| If you have been running Windows XP for a | | | | modem drivers and you can find the type of |
| couple of years or more you may find that it is | | | | hardware by right clicking on the my computer |
| not running quite as quickly and smoothly as it | | | | and going to properties and then depending on |
| was when you did your first install. I am | | | | your version of Windows look for the device |
| constantly 'evaluating' software and uninstalling and | | | | manager. I do not tend to format my drive I only |
| reinstalling beta software on my computer and | | | | delete the Windows directory and the Documents |
| have always gradually become more and more | | | | and settings directory when I do a reload so I can |
| disappointed after nine months to a year with the | | | | then find the files later still sitting on the hard |
| performance of my PC. So I regularly do a | | | | drive. My preference is to create a folder called |
| backup and reinstall all my software, including | | | | mydrivers in the root of the C: drive so that |
| Windows. | | | | after you reload Windows you will have a central |
| Please note that this is completely different than | | | | place to go to find the drivers. Now just go out |
| doing the standard things to troubleshoot and fix | | | | and download the drivers that you need. |
| individual problems such as system errors or | | | | 3. Delete the Windows and profile directories |
| application errors. These things are better fixed | | | | Now, this is where you have to take a deep |
| by using a systme Restore which is a great new | | | | breath before you get started as when we |
| feature to Windows XP | | | | delete files we are not going to be able to get |
| For anyone that has reinstalled their operating | | | | them back. When I delete files on the computer |
| system a few times the process seems pretty | | | | before I reinstall Windows I do not delete all of |
| straightforward as they have found all of the | | | | the files or format the drive. The only way that |
| gotchas the first few times. I have lost mail and | | | | you can delete what you want is to use some |
| contacts but not much else over the years by | | | | kind of a boot disk that does not load Windows |
| following (or not following) a system to reload my | | | | from your hard drive. I use the Ultimate Windows |
| operating system and software. This purpose of | | | | Boot CD and after I boot the drive up I move |
| this guide is to give you a checklist to follow so | | | | some data instead of deleting. More often than |
| that a reloading of Windows goes smoothly the | | | | not I will have missed some important file so I |
| first time. | | | | create a "backup" folder that contains all of my |
| The steps are as follows: | | | | data. I drop my current "Documents and Settings" |
| 1. Backup all data | | | | folder into this backup folder and then also any |
| 2. Document your current system drivers and | | | | applications from the "Program Files' folder that |
| software | | | | may have some of their own files. This would |
| 3. Delete the Windows and profile directories | | | | include databases like Act or Maximiser and Tax |
| 4. Reload Window | | | | software or book keeping software like Quicken. |
| 5. Reload software and data. | | | | Most of the data files for applications are kept in |
| 6. Get some sleep | | | | the "My Documents" folder. |
| 1. Backup data. | | | | In the install of Windows you will need to have at |
| There are two methods of the process of | | | | least 2 gigs of free space so make sure that you |
| reloading your operating system. The first is to | | | | have freed up enough space to do the install |
| just delete the system files and the second is to | | | | When I am deleting folders I am most interested |
| backup the files to CD or DVD and then format | | | | in deleting the" Documents and Settings" and |
| the hard drive completely, my preference is to | | | | "Windows" folders, as this is where you will find |
| delete the system folders and work from there | | | | user settings as well as the registry both good |
| as the actual formatting is not needed as much | | | | and bad. If you are really aggressive you can also |
| now as it was in the past. | | | | include the "Program Files" folder so that after |
| It is very important to be sure to get a backup | | | | you have reloaded Windows you can have the |
| of all of your data. My current practice is to | | | | default settings for each application. I also delete |
| create a folder in the Root of the C: drive called | | | | any files that are sitting in the root of the C: |
| "backup for reload" and copy all of my files in | | | | drive. |
| there. The first few times that I reloaded my | | | | 4. Reloading Windows |
| machine I either saved all of the data to another | | | | Now that you have deleted the unneeded files |
| hard drive so I could format my main drive or I | | | | and directories you will have to give yourself an |
| would just create a folder to save my data in | | | | operating system to reload all of your software |
| that was in the root of the C: drive and just | | | | into. I prefer Windows XP now although if you |
| deleted the Windows directory. One thing to be | | | | have a bit of an older computer Windows 2000 |
