reformating
 

I don't really have a problem with my computer, other than the fact i find myself reformating a little to much, which gets teadious and annoying. The reason i tend to reformat on a regular basis is because i feel that my computer starts lack performance, and that clean reformat feel is nice.

So basically my question is, what's a good way to keep my computer top notch so reformating isn't really an option unless i desperately feel the need to. Any type advice will work, tweaks, programs, etc..

i know a decent amount about computers so don't spare me any details :)

thanks in advance! if you have any questions just let me know.

also, is there a way i could save my computers status after i do a clean install & install the desired settings & such, so instead of doing a full reformat, i can just pop the cd or whatever in an go from there?

Keep it virus-free and malware-free. Don't install anything unless you're sure that you need it, and that it will uninstall cleanly when you are done. Don't always update to the latest drivers, but stick with stable versions. Keep your drives well-organised and defragged.

That's really all you can do, as far as I know. It's not much help, I'm afraid.
There are applications that can do that, but I think you'd need recordable DVD media in order to have enough space for a decent config these days. Norton Ghost is the one I remember, but I'm not sure if it is still on the market.

Don't download porn!" :)

In addition to Norton Ghost, there's the Acronis line of imaging products. I've never used any of them, but they're pretty popular - maybe even more than Ghost. I've seen torrents of them on NewNova, and you can probably find them elsewhere.

any other program suggestions to keep my pc virus-free and malware-free

I'm currently using Avast! anti-virus and ZoneAlarm Firewall, with a bit of Ad-aware 6 on the side. This has seen me run into no problems so far.

There are more effective programs out there, but this combination works for me.

I use Spybot, Ad-ware 6, and AVG.....I use the first two at least once a week to help clean my system, and I try to use AVG once a month....so far my comp is working fine...can't say the same for my parents comp who use god knows what.