Introduction
Divide to conquer
The operation
Digital Fail-Safe |
Forget those minor PC housecleaning chores. This is the big one -- the operating system reinstall.
It's that time of year again. Time to put away the summer clothes, drag out the ugh boots, and tune up the heater. And when you're done extricating those rodent-size dust bunnies from under the bed, you can start on the digital debris in your PC. We're not just talking about clearing out unwanted files and programs. We're talking about the big one: a clean install of your OS. It may make the rest of your change-of-season chores sound like a day in the park, but it's the ultimate cure for a wide variety of illnesses that have plagued your PC all year, including inexplicable errors, glitches and poorly timed (is there a good time?) crashes.
The culprits are usually some less-than-perfect applications or utilities you've already uninstalled that have left some sticky footprints on your operating system. You may think Windows' Add or Remove Programs utility makes unwanted software vanish without a trace, but it just isn't so.
Although some applications are worse -- and some much worse -- than others at removal on demand, a thoroughly clean uninstall can be next to impossible even for the best-behaved program.
An application may share a few dynamic link library (DLL) files with some other application, modify file associations in the Registry, replace a file with an updated version, or do who knows what else to the system. Later on, some other program could make even more changes. Even if an application could completely restore your operating system to the condition it was in prior to the app's installation, it can't compensate for the effect of its loss on applications you installed later on in the cycle.
If you're the ultimate power user and have lots of free time, perhaps you can sort this all out and get your computer back together again. Or you can buy a new PC and start fresh. But there's a more expedient and more affordable solution: get out the virtual scrub brush, wipe your system clean and install a fresh version of Windows.
Pre-op procedures
Like many other operations, the preparation takes longer than the procedure. But if you skimp on the prep, you'll pay for it during the process. So spend the time it takes to get through the following list of chores. You don't have to do them all in one sitting.
Back up before advancing
Yes, yes, you've been backing up religiously since forever, so you don't need to be told about this. But have you ever tried restoring or do you just take it on faith that it will work when needed? If so, now's the time to test that faith. Try to find a backed-up document file and transfer it into a temporary folder. Do the same for a few Windows system files. Keep in mind that after a fresh reinstall of the operating system, you will not want to do a total restore of a drive image, because this would just return all the problems of yesterday. But you may want to retrieve an obscure system file from, say, the C:\WINDOWS\ system32\drivers folder. Can you do this easily? If not, it's time to get better backup/restore software.
Before you back up, open Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs applet and scan the list of programs currently installed. Also review the entries on the Start menu's All Programs list. Some applications add an uninstall option there, rather than in the Add or Remove Programs list. If you see anything on either list you haven't used in ages and don't plan to use in the future, dump it.
Programs in review
After you've backed up and gotten rid of all the stuff you don't want, review the programs list once again and make sure you can locate the installation software for every program you do want. If the program came on a CD, where is it? Do you have the serial number? If not, you may find it on the program's Help or About page. For downloaded programs, did you save the installation files? Round them up and place them in a compressed ZIP (or similar) folder. Because some of these files have cryptic names (IP5_2ENG.EXE for Microsoft's IntelliPoint 5.2 software, for instance), it's not a bad idea to start a README.DOC file in the same folder, listing each such filename, an explanation of what it is, the URL you downloaded it from and the date you installed it.
hensleys_1999@yahoo.com
20/01/2006 09:08 AM
what if you've done the system recovery a few times and there is still some sort of "virus" popping up and causing problems? can you actually completely wipe your hard drive clean so that even some obscure virus cant possible survive after recovery?
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Alan
08/12/2006 01:39 PM
if you get the answer to your question let me know cause im in the same boat
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paradiseliven@hawaiintel.net
14/02/2007 02:02 PM
haven't use my +laptop in a while and forgot admin password is there any to by pass to get on the comp
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downie
04/03/2007 12:08 AM
i bought my pc about a year ago an got windows me took out of my pc an in place i got windows xp pro installed an its a fake how do i wipe my hard drive to reinstall my windows me back in it
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Needs some computr heeelp
17/05/2007 10:31 AM
I need to reinstal W2000 (Windows 2000) but I need to erase all da udder operating systems. I tried a million ways and day wont go away. Thers only 6.42 gb on da hd so i nede 2 get rid of dem udderwise it will be slow ash heck. Pweese tell me hou 2 overrite all dee exsisting operating shistems wid a new 1. UUUUUUURGENT
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Guest
09/07/2007 10:47 PM
Guys Use Dariks Boot And Nuke (google it) Dowload it then copy to CD/DVD then Restart ya comoputer Witht he CD/DVD in it and the boot From CD/DVD rom And it will auto Run Type DOD The it will wipe yor hardrive 100% you wont be able recover anthing!!!!! then simply Reinstall You OS
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bobby2681
16/07/2007 03:59 AM
i have a dell dimension p100t and i need help. i need to wipe the drive but my os is already gone how do i do this
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stew00d
03/09/2007 09:56 PM
hmmmm
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smoothbill
03/11/2007 02:39 PM
cool
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lolcat
12/12/2007 04:36 AM
I love how people ask questions that were just answered in this article.
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tom5411
20/12/2007 06:12 AM
my hardrives is completely gone, the sound card is messed up, the validation code is'nt right so i can't download and install updates i need, can i buy a new hardrives, its a dell dimension 3100,a brand new one though not a second one
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daniel
27/12/2007 02:55 AM
you can unstill windows xp everybode bye formateing your computer or restill window xp with cd have you got vista send me it if good at it
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warren
25/01/2008 04:11 PM
i deleated all things that was on my flash drive now every time i reboot all the info goes on my desk top i have to delate the information all the time how do i clear off my computer
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little_shuey
27/02/2008 05:55 AM
i have the same problem as hensleys_1999. is there away that i could make it to were it's like my hard drive was never used before?
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Jerry
23/03/2008 04:12 PM
anyone know how t set a server that we can run wipe and install os from?
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olivern
02/04/2008 08:21 AM
There is also free software that you could use to clean your hard drive. You should try: http://dban.sourceforge.net/ You can also pay for similar software if you want like. http://data-eliminator.com/
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DINO
29/04/2008 02:37 PM
EXCELENT
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Xiahoudun32
14/07/2008 03:21 AM
So, I own a toshiba laptop, and I have save all my media and saved game files, etc. to an external hard drive. There is nothing necessary on the computer I need to keep... I have a vista "anytime upgrade disk" and the product key associated with it, along with 2 driver cds... my question is, what do I put in my cd drive first, the driver disk, which has the option to format the drive, or do I install vista followed by the drivers? (ps, I only have 1 internal hard drive)
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