Vista Clean Install = Not So Clean

[Deleted member 169154]

Last week I installed Vista using a clean install. In the Vista installation setup I deleted the entire hard drive, formatted it, and installed Vista. I noticed it didn’t have the same performance that a fresh install of XP had, moreso than I assumed a performance hit from Vista would make (I use an OC’ed C2D @3 GHz, 4 GB Ram, raptor HD).

My theory is because it wasn’t fully reformatted. Like in XP, when running from the CD, you go through all the blue screens, click delete partition, non-quick format, and then it takes a long time saying “formatting”, and then after it spends 1-2 hours formatting, it then installs XP. In Vista. I clicked delete partition, it said deleted, and then went straight to the installation, and completely skipped the long formatting process.

I also noticed when running Vista that my hard drive ALWAYS seemed to be accessing something when using Vista. I would like to discover a way to FULLY reformat Vista and not their crappy version saying it is reformatted and then finding it doesn’t seem to be.

 

[jackofalltrades]

Look up bootit next generation in google and download the cd version iso burn it when you boot the cd bypass the install by saying no when it asks to install it will then give you the ability to access the partitions and you can format a bunch of ways fairly quick and then tell it to reboot put in the vista cd and let it format it however it wants there will be nothing left from the earlier install it even gives you the option to secure wipe the drive {time consuming}

 

[BinarySynapse]

What you're experiencing is Vista's self optimization and indexing routines. It's normal. And yes, it will be slower for about the first week or two. Then it'll quicken up quite considerably.

I personally don't think a full format is always necessary. All that needs to be wiped is the file system structures and their copies. All links to the existing files and their data is then gone and really can't interfere with the normal operation of the OS. Exceptions of course would be virii and security.

 

[DeaconFrost]

It's amazing how many threads are created on this very issue. You'd think people would be aware of the self-optimization, since it's one of the primary benefits that would lead someone to use Vista. Maybe a sticky is in order?

 

[Deleted member 169154]

This post was actually more about why does Vista not do a good reformat.

 

[DeaconFrost]

This post was actually more about why does Vista not do a good reformat.

What makes you think Vista didn't do a good job with the formatting? You mentioned installing XP, but am I understanding that you've skipped the quick format each and everytime in XP? You really only need to do the full format if you feel there's a need to scan and check the drive before hand. If it's a known working drive, there's no reason to waste all that time. That's why the quick format was put into XP as an option, so you can quickly clear the drive for a new install.

 

[Ranma_Sao]

This post was actually more about why does Vista not do a good reformat.

Well, what does a good format look like?

Wipe all the data off the drive?

Re-evaluate all the clusters and test them?

What are you looking for?

Vista blows away the Allocation tables and recreates them. I guarantee that's a good format. (Not a Secure Format) Now, Vista doesn't verify that all the clusters are not erroring when formatting. If you want that feature, perhaps you shouldn't install the O/S to that volume.

But seriously, why the Setup defaults to quick format is for one reason, and one reason only. Time. Doing a full format on 1TB hard disks takes awhile, and very few people want to wait to wait several hours (Seen it take a day in my testing) formatting a volume before they can use their new O/S. This was actually one of the features I pushed for, because testing O/S setups and waiting on a full format were adding days to my test passes.

As to your concern that a quick format isn't a real format, the O/S doesn't care. The volume has a brand new Allocation Table, and is pristine and ready to party.

(Now, in Windows XP with quick format, you can do some pretty trippy stuff with Software Raids and quick format, but if you do that and then lose data, it's your own fault for doing trippy stuff)

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Catweazle]

This post was actually more about why does Vista not do a good reformat.

The answers were about that too. They've indicated that your assumption was incorrect, and that a "bad format" didn't actually occur. Feeling a little insecure because you didn't see that lengthy 'full format' occur? then rest assured. The 'Quick format' and 'Full format' procedures you've been used to seeing are actually both EXACTLY the same thing with respect to the actual 'formatting'. Both simply remove the file table and create a new, empty one. The difference with the 'Full format' is that it also does a disk checkm which is kinda useless if you already know that the disk is in good shape. Neither option actually 'removes' the previous contents from the drive. Only the use of a 'zero-fill' tool will do that

Your Vista install is fine. Depending upon what you do on it and how much you use it the thing can take days, weeks or even longer to 'settle in and settle down'. It is optimising itself, basically. The old notion that 'a clean install is the most efficient install' is now a thing of the past, in the Windows world at least!



Edit: Beaten, sorta, and that was a good explanation too, Ranma_Sao