I have had trouble with viruses and internet junk slowing my computer.  I have heard from some friends that erasing the hard drive and reinstalling the operating system is the most efficient way to solve my problems.  Has anyone done this before?  If so, what steps must be taken.  Also, I didn't purchase a copy of the operating system from Dell (pre-loaded).  What software will I need to buy?  How do I back up the files I want to keep?  Thanks for any help anyone can offer.:smileyhappy: