How to Reformat your computer

Posted by admin on Oct 23, 2009 in Operating systems | 4 comments

How to Reformat your computer correctly in order and faster - Some times it seems some problems can not be figured out or a virus as gotta or you just want your system back fast again. Well a lot of times it is just easier to reformat your computer to factory specs instead of digging through all the issue's or fixes trying to fix your system back to a great running shape. If you keep your computer backed-up correctly and often enough it is actually very easy to reformat and is sometimes good to anyways as it restores your computer back to factory settings, speeds and the whole nine yards. (i love that movie lol)  naw but it truly is. I as a matter of fact just had to do it again for certain reasons unknown but... I do normally do mine anyways about once or twice as year just to keep things running fast and smooth without any issue's or slow computers speeds or a messy registry. Which i am one to always keep my system good, clean and fast anyways but it still is sometimes good to go through this process. So.. i am going to post the fast correct way in steps to reformat your computers. Mainly you always want to keep your system backup'd nicely and often. the best way to do this in my eyes is to have an external harddrive set up. Whether it be an auto one or manual. Doesn't matter as long as you keep on top of it. Also if your computer has a restore system hooked up within it even better (such as mine). A lot of computers have this. Suck as my HP"s. Compaq have it also as HP makes Compaq. Dell's have this now as well. anyways a lot of them do. Some do not and just have you burn the backups or they come with the OS install disc's. Same thing basically but just not built into your systems. When they are built in it comes in the form of a partition in your main drive. You can tell or see this inside your "computer" folder. It will have a drive "D" or some other numbered or name drive in there besides your main "C" drive. 9 i recommend everybody to check and get it this way if you can when you buy a new computer). You can also burn the backup and main operating system on disc as when you first run computer to will ask you to or there is settings and options to do this inside your control panel or system properties. OK now down to dirty. Here are the best, correct, fastest ways of doing this in the correct numbered steps. These steps are put this way for a reason. So things install correctly back and also keep you the safest while doing this and mainly safest as you start your computer back up in use right after the reformat. First.

1. Backup up system (often and/or right before you reformat if you can and computer will and can allow you to if nothings wrong with it to the effect that you can not back it up). Including your mail clients back up folder, contacts. Your bookmarks. etc etc..
2. Unplug your external harddrive from your computer, or use the safely remove hardware tab in your system tray for that or if you have an internal extra drive that you use for backup.
3. Run the restore. Whether it's built in or by backup disc. There is a complete destructive mode and a non-destructive mode. Best one to do is a destructive. This will wipe out the whole computer and really start fresh. A non-destructive will only redo your main system files and leave your personal. But again it will not do a full clean and sometimes things inside your other parts or personal stuff will be infected or malfunctioning creating other issue's with your system files. So it's best to do a full whether you need it or not and is just as fast or good if you do it these ways.
4. As soon as it's done and you restart and go through the computer set up, then you want to open your browser and get your virus protect program right from the companies site so it's a brand new version most up to date. Run and install it first.
5. You want to plug back in your back up drive and then re-copy everything back onto your computer.
6. Run the Window's auto updates which during reset up of your system you should of chosen to have auto updates set. But in this case even if you want to go ahead and run them by yourself and fully that way you are completely up to date with all safety updates and system updates. So go to your start menu and select Windows updates. Run the system and do all updates. Once you have done them once. and they finish, run them again and again until there is no more left. as all of the new ones will not show up just running it one time. So run it a couple times and just wait for them to finish. That way of course everything is up to date.
7. Install your selected browsers. I recommend Firefox.
8. Re-install your bookmarks. (tutorial coming in a sec)
9. Restore/re-install your back up for your mail accounts and mail folders. (tutorial coming in a sec)
10. Then go ahead and run and install all your programs back one at a time. A lot will ask you to restart of course and do so then.
11. Once you have this done go ahead and do another Windows update manually. To make sure it is all still up to date for the programs you just reinstalled.
12. Done.

That's it guy's and gal's. That is the best, safest and easiest way to reformat. in order and correct. I say correct because of safety but also usfulness as in those steps you are safe but also can be using things while waiting and being able to do more things at the same time to get things done faster and still be safe and also mainly have acess to the important things that may be needed while doing this. As example: As you are installing your programs back. you will have access to your mail already incse it's needed. Also the abilty to have your browser and be safe and protected while your screwing around playiong online while your waiting for the files to be placed back on your computer or programs reinstalled. ;) so yup.. that's it people. Easiest and best way to reformat. i hope this helped some of you learn it or the ones that already 'think" they know maybe see a better way to do it and learn the fastest, safest, most useful way. [ some tutorials regarding some of these parts will be wrote up or video tutorials done soon.. if we already do not have them] Happy reformatting !! :)