First, you need to understand that installing Windows will wipe whatever drive it’s installed on. Hopefully by now you’ve followed my advice, and you have either a second hard drive or a D Drive partition. If you have only one hard drive, with no partitions, and everything is stored on your desktop, well, Desktop is a function of Windows, and Windows is gone. Therefore every file on your computer is gone. If you store everything in My Documents on your C Drive, this folder, too, will be wiped. Absolutely nothing on your C drive will survive a Windows re-install. If you’ve not properly backed up your files, you are going to lose everything. Not almost everything, not everything but the files in XXX folder -- everything.

Absolutely nothing on your C drive will survive a Windows re-install.

Reinstalling Windows creates, software wise, a brand new computer. A brand new, BLANK computer. Not even just like it came from the store, because the other preinstalled software is gone, as well. I repeat: Absolutely nothing on your C drive will survive a Windows re-install.

So why do I try to find the time and energy to wipe all my computers every other year or so, even when nothing’s wrong with them? That’s exactly why. Reinstalling Windows creates a brand new blank slate. All the little glitches that accumulate over the lifetime of updates and installed and uninstalled programs are gone, as well.

However so are all your programs and shortcuts and files. So if there are files on your C drive you just HAVE to have, take the drive out and replace it. As long as you don’t have a hard drive failure or a virus on that drive, you may be able to reinstall that drive as your D drive later and recover your files. For a damaged drive, you may be able to take the drive to a file recovery expert to have your files extracted -- for a not unsubstantial amount of money. That CSI file recovery crap Abby’s always doing will cost you upwards of $3000.00, if it can be done at all.

Before you start, make sure you have the following:

1. Absolutely essential -- your original Windows DVD. If you do not have your Windows disk, you’re going to have to go buy one. The OEM versions of Windows at NewEgg.com usually run anywhere from $100.00 to $200.00, depending on what version you need, so you’re best off being organized enough to keep track of your Windows disk. Knowing most of my customers won’t, I tape a pocket for the disks to the inside of the computer case. (For a name brand computer, this may be a backup disk that includes the operating system -- Dell for instance includes all the start up programs on a restore disk).
2. Your Windows CD Key (Product Registration Code). For an OEM copy of Windows, the Windows disk is usually in a case or sleeve with its CD Key on the case. The key may also, per the manufacturer’s instructions, be stuck on the outside of the computer case. If you have the number, but not the disk, you may be able to use the disk from another computer with the same Windows version. The disk with no number is pretty much useless.
3. Your motherboard and added hardware driver disks. Unless you’ve got a complete restore program, after you install Windows it’s going to recognize most, but not all, of your hardware. And because one of the things it’s not going to recognize is your NIC -– your Network Interface Card -- you’re not going to be able to get online to download more drivers. You’ll need to be able to install the drivers directly from their disks. If you do not have the driver disks, you’re not nearly as screwed as you are without the Windows disk, though. Download your driver install files from the manufacturer's website NOW, before you need them, unzip them to a folder, and copy them to your D Drive (Assuming you’ve followed my previous advice and installed a second hard drive. If you don’t have a second hard drive or a D Drive partition, burn them to a CD for safe keeping. Do not count on a thumb drive backup. Your USB ports are not going to work until you install the drivers.
4. Your program disks. Programs like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop all need to be installed from their original disks, and require software keys. Anything you downloaded and installed needs to be backed up to another hard drive and you need the software key, just like you would if you bought a new computer.
5. Antivirus software install files, downloaded and burned to CD/DVD/another hard drive.
6. An available network connection, and possibly a phone. You will have to get online to run your Windows patches, and you may need to call Windows automated system to reactivate Windows.
7. Time. This project will take about 5 hours, total.

Once you’ve gathered all your reinstall disks, unplug your computer from the internet, if you’re hard wired, or turn your modem off if you’ve got an internal wireless card. Don’t risk getting infected by a computer virus before you get your antivirus up and running.

You’ll start by inserting the Windows disk in the DVD drive and rebooting. On boot up, your computer should go right to the DVD and start asking you where you want to install windows (If it offers to repair, ignore it. Windows repair function has never worked for me, or anyone else that I know of, because once you’ve run Windows updates, your software version no longer works).
Eventually, after you swear on your mother’s second cousin that you’ve read and agree to the 128 page license agreement, Windows will ask you where you want to install it. For most of you, the correct answer is “C.” Windows really doesn’t like being installed anywhere else, and your computer will likely keep trying to boot to C, anyway, even if you reassign the boot drive.

If you have a very large, un-partitioned hard drive, now is when you can partition your hard drive (partitioning your drive NOW will not save your files. Partition wipes the drive). Select the Delete Partition function, and then create a new partition in the un-configured space. For a 500 gig hard drive, you’d enter more or less half whatever’s showing