Should I re-install Windows 7?

[IrishAyes]

5. Thanks. Yes, it's a lappie and the fans do work; I don't want W8 but will take it if a W7 reinstall

doesn't do any good. If the latter, I'll have to take W8 on a new machine, however. No point in throwing good $ after bad. Handy as I am with squeezing the last bit of utility from legacy hardware, eventually it always triumphs and I must bow to the march of 'progress'.

Should I be forced into buying a new machine with 8 and the OS proves as awful as I've heard, do you think I should use my 7 disk on that and revert? Exactly what would I save to thumb drive in case that didn't work and I needed 8 back?

Incidentally, I received notice of a reply from one of those rare DUers I have on ignore. It takes an awful lot to push me into that step. When someone on that list tries to contact me for whatever reason afterward, don't they know they're on ignore? If so, why bother?