OS Degradation

[smokingbevel]

According to my limited understanding, "OS Degradation" is a catch phrase which refers to the process by which an operating System (Windows) ages or degrades over time due to a flaw in design which allows fragments of previously installed programs (system .dlls, registry keys, etc.) to accumulate and slow down normal operation. The more commonly frustrating cure, involves a total reinstallation and possibly a disk format. Obviously, this solution can hardly be considered convenient as it may require a large time cost if an extensive back-up procedure is employed. As I sit here contemplating the roughly 800mb size of the bloated system directories on this Windows 2000 PC, I can't help but wonder whether or not there is a suitable utility available which turns back the clock.
Note that I am not merely seeking a tool which manipulates the registry. I am already aware of the benefits of using such tools. I am more interested in finding a tool which removes "idle" system files. I know I'm not the only one that suffers from this ailment propagated by Microsoft engineers and irresponsible developers. In my short time observing, I have noted there is a high probability that Zeropaid has a particularily tech-savvy foundation beneath its exterior. I hoping that there is knowledge of and experience with the requested utilities or techniques, and that, by some small chance, individuals will share tips, suggestions and recommendations.

[kiwibank]

According to my limited understanding, "OS Degradation" is a catch phrase which refers to the process by which an operating System (Windows) ages or degrades over time due to a flaw in design which allows fragments of previously installed programs (system .dlls, registry keys, etc.) to accumulate and slow down normal operation. The more commonly frustrating cure, involves a total reinstallation and possibly a disk format. Obviously, this solution can hardly be considered convenient as it may require a large time cost if an extensive back-up procedure is employed. As I sit here contemplating the roughly 800mb size of the bloated system directories on this Windows 2000 PC, I can't help but wonder whether or not there is a suitable utility available which turns back the clock.
Note that I am not merely seeking a tool which manipulates the registry. I am already aware of the benefits of using such tools. I am more interested in finding a tool which removes "idle" system files. I know I'm not the only one that suffers from this ailment propagated by Microsoft engineers and irresponsible developers. In my short time observing, I have noted there is a high probability that Zeropaid has a particularily tech-savvy foundation beneath its exterior. I hoping that there is knowledge of and experience with the requested utilities or techniques, and that, by some small chance, individuals will share tips, suggestions and recommendations.

have you tried xplite which is similar to 98lite but adapted for 2000/xp. i`ve tried..it works quite well.


"The latest developments in XPLite now see clean installations of Windows XP in under 350MB and Windows 2000 approaching less than 200 MB (excluding paging file) with much smaller memory requirements...

http://www.litepc.com/xplite.html



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on zeropaid, it pays to be "flame resistant". it`s a matter of survival.

[Krell]

I hoping that there is knowledge of and experience with the requested utilities or techniques, and that, by some small chance, individuals will share tips, suggestions and recommendations.


yah I got yer tech savvy foundations right here . .. .. .



Well first of all, this is a highly hypocritical hypothesis. This is not a design flaw, OS are NOT made to be bullet proof, or to survive years of installing every fucking program you can get your hands on.

The OS does what it is supposed to do, manage your apps as a platform that you can understand and manipulate, youre your own worst enemy.

If you dont want bloat, stop installing, and clean on a regular basis, and if anyone here suggests installing MORE software still to compansate for poor PC maintainance, I will swiftly kick you right in the nuts!

This thread is a dog chasin its tail. Get a decent OS and apps built up, back it up or burn a restore image, THEN you can fuck around with all the BS you can find on BT, god bless you and your mum.




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[Black Beard]

Yo, I'm with Krell on this one (although I hope he's not implying 2000 is an inadequate OS??). It took me a few reinstalls to learn from my newby mistakes, but currently my XP home has been up for 18 months and the windows system folder itself is currently at 1.2 gig - which makes it only about 100mb bigger than a clean install if memory serves me correctly.

In the past, and due to poor software management I have had a XP system folder blow out to 2.8gig.

But I guess as long as there are computer users out there who insist on downloading everything they can get their hands on and installing demos and freeware without considering the consequences - there's always going to be a market for applications which claim to clean up after sloppy users.

I mean lets be realistic - there are people sitting at computers right now opening attachments on emails from people they don't know..... what hope have we got of educating these people on the benefits of file management and defragmenting.

[smokingbevel]

Well first of all, this is a highly hypocritical hypothesis. This is not a design flaw, OS are NOT made to be bullet proof, or to survive years of installing every fucking program you can get your hands on.I may have inaccurately labeled the problem as OS design-specific. When I did so, I was primarily making a reference to the implementation of the .dll system.

Although, clearly I am ultimately responsible for the clutter on the system, I was often fastidious in my software installation choices. In certain cases, it would seem that an application must be first installed and tried before a conclusion can be made concerning its true value and usefulness. Overtime fragments from past installations have accumulated. Am I the architect of an uninstallation/installation process which leaves fragments of the program on the system? Is the FULL removal of a program and its components on "uninstall" to much to ask? I must admit that I'm suprised that some find this acceptable. I am not, however, at all surprised at the actual number of those who agree with Krell.
I don't think I'll ever expect a Microsoft product to be bulletproof.
Krell, what do you consider a decent OS to be?

[smokingbevel]

Shit. I placed this thread in the wrong forum.

[The Hunter]

You did, I never noticed.