Reformatting

If you have the LAN already set up, then allow the files/folders you want to back up on your computer to be shared with others, copy them to another computer and you're done.

Otherwise, there is stilll the good old method of backing them up on CD or DVD or an external harddrive.

Okay.

First thing is to make a list of everything you want to backup. That would be "My Documents", of course, but maybe also your e-mails or at least the address book. Internet Favorites or cookies may be worth saving as well. Search this forum for instructions on how to backup address book, favorites and cookies, there are many threads on this. Look if some programs store the files you create with them elsewhere on your C: drive (most programs do that in their program folders, including high scores of games). Look for programs or drivers you have downloaded and want to keep. Write down the network and/or internet access settings.

It is your decision, just make yourself very clear that all files which were not on the computer when you bought it, will be definitely lost after the reinstall, unless you include them in the backup.

Probably the easiest way would be to copy all these files (except My Documents) into one or two folders on your hard drive that you can easily locate later on.

If you use the LAN for backup, make sure that on your computer you enable network file sharing of your C: drive (or only the folders you want to backup) with the computer you want to use for the backup. If you don't know how to do this, it's explained in your Windows Help.

Then go to the computer you want to use for the backup. From there, access the folders on your computer and copy them on the hard drive of this other computer. That's your backup. To get them later on back on your "refreshed" computer, you inverse the operation (enabling the hard drive of the 2nd computer to be accessed by yours).

If the network method is too complicated, because your network is not really yet set up (to share an Internet access does not necessarily mean there is a LAN set up), then burn the folders you have created plus My Documents on CD or DVD. Only thing you have to remember is that you need to make a data disk.

I hope that makes it clearer.

Lemmi

PS: There is also Windows Backup, but I don't like it because you have everything in one large file and can only restore it to your own computer. To know more about that, search the forum.

Thank you so much for that tip.  I did not know how to use the PC restore feature.  My computer got attacked and could not recover.  Now I have restored it and get to spend the day loading everything into it.  This is a great tip.  In the old days, we used to have to format the HD and then reload windows and yadda yadda yadda.  Luckily I had already backed everything up.  I guess I knew this day would come, so I bought a USB external drive and ran weekly backups.