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[Acperience]

I'm currently using Windows 7 Premium on my desktop which I've had for almost 2 years. Over this time it's gotten bogged down with useless programs and add-ons that I don't use or can't find anymore or are outdated.

Therefore I'm preparing to wipe everything clean and replace the OS with Ubuntu.
However I can't decide if I should replace the OS completely or partition Win7.

The main point of me even wanting to install a new OS is because of all the bloat I've loaded windows with. In the task manager I can see dozens of process that perform functions I have no knowledge of and random files and folders everywhere on my harddrive.

Currently I am leaning towards replacement.
-Most of my activity on the desktop is web browsing and gaming.
-My graphics card is quite good and I'm not sure if it will be fully compatible with Ubuntu. I plan on installing Envy, which should take care of any problems with that.
-I know that I can use Wine to run games that are native to windows, but I'm not sure how well the games perform. I'm very much looking forward to Diablo 3 and GuildWars 2 and if I replace Win7 with Ubuntu I MUST be able to run at least those two games at decent settings without errors or lag.

If I do end up partitioning or even staying with Windows and not installing Ubuntu, I need to know how to "clean" windows to wipe the slate clean and return it to it's pristine, unbloated status. (which is why I'm doing this at all)



So what should I do? Replace, partition, or stay (I would need advice on how to "clean" windows)

[Fenrir]

You can have both. Dual boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

Remember to back up your computer with a system image through Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore > Create a System Image.

It is a coincidence that I should see this topic now, as I am watching over such a backup in preparation to install Ubuntu to dual boot on my sister's computer. I recently managed to convert her; which came as something of a surprise.

[Acperience]

You can have both. Dual boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

Remember to back up your computer with a system image through Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore > Create a System Image.

It is a coincidence that I should see this topic now, as I am watching over such a backup in preparation to install Ubuntu to dual boot on my sister's computer. I recently managed to convert her; which came as something of a surprise.

How is dual booting different from keeping windows and installing Ubuntu onto a partition?
To clarify, the ONLY reason I would even consider keeping windows is to run games. It literally has nothing desirable for me except compatibility. I was wondering how stable Wine and Envy are.

[Fenrir]

I am sorry. That is exactly what it is, so obviously I misunderstood you. Reading your post again makes me realize that you want to clean Windows, which, beyond going through by hand and uninstalling and deleting everything (which does not repair the mysterious registry), I have no idea how to do that. Well, someone with more computer savvy and reading comprehension skill will probably be here before long. I hope you get it sorted, Acperience.

Anti-ninja-edit edit: I do not use it much, but, with WINE, your mileage may vary, as they say. WineHQ (http://appdb.winehq.org/index.php) keeps track of how well different games run, but, obviously, there are no guarantees for games that are not out yet.

[Acperience]

I am sorry. That is exactly what it is, so obviously I misunderstood you. Reading your post again makes me realize that you want to clean Windows, which, beyond going through by hand and uninstalling and deleting everything (which does not repair the mysterious registry), I have no idea how to do that. Well, someone with more computer savvy and reading comprehension skill will probably be here before long. I hope you get it sorted, Acperience.

No problem I reworded the original post to try to prevent misunderstandings.

[freeformschooler]

I am sorry. That is exactly what it is, so obviously I misunderstood you. Reading your post again makes me realize that you want to clean Windows, which, beyond going through by hand and uninstalling and deleting everything (which does not repair the mysterious registry), I have no idea how to do that. Well, someone with more computer savvy and reading comprehension skill will probably be here before long. I hope you get it sorted, Acperience.

Do what he said, and additionally, defrag everything real fast and then let CCleaner clean absolutely everything else for you.

[Acperience]

I am sorry. That is exactly what it is, so obviously I misunderstood you. Reading your post again makes me realize that you want to clean Windows, which, beyond going through by hand and uninstalling and deleting everything (which does not repair the mysterious registry), I have no idea how to do that. Well, someone with more computer savvy and reading comprehension skill will probably be here before long. I hope you get it sorted, Acperience.

Do what he said, and additionally, defrag everything real fast and then let CCleaner clean absolutely everything else for you.

I defrag monthly and I already use ccleaner weekly.

Is there an option on ccleaner for basically "delete everything"?
I would also need to know how to revert changes I made to windows Services and to get rid of superfluous  Host processes and Containers I see on task manager.

[ein]

You should be able to clean it by moving all of your vital Windows files onto a new partition and wiping clean the partition without Windows stuff.
Wipe Program Files and run some malware scans, too.
I use WinDirStat too look at how my drive is going.
If your computer is bogged down, you don't need a new operating system.

[Gunner-Chan]

In before "OMG ITS FENRIR."

[Acperience]

You should be able to clean it by moving all of your vital Windows files onto a new partition and wiping clean the partition without Windows stuff.
Wipe Program Files and run some malware scans, too.
I use WinDirStat too look at how my drive is going.
If your computer is bogged down, you don't need a new operating system.

At this point I no longer know what are "vital windows files"

Maybe it'll run faster if I delete the system32 folder

[Fenrir]

I found it.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Choosing-an-advanced-recovery-method

Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore > Recover system settings or your computer > Advanced recovery methods > Return your computer to factory condition

[Acperience]

I found it.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Choosing-an-advanced-recovery-method

Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore > Recover system settings or your computer > Advanced recovery methods > Return your computer to factory condition

Might do this then dual boot.
Wine runs things poorly.

[Darkmere]

Not sure if you've made your decision yet, but for what it's worth, don't completely drop windows if you're interested in gaming. Ubuntu wasn't the distro I used, so I can't speak to that, but WINE was never anything but a headache for me, except the rare occasion where someone was using my distro with my hardware in the game I wanted to play, otherwise it was an endless stream of migraines.

[ILikePie]

Linux is a terrible gaming platform, do not use it as a desktop if what you're looking for is a Windows "replacement."

[Another]

Linux is not a gaming platform at all. Wine is.

So far I had several occasions where running an .exe through Wine was far more straightforward than installing a linux-native version of the same. With certain class of programs from the 95-2000 era with right configuration it is even more compatible than modern Windows versions.

In general the more obscure the program or the hardware is and the more complex functions it performs - the less compatibility with Wine there is. One more rule of thumb is if both Win and Mac versions are available than the developers bothered to clean most of win-specific idiosyncrasies from their code and Windows version will most likely work on Wine out of the box. The FPSs will be lower for everything not using OpenGL (e.g. Win version of D3 will be DirectX only).

If you are planning on playing relatively popular mainstream games on a not very exotic hardware - Wine support for them is guaranteed to be a priority for Wine developers. I would still recommend keeping your Windows install on a small partition in the corner of your drive just in case.

P.S. Does anyone have an example of a Windows game not working at all with all Wine versions? I am sure there are some out there but can anyone name one?