A lot of different sources suggest, as the final solution to any issues you’re currently having, the reinstallation of the operating system (or factory reset of a smartphone, full wiping,…).
Sure, that’s the final solution if you don’t want to even start understanding why something is not working, and it could be the right solution if you don’t care about the data you could lose together with the installation, or if you do not have a lot of customizations running, but guess what? Chance is that at some point, while restoring the system to his previous state, the same conditions that caused the first malfunction will recur, catapulting you back to the beginning.
If you’re reading this, you’re possibly willing to better your knowledge of the OS involved and tinkering with it. Keep in mind that if you’re learning something about it, next time it will be easy to understand and solve a problem, you will also be faster at moving around and testing things.
“Clean” images and backups.
Do you already have an image of your disk with a clean installation? No more data to backup before wiping everything? No customizations done after image creation or new applications installed? Hardware changes?
Image creation is optimal for companies were you have a lot of machines with the same exact configuration, or servers where is easy to schedule incremental backups and there aren’t a lot of modifications going on, but is not always good for small firms or personal use. Keep also in mind the time needed to create the images every time a substantial change occurs in your system.
Solving the problems
Today, even in Windows OS, almost any software issue can be solved, you just have to start digging in the right direction. For Linux and generally Unix-based OSes it’s practically impossible to get to a problematic condition that can only be solved by a new, clean installation. The Win95 era, when after the wrong driver and a pair of uninstalls wasn’t possible to clean up the mess, is almost finished.
You biggest friend here is The Internet, there’s an high probability that someone else had the same problem and solved it, or is at least able to point you in the right direction.
This is an actions shortlist you can use to diagnose and correct the problems, you can see an ugly flow chart (scanned from cheese paper) representing it on the left:
Diagnostic flow chart for everyone
1. Define the problem (or problems, one at a time)
Is it hardware or software, is it related to what or to which component?
2. Are you able to solve it in an easy manner?
Reinstall a single program, update or replace a driver,…
3. No, let’s get more info, search for it on the net from multiple sources
Follow the leads, search for error messages and codes to better understand them, search for configurations and problems that are similar but maybe spelled differently. Try some diagnostic software (or targeted antivirus, or whatever applies to your case)
4. Are there instructions to solve it and they’re working?
5. No, let’s do some deduction and link the problem to known issues, enlarging the initial search and, if needed, putting some assumptions in place.
6. Further research on the subjects suggested by the previous point. Extrapolate possible solutions and try them.
7. Is the solution working?
8. No, more research on the general subject is needed to have a better understanding of it: do it!
9. Go back to 5 and change the parameters or assumptions as the research suggested
Conclusion.
So it’s a decision between:
1)the time needed to preserve all your data and bring back the system to the same level of functionality, configuration and customization and
2)digging and finding the real problem and solving it.
The choice depends on how much you feel comfortable in learning and understanding the technical issues and solving them and how much you like to (mainly) wait for reinstallation, remembering all the stuff there was, and of course the “backup and restore” of data.
Also, maybe you don’t like redoing the same exact things you’ve done at least once before….
Of course if you don’t have an overall knowledge of hardware and software you cannot start by digging in complex problems, but many common felons, including most spywares, adwares and common viruses, are enemies you can easily tackle.
And next time you’ll be ready for something uglier!