Win7 Restore backup or fresh install?

[scar69]

Hello,
I currently have Win7 64 HE installed on a OCZ Vertex Gen 1 SSD. Lately it has been acting very sluggish and shutdowns take a few minutes. My question is should I do a quick format and reinstall from a system backup image or just do a complete fresh reinstall? Thanks

 

[brkkab123]

Try running Disk Cleanup and scanning for malware first. If any malware is found remove it. Then run Disk Defragmenter to defrag your hard drive. If it still seems sluggish make sure all your drivers are updated.If none of those steps improve your hard drive/ pc's performance, then do a clean install.

 

[davehc]

Also look in Msconfig - startup tab.
Many third party progs dump there .exes in there. As most of them will run manually, this is not neccessary. Particular offenders are Itunes and various extra "bars" for browsers. Some are update checkers. If you are happy with these (Java :Adobe..), then leave them, otherwise untick them. They can all be run manually.
I am possibly on the sharp edge with this. The only programs I have in there which run on startup is my antivirus program and Printer monitor.