/S would last many ,many,many years right?

If you turn the computer off, put it in a hermetically sealed room, and never, ever touch it, it should still work in 10 years, just as well as when you installed it. This is probably true. That doesn't make all the problems user error. Normal use should not result in rot, or the OS is defective. Normal use in windows does result in rot, so windows is defective.