Clean re-install or Reformat

I am new here and nervous because I dont want to sound dumb but here goes: I have a Dell (dont laugh) about 4-5 years old and it has been shutting down on me. Example: I turn it on in the morning I may go to use it an hour later, the green lights are on both tower and monitor telling me its ready to be used. I use the mouse or hit any button or space bar and it is froze? I have to do a shut off with the power button on tower to get it going again, walk away for half an hour same thing happens.

I have run every test you can think of, no virus, no malware, etc. Once I am on it runs for a while then frezes up.

I was told to do a clean install or Reformat.

I need to know which I should do? I dont know how to reformat. I know I need to back up my picturs and etc, before clean install.

Will these things work or is the PC just wearing out?

Also if I do a clean install and go into Facebook, where I have some games going, am I going to lose what I have in the games and have to start over/
Sorry this is so long but I am not very good about explaining things.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Pat

 

First of all, don't worry about asking a 'dumb' question as none of us were born with a keyboard up our butts either. One has to learn by asking questions.

A clean install or a reformat are the same thing and assumes a software issue and to me is a last resort. Yes, back-up your stuff ASAP (you should do that anyways to CD/DVD on a regular basis).

Since your machine is getting on in years, I would first think of 'dust bunnies' clogging up your fans and thereby things are getting hot. Run OCCT and see how fast the temperatures rise, it makes realtime graphs and saves them continuously, you can then post a summary for us.

If your machine dies due to heat then open the case up and use canned gas to blow the stuff out, have a vacuum cleaner close by to catch the stuff. Then visually verify that all fans are spinning. Everyone has to do that eventually unless you have a HEPA A/C unit and even then.

Then it could be your power supply at fault, OCCT will give you that too.

Let us know the exact model of your Dell, that will help us know if it gets too hot. If not, then we move on.

 

Remember, a repair will get you back to your initial SP level, and you'll have to re-install all the updates.