| aware of is that a new install of Windows is going | | | | will probably be fine and takes less system |
| to delete your current profile where your data is | | | | resources. |
| kept, you will be warned in the install and I am | | | | Just a note here, Windows 98 is a bad choice and |
| warning you here as well! | | | | there are a few reasons why. Windows 98 is not |
| First of all Windows likes to keep all of your | | | | supported anymore by Microsoft so it does not |
| documents in your "My Documents" folder and | | | | have any new security fixes or drivers being |
| even though the icon is on the desktop the folder | | | | written for it. One other issue is that the |
| is actually in the following location: c:documents | | | | underlying file system that Windows 98 supports |
| and settings . The documents and settings folder | | | | is FAT32, if you are loading Windows 2000 or XP |
| is quite important as it does have all of the files | | | | you will likely want to take advantage of NTFS |
| that are associated with you as a user. Other | | | | but the only good way to do this with a fresh |
| folders in documents and settings are "Favorites" | | | | load is to format your machine, this will delete all |
| "Application Data" and "Local Settings". | | | | of the data that you have on your PC now. If |
| If you use Outlook Express for your mail you will | | | | you are moving from Windows 98 there will be a |
| want to back up its folders. Open up Outlook | | | | spot in the install asking if you would like to |
| Express and go to tools to options to | | | | format or convert the drive to NTFS, I would |
| maintenance and there is a button called "Store | | | | avoid this as you can convert after you have |
| Folder" this will tell you where the folder is that | | | | switched your PC to Windows XP in Disk |
| holds all of your mail, usually located inc:--> | | | | Management from the Computer management |
| documents and settings(logon name)--> local | | | | application in Windows. |
| settings--> Application Data--> | | | | The rest of the install should go smoothly and |
| Identities--> Microsoft--> Outlook Express". | | | | after you have finished you will have a nice new |
| Hard to find spot but important. | | | | clean install of Windows with only the recycle bin |
| If you are using Outlook for your mail and | | | | on the desktop and no applications. Perhaps the |
| contacts my policy has always been to search for | | | | desktop is only 256 colors or the size is not quite |
| all .pst files on your PC this will give you your main | | | | right but this is where you will fix that problem by |
| as well as archive folders and maybe even some | | | | reloading your drivers. Go to start and right click |
| long lost mail from before. | | | | on the "MY Computer" icon and select properties, |
| I also do a search and put the following in the | | | | go to the hardware tab, now find the device |
| search box *.doc;*.xls;*.ppt;*. mdb;*.pub this will | | | | manager and anything with an exclamation point |
| search for all office documents on the PC, when I | | | | or a red X will need a new driver. Right click on |
| get the result I only backup the files that are not | | | | the icon, select update driver and walk through |
| in my documents and settings for my name or in | | | | finding your drivers. If you can not find the driver |
| the my documents folder. | | | | in the lookup then you may have to go back to |
| How big is your "Backup and Reload" folder now | | | | the mydrivers folder and run the executables for |
| that you have all of your data in it? Can you back | | | | the drivers which may quicken the process of |
| it up to a CD? Or two, or a DVD? This would be | | | | loading new drivers. |
| a nice time to do that save to a CD so that in | | | | 5. Reload Software and Data |
| the event of a catastrophic failure of your hard | | | | Now the slow torturous part of the Windows |
| drive you can go back and reload your data later. | | | | install begins. I always do this reloading of |
| 2. Document your current system drivers and | | | | Windows because my computer has gradually |
| software | | | | slowed down from all of the software that I have |
| So often when I am working on a computer I | | | | loaded up and pledge never to do again, I have |
| find that after a format and reload of Windows | | | | proven time and time again that I don't live up to |
| that I am missing a network card driver or a | | | | the pledge. The only software that I load first is |
| video driver. Before you turn off the computer to | | | | Office XP and setup my personal settings and |
| format it or delete the system files make sure | | | | mail folders from Outlook (check around for this |
| that you have a copy of all of the drivers, | | | | documentation as it varies with your version of |
| realistically the only drivers that seem to change | | | | Office) and I also install my commonly used |
| are the video drivers. What other drivers might | | | | utilities. I keep my software install disks close by |
| you need? Well If you have the CD that came | | | | and just load software as I need it over the next |
| with the motherboard then you will probably only | | | | few days. |
| need to download the sound card, video, monitor, | | | | 6. |