>Sometimes I have to reformat a machine due to a nasty virus that's tricky to remove, is the best solution in this case to keep the machine name the same?
I'd give some thought to creating image backups of each new machine, once you've got them set up the way you want. Then, rather than having to reformat and reinstall everything, you just restore the image. In that case, the restored image would have the same machine name.
Windows 7 can create image backups natively. Don't know about Vista; for earlier versions there are both paid and free options.
Regards. Al
"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." -- Isaac Asimov
"Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right." -- Isaac Asimov
Neither a despot, nor a doormat, be
Every app wants to be a database app when it grows up