software rot

Does Installing Lots of Programs Really Mess Up Your PC?

Worried that too many apps will wreck your PC? Learn the real risks, how “software rot” happens, why portable apps aren’t always harmless, and why backups are your best defense.

Why Do You Regularly Reinstall Your System?

With older versions of Windows it wasn’t uncommon to want to reinstall from scratch every so often. Things are better in more recent versions. I’ll explain why someone like me might need to, and why the average computer user probably doesn’t any more.

Does an Unstable System Imply a Hardware Problem?

System instability is often the result of what we call “software rot.” It can be the result of installing and uninstalling lots of programs – and the cure isn’t easy.