Is it worth reformatting....

leemarkadams · 2006-01-04, 23:08

Hello there, still playing around with the Media Portal on my old desktop, now is it worth me reformatting my HDD and reinstalling windows etc....so that I have a fresh start?

Thanks in advance

Lee

ASiDiE · 2006-01-04, 23:37

I think so... I just reinstalled my HTPC and it's running very smooth! I loaded all the latest drivers, latest software and I am super happy right now. For what ever reason I was getting some studdering on my whole HTPC... it was eaiser for me to reload. It was well worth it in my eyes!

FlipGer · 2006-01-05, 08:37

Hi,

a fresh install of windows often helps, because of all those nifty filters. Be sure to install really only needed filters / codecs and no codec pack. Those can screw up your system.

Flip

Marcusb · 2006-01-05, 09:00

It's only worth formatting if you are not happy with the performance.

For what it's worth, I was getting terrible stuttering and it was driving me crazy. Nothing would fix it.

In the end I tracked it to fragmentation. With NTFS, fragmentation is almost non existant but for some reason DVRMS fragments like crazy.
My recording drive had 98% file fragmentation.
After hours of defrag everything is now back to normal. This is also why reformatting gives such good results too.

It's worth everyone using defrag to analyse their hard drive occasionally.

jawbroken · 2006-01-05, 09:24

Reformatting is useful for other things than fragmentation. Registry bloat, especially, is a major factor in loss of performance in windows.

But yes, defragmenting often is important for performance. Setting up an auto-fragment at a certain time each day/week or when the drive is above a certain amount of fragmentation and is not currently in use. Just have to make sure defragmenting isn't occuring at the same time as recording, as it is rather system intensive (depending on the program used, etc). A program other than the windows defragmenter is much preferred as the windows defragmenter is worthless in my opinion. Slow, poor scheduling options, etc.

wewe · 2006-01-05, 11:13

Hi all,

I don't know about re-formating by I know about re-installing!!!

I was running an MP installation that didn't work good at all. I was hanging and stuttering, it was out of a/v sync very often, the remote was nearly unuseable, scheduling stopped to work and so on. I did tweak everything over and over again.

I was close to give up - I even tried MCE (forgive me for that) :cry:

My installation was a very old one: started with 0.1.3, CVS over and over again, 0.2 over it, CVSes again.

Then I decided to do a complete new installation - without taking any settings over. And ... it works really good now!!

I am on 0.2RC2 CVS from 4thJan. I am really happy now. Even my remote (hauppauge silver) works good now.

Thanks+regards
WeWe

2006-01-04, 23:08	#1 (permalink)
leemarkadams Portal Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 26 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Is it worth reformatting.... Hello there, still playing around with the Media Portal on my old desktop, now is it worth me reformatting my HDD and reinstalling windows etc....so that I have a fresh start? Thanks in advance Lee

2006-01-04, 23:37	#2 (permalink)
ASiDiE Portal Tester Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: USA Age: 32 Posts: 891 Thanks: 6 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts My System	I think so... I just reinstalled my HTPC and it's running very smooth! I loaded all the latest drivers, latest software and I am super happy right now. For what ever reason I was getting some studdering on my whole HTPC... it was eaiser for me to reload. It was well worth it in my eyes! __________________ I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE!

2006-01-05, 11:13	#6 (permalink)
wewe Portal Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Herxheim Age: 47 Posts: 359 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	re-installing instead of re-formating Hi all, I don't know about re-formating by I know about re-installing!!! I was running an MP installation that didn't work good at all. I was hanging and stuttering, it was out of a/v sync very often, the remote was nearly unuseable, scheduling stopped to work and so on. I did tweak everything over and over again. I was close to give up - I even tried MCE (forgive me for that) :cry: My installation was a very old one: started with 0.1.3, CVS over and over again, 0.2 over it, CVSes again. Then I decided to do a complete new installation - without taking any settings over. And ... it works really good now!! I am on 0.2RC2 CVS from 4thJan. I am really happy now. Even my remote (hauppauge silver) works good now. Thanks+regards WeWe __________________ Hard: ASUS K8M-VX, Sempron 3100+, MSI NX6200AX-TD256, Spinpoint SP2004C, WinTV PVR 150, MCE Remote + Keyboard / Soft: Win XP MCE, MP 0.2.1.0

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2006-01-05, 08:37	#3 (permalink)
FlipGer Super Moderator Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Leipzig, Germany Age: 33 Posts: 2,282 Thanks: 33 Thanked 55 Times in 41 Posts Country: My System	Hi, a fresh install of windows often helps, because of all those nifty filters. Be sure to install really only needed filters / codecs and no codec pack. Those can screw up your system. Flip

2006-01-05, 09:00	#4 (permalink)
Marcusb Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,957 Thanks: 71 Thanked 28 Times in 28 Posts Country: My System	It's only worth formatting if you are not happy with the performance. For what it's worth, I was getting terrible stuttering and it was driving me crazy. Nothing would fix it. In the end I tracked it to fragmentation. With NTFS, fragmentation is almost non existant but for some reason DVRMS fragments like crazy. My recording drive had 98% file fragmentation. After hours of defrag everything is now back to normal. This is also why reformatting gives such good results too. It's worth everyone using defrag to analyse their hard drive occasionally.

2006-01-05, 09:24	#5 (permalink)
jawbroken Portal Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 23 Posts: 707 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts My System	Reformatting is useful for other things than fragmentation. Registry bloat, especially, is a major factor in loss of performance in windows. But yes, defragmenting often is important for performance. Setting up an auto-fragment at a certain time each day/week or when the drive is above a certain amount of fragmentation and is not currently in use. Just have to make sure defragmenting isn't occuring at the same time as recording, as it is rather system intensive (depending on the program used, etc). A program other than the windows defragmenter is much preferred as the windows defragmenter is worthless in my opinion. Slow, poor scheduling options, etc.