Doing a Format on Your PC Should Be A Last Resort!
Reformatting your Windows computer is usually the absolute last resort and is often done unnecessarily. Before you go through the process of doing a reformat of your hard drive please take a few moments to read through the rest of our website. If you are reformatting to fix problems with your Windows computer it's possible that by using some of the tips on our site, or by downloading or purchasing some of the tools or products that we link to, you might be able to avoid the need to reformat your computer. Because doing a complete reformat of your computer will erase the contents of the hard drive and require you to reinstall all software, reformatting is usually a last resort.Some Computer Manufacturers Make Reformatting Easy
Many name-brand PC manufacturers include a restore-disk which makes it easy to reformat your PC and return it to the state it was in on the day you purchased it. Some manufactures supply only a standard Microsoft Windows CD, and some (usually lower-end PC manufacturers) supply neither! If your PC did not come with a restore or reformatting CD, then you will need to take extra steps to format your hard drive and get Windows re-installed.Back Up Your Files Before You Reformat Your Windows PC!
Because the reformat or restore process erases everything on your computer, it is critical to have a backup of any important files on your computer. You will also need your original software install disks to reinstall any software you have purchased.
Things to do before you reformat your PC hard drive
- Write down or print out all notes and internet pages because once the format process begins, you will no longer have access to them (or anything else in the PC)
- As already stated, BACKUP all important files and data! When you reformat your computer everything will be erased!
- Make sure you have all the CDs and other software. All programs will have to be reinstalled after you format the hard drive. Don't forget about software that came with hardware such as printers, scanners, etc.
- Write down the brand and information for all the hardware on your computer. Look in the Device Manager and make note of the brand and model of network adaptors, video cards, sound cards, printers, modems, and displays. After reformatting you might need this information to reinstall drivers.
How To Reformat Your Windows XP PC
If you're ready to take the plunge and format your computer Click here for step by step instructions to reformat your PC.Security tips: How to prevent viruses
Comments
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do you know the more you do it the better it works.
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I prefer not to have to reformat often!
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Help have mutiple problems like sbs service file is missing and I can't download missing updates...need help reformating my computer
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do you have a restore disk or a Windows XP disk? If you do, doing a format is pretty easy.
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most 'good' PC manufacturers give you a restore disk, or a re-install disk. if you have that disk then doing a reformat is pretty simple.
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sometimes it's just easier to do a whole format that it is trying to clean out all the messedup registry entries and stuff
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instead of doing a format just keep your PC clean in the first place! avoid the bad stuff and you will not need 2 reformat every 6 months.
or
you can buy an Apple
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I just formatted my HD - easy as pie, but I already had all the driver disks and software CD's.
If you don't have your driver disks you should not reformat.
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why did you reformat your PC? I'm trying to figure out why everybody formats all the time.
You should not need to format on a regular basis if you keep your computer 'clean' !
use firefox, use an Antivirus, AntiSpyware, and dont click on every attachment you get in email, and you should virtually never need to do a reformat.
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I never did understand why people think they need to reformat the computer every 3 weeks. Maybe it comes from the Windows 95 days, or maybe because they get infected with spyware or a virus because they aren't being 'safe' with the computer.
Follow safe-computing concepts and if you're using Windows XP or Win 2000, you should virtually never need to format.
oh yeah, if you arent using antivirus software, anti-spyware, and firefox, you WILL need to reformat.. heh.
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I did a reformat a few weeks ago. The format and reinstall part went easy because I had the XP restore disk that came with the computer. But it took hours to re-download all the updates and reinstall all my software.
It's a pain to reformat your computer! That's why we recommend avoiding the need to format in the first place!
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i have never needed reformat and i have had a lot of computers
and i bet money that all the old computers are running like crap when you turn on your computer press ctrl+alt+del and on the bottom left of that window how many processes are running 40 50 i bet alot you should have it atleast less than 30
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You should only need to reformat your hard drive if it's so fubar'd that it would take to long to fix. If you just follow commone sense and 'safe computing', and avoid the problems in the first place, you should never need to format it.
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how often do i need to reformat windows? a friend told me he does a reformat every 6 months or so but that seems excessive.
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you should NOT have to reformat your computer every six months or every year for that matter! reformatting is usually only necessary when your PC gets so messed up by viruses or spy ware that there is nothing else to do. if your windows computer is running ok, and if you keep it clean by using antivirus and anti spyware you should never have to reformat!
i have 3 different computers and i have never had to reformat any of them.
this only applies to windows XP or windows 2000. if you have windows M.E. or windows 95/98, then reformatting once per year might be helfpul.
it is recomended by tons of geeks such as i to reformat atleast once a year and install all the latest drivers think about it over time your comuter slugish from lots of things and even if you clean it and keep cleaning it your gonna miss something if you reformat you will have the same speeds as when your computer was brand new out the box
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if i reformat my Windows XP computer will I have to re-download all the drivers or are the included on the xp cd ?
If you have a 'restore disk' or 'driver disk' from your manufacturer, that should contain all the drivers for what came with the computer.
You will probably need to re-load any drivers for other hardware that you purchased seperatly.
If you dont have a restore disk or a driver disk, you may end up having to download some drivers from the internet.
it is best to get all your drivers off the net and burn to a disc unzipped and ready to install before you reformat your drive so all your drivers are up to date
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I think i need to reformat my computer but i never got a Windows Xp disk or a system-restore disk when I bought my computer.
how can i get a Windows disk so i can do a reformat? I dont want to have to pay $100 for a new one at the store!
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I am in the same predicament. It almost seems that Microsoft & the mfgs planned this rip-off! I finally got my recovery disks but had to buy XP & reformat then I could use the disk they sent
Contact your computer manufacturer. They may provide you with a free or inexpensive XP restore disk that you can use to format your PC.