PCbanter - View Single Post - Should I re-install XP Home?

**Ken Blake, MVP[_4_]** · February 25th 14, 11:19 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general

On Tue, 25 Feb 2014 14:41:24 -0600, wrote:

I was given three free computers, which were going to be thrown away.

....

Upon opening XP, I found it loaded with toolbars, and some idiot program
called Bear Share that kept popping up. It also contained a PCTools
program to scan for malware. I ran that, and found 1041 malware issues,
mostly from those toolbars and that Bear Share program. I let the
(outdated) program remove all malware, and then removed all the
toolbars, and that annoying Bear Share program.

Little by little, I've been going thru and removing all sorts of crappy
programs.

....

but that brings up another question. If I do re-install, is there any
way to save some file (which one), so I dont have to re-activate with
MS? I have the registration number and all of that, but I'm on dialup
internet and would prefer to avoid the hassle. Or, would it be better
to just reinstall over the top of what I have now?

XP is pretty new to me, so I'm not sure what to do. I mostly still use
Win98se.

If I acquired a used computer, no matter who previously owned it, the
first thing I would do with it would be to reinstall the operating
system cleanly. You have no idea how the computer has been maintained,
what has been installed incorrectly, what is missing, what viruses and
spyware there may be, etc. I wouldn't want to live with somebody
else's mistakes and problems, possibility of kiddy p0rn, etc., and I
wouldn't recommend that anyone else do so either.

Your choice of course, but in my view, you're playing with fire if you
don't reinstall Windows cleanly.