http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,111652,00.asp
One of my major gripes about the Windows OS is the bland assumption that after using the system for a couple of years, a re-installation to restore stability and function is required. The words I would use to indicate my opinion of this cannot be printed in a posting directed at a professional audience, but they can be categorized as "sulfuric".
The purpose of a computer is to do things, and software and the OS are the means to that end. We should, as a matter of right, be able to install software on a regular basis without having to worry about OS stability. But since we cannot, this detailed article on how to reinstall Windows may prove to be a lifesafer.
Personally, I will accept a lot of instability, because to reinstall and reconfigure my system would take, at a minimum, a man-week, which makes root-canal work without anesthetic during a hurricane while renegotiating your mortgage look pleasant in contrast.
Posted by jho at September 4, 2003 11:00 AM