Factory reset vs Reinstall

[vesp3r]

Ok so I`ve been wondering which one is the better solution and by better i mean with less effort and time.
Normally when my Windows start working slow and seems heavier than it should be I just move important files from C to D and initiate full reinstall of the OS
However I see more and more people tend to just "reset" to factory settings and so I want to know whats it`s pros and cons.

My current situation is that i have this certain PC at work that uses WinXP and it has a printer connected locally to it. All other computers in the network connect to that printer via this PC, however recently it started running really slow, it was infected by adware and probably other stuff that i still havent detected so i wanted to reinstall it so all buggs and errors go away. But doing so will take alot of my time just to browse the PC and relocate important stuff so I started looking for faster yet efficient solution. Will Factory reset loose my personal files located in the Windows drive or it will simply roll back all settings and drivers back to what they were in the clean install?
Will Factory reset take care of all the issues or my best bet is still clean install?

 

[Christiaan Lourens]

Quickest would always be format if you don't care for what was on the pc.

(Just let it run through your sleep/ while you're at home)

HOWEVER you said you do not want to lose your work files, this means you can't go the quick & easy route.

Download an anti virus program if you don't have one already. I suggest Bitdefender, Kaspersky, AVG, any of those 3 have free versions. Then proceed to download Malwarebytes and after both have been installed do a full scan of the folders you want to keep ( so specify) that way the scan is quick and you get results for what you want ( being able to backup quicker) You should be able to clean/ disinfect your files if they are infected. Now copy them over to another clean drive ( scan it before using it and don't run any .exe files while doing this ) After you made the backup unplug the device you used for backup.

Now you have one of 2 choices either do a full system scan and quarantine what is infected, remove it and clean your system then reinstall whatever you had to delete. OR format the machine from here.

Always have an up to date anti virus on your pc many premium Anti virus software companies include anti malware, email spam and spyware with their software so it's good to pay that $10 for it. Seeing as how important your files are to you, especially if you ever bank on that pc.

I would suggest the cleaning of your documents and files you want to keep, copying them over to an external HDD or device, even a flashdrive if it's not too much. Then formatting the pc it will be the simplest.

 

[vesp3r]

Well it have ESET paid i recently ran MalwareBytes and Hitman Pro to clean it. So far it seems clean... its just that I think registrys are all messed up and also some of the system files so I wanted to know which one is faster (the person using the computer cant afford loosing more than 2-3h w/o working) Normally i would replace the computer with my spare one but its in use atm so i was looking for the fastest way to "refresh" the computer. I also wanted to know more about factory reset as i couldnt find any descent info about what exactly it does

 

[Christiaan Lourens]

How many processes is it running? How many does it need to run?

Remove unwated programs, check if the HDD is fragmented ( if it is not an SSD) like I said I would strongly suggest format after work and by the time you get back tomorrow you just type in a few minor things and it's back up, then just install some software ( takes about 20mins tops if you already downloaded the drivers , software on another storage device today)