Formatting tips

[Just_Ice]

So tomorrow due to the slowness of my PC after a recent virus and three years of installing and uninstalling programs I have decided it is time to format my pc. This will be a first for me so I just wanna know if there is anything I should be aware of before I set of on my task tomorrow.

As I only have one drive I know I will need to copy all my documents onto a flash disk or somewhere, but when I am finish do I just copy it back to the my documents folder and everything is fine?

Also all the set ups of my programs I will need to back up and I have all the drivers that came with my pc.

So whats the order?
Delete partition/format, install windows, install drivers, and then programs and other stuff? Is it easy enough to just follow the on screen prompts?

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

it's actually laughably simple I was also dreading it about a year ago and when I eventually did it, I was like "wtf, that was so blerry simple" It's a pain reloading all the programmes/games/music/etc but the clean install is nice

 

[PsyWulf]

Not even needed
Install windows - let it format the drive
Install drivers
Then Apps
Copy backup documents over and scan them while copying with an AV

 

[Just_Ice]

Oh and as for my music, 12.5 gigs of it, whats the best way of getting it from my ipod back to the pc? iDump? And how long will the formatting and installation of xp take more or less?

 

[LazyLion]

after three years of installing and uninstalling programs

Dude! There oughta be some kinda law requiring people to re-format every six months!

on a similar note...

I went into an Internet Cafe in Brits where we were on holiday and the computers were all running XP SP1 with IE 6. ... and they were a mess I could tell they were old installations! You would think that someone who runs an internet cafe would have the know-how to keep his systems up to date and install a few other programs. There was no firefox or any other browser, there was no MSN Live.. only the default windows messenger 4.7. Nothing worked... even the internet was slow. I walked out without paying anything cos I could not use the computers. I think a few were running AVIRA Free Edition... but it was complaining about not being updated. People ought to be able to update their systems and keep them clean!