How to Reformat your Computer
In some occasions, be it because
you have reasons to suspect that the virus you caught
has permanently damaged your system, because your
PC is getting way slower than it used to be, or even
just as a scheduled maintenance practice, reformatting
your computer can be an useful way of 'cleaning up
the mess' and regain all the computational speed your
PC used to have when you turned it on for the first
time. This article provides you with an easy step-by-step
guide to make sure a smooth reformatting process.
As the first step, make sure you
have a copy of the operating system you want to install,
and all the installation files of the programs you
need most, or at least make sure you know where to
get them. You'll need to backup all the important
data in your hard disk(s). Save all important files
(a 'safe' choice is to backup the entire C:\Documents
and Settings\ on Windows, and the /home folder on
Linux) to an optical drive or an external USB drive
-- in this last case, remember to correctly unmount
and remove the disk before restarting the system.
Consider including into the backup also the most important
application files and an archive containing your e-mails.
If this is the first time reformatting your computer,
it's always best to take at least a day or two to
make sure you don't forget any important file into
the backup.
When you're sure you're good to
go on to the next step, insert the CD/DVD of the operating
system of your choice and restart. If nothing happens
(e.g., the computer restarts normally), that means
there is one little more step to go: when you restart,
check the initial messages and press the right button
to enter the boot devices setup screen (the button
is usually F7, but it depends on the underlying system)
and select the CD-ROM drive as the first device from
which to boot -- you might want to roll back this
setting once you're done reformatting).
At this point, your system will
boot up from the CD-ROM. Follow the instructions carefully,
particularly when you're asked to format your hard
drive and delete all files on it -- if you're sure
all the data is safe and backed up, go on with the
OS installation. This will typically take one to two
hours and requires little amount of configuration
by the user (including assigning keyboard layout,
system language, time, user names and passwords...).
Once the system is installed, you
can remove the installation CD-ROM. If you wish, you
can restart to change a setting so that even if you
forget a CD-ROM in the drive, your PC won't do fancy
things -- to do that, see the simple instructions
above. Now, all you have to do is simply to take your
backup unit and copy all the data back into the new
system. Install all the programs you need, either
from installers of from the Internet, and finally
restart one more time (most program installations
require restarting). If you're running on Windows,
it might be a good idea to install an anti virus as
soon as possible.
If you followed these steps
carefully, your new system should be up and running
as good as new!
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