If your PC has been infected by a virus or has become slow to the point of being unusable, reinstalling Windows may be the best and quickest solution. But I always forget something like backing up product keys and email accounts. So, you are probably wondering what files you really need to backup before reinstalling Windows. ![]() I purchased a dell with vista already installed. PC kept shutting off and I thought it was software problem so I formatted disc and reinstalled windows Now vista works but will not receive updates because it says it is not genuine. Today, operating systems such as Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10, can automatically detect most of the drivers needed for your PC. However, we want to download the proper drivers from your. Here’s a checklist of the things you should do before you make a clean install of Windows. Well, let’s take a look. Stored Logins and Passwords If you are using your browser to store the passwords for Web sites, you will be in for a rude awakening after reinstalling Windows – they will be gone. Your browser is a poor place to keep your website logins and passwords. Besides backing up website passwords, you might also need to export your email account settings (POP3, SMTP and passwords), and passwords stored in your FTP software, instant messengers and other applications. If you can’t remember your passwords, you can take use of the program. This program can help you retrieve stored passwords from all popular instant messengers, email clients, web browsers, FTP clients and many other applications. After recovering, write down and back up them in a safe place because you need them after you reinstall Windows. A List of Programs and License Keys Reinstallation of Windows means that you are putting a new copy of the operating system on your hard drive, which will essentially delete all of the programs you installed. In order to restore your original settings and to know what programs you need to reinstall later, you might want to create a list of all the programs on the computer before reinstalling Windows. Some of your core apps or drivers may be on DVD, CD, or comes as an ISO image. Pull out your media and set it in a stack ready for reinstallation later. It’s also important to keep track of valuable license keys for your Windows, Office or other programs installed on the local machine. While you can do this manually by typing the license keys up in a text document, there is a very easy way to do this, especially if you have installed on your computer. All you need is to open KeyFinder Plus, click on the “Start Recovery” button then click “Save To File” and choose where you want to save it. From here, you can then back up all your license keys in a single file. Emails, Address Book and Bookmarks If you store your emails and your email address book on your PC via an email client, then you will want to back up your e-mail and address book before reinstalling Windows. This applies to you if you use a program like Outlook, Lotus, or Thunderbird. If you use a web-based email client like Gmail or Yahoo Mail, then you won’t have to worry about this. Also, if you would like to keep the bookmarks for your favorite Web sites, then you should back these up as well. Reinstalling Windows 10 DownloadImportant Documents, Video Files and Photos Most people don’t want to lose their important photos, videos, or documents when reinstalling Windows. Before reinstalling Windows, make sure you backup all the important video and audio files as well as pictures to your storage media (DVD, USB drive or external hard drive) where they cannot be tampered with. By default, Windows will store these in sub-folders under the “My Documents” or “Documents” folder. Conclusion The above list is just about what you need to backup before installing Windows. However, you can also take an image of your whole hard drive using Norton Ghost so you won’t lose anything. There are some very good reasons why you might want to reinstall. Whether it is 2000, XP, or Vista, the registry can become corrupted or it can accumulate settings for programs long-since forgotten, leading to sluggish performance. Or you can find yourself with a stubborn Trojan Horse. The only way to be 100 percent sure that you have rid yourself of some particularly nasty viruses is to reload Windows. I have wanted to document the steps needed to properly reinstall Windows for a long time now. I always end up missing something after the reload and find myself scrambling to find IDs, passwords, configuration settings, or favorite Web sites lost in the reinstall. Be sure to set aside a large block of time to do the reinstall. Don't do it before a term paper is due or your business presentation slide show. A weekend is a good time. An OS reinstall is also a good time to decide to upgrade. If you want to upgrade to Vista, there are a lot of options available to you. For more information about these options and the pros and cons of Vista, please read. This article focuses on Vista but the concepts apply to all versions of Window. This blog post is also available in PDF format in a. When you run the Windows Vista set-up program, you will see a window with two options: Update and Custom (Advanced). The Update option is not available when reinstalling Windows Vista. Under the Custom option, you will be doing what is known as a Clean Install. Follow these 10 steps and you will, hopefully, not find yourself having to scramble for files or information that you need after the reinstall. Please Note: I have gone to great care to test and retest this documentation. It is still possible that there are errors or missing information or that I have not covered your specific reinstallation configuration. Please provide feedback in the forum if you find any issues. Before reinstallation 1. Document your login IDs, passwords, and settings. If you are using your browser to store the passwords for Web sites, you will be in for a rude awakening after reinstalling Windows — they will be gone. Your browser is a poor place to keep your Web site IDs and passwords. One possible option is to store your information in a spreadsheet. However, if you keep your IDs and passwords in a password-protected Excel or Calc spreadsheet, be aware that there are programs that can recover/discover the password for most.xls files. I suggest you use stronger encryption techniques to Excel 2002, 2003, and 2007 spreadsheets. If you do have Excel 2002 or later, secure your spreadsheet from hackers and then make sure you don't lose your password! Next, add your IDs and passwords. Create a row in your spreadsheet for your ISP, e-mail, Web hosting company, personal Web sites, and any other password-protected logins. This file is also a good place to keep your e-mail POP3, SMTP, and newsserver name. If you don't have Excel you can keep the IDs and passwords on a piece of paper securely locked away in a safe place or you can choose one of the. Is a popular way to secure your browser login user name and password but is not freeware. GuardID Systems offers a product called that is supposed to be a secure way to store your IDs and passwords — for a small price. Do not keep your IDs and passwords in a Notepad or Word document unsecured and 'in the clear,' readable by anyone with access to your computer or to a hacker. Export your e-mail and address book, bookmarks/favorites, and cookies. You can export your e-mail and contacts from Outlook Express, Outlook, MS Mail, and most third-party e-mail programs. How To Reinstall Windows 10I have a folder called Mail Exports under my Archive folder where I export my e-mail. You can export from the various mailboxes. Select the Inbox, Outbox, Sent Items, and Drafts. Unless you have a special reason otherwise, you can exclude the Deleted and Junk mail boxes. I don't bother exporting my contacts. Reinstalling Windows 10 Free Upgrade![]() Reinstalling Windows 8.1 Operating SystemIf I need a contact, I pull it up from an archived e-mail. You might want to export your contacts though, especially if you have a large number. I used to always forget about bookmarks for my favorite Web sites. I had to spend time searching for a favorite site after Windows was reinstalled. I made a promise that I would export my and the next time I did a Windows reinstall. You can also export feeds and cookies. Download the latest applications and drivers. There is a core set of applications that you know you will be using. One good way to identify these core apps is to take a look at your desktop and Start menu. You to a non-system folder and use that as a guide to reinstalling your core apps. You can also look at your installed programs in Programs and Features located in the Control Panel. I have a logical drive named Documents and on that drive a folder called Downloads.
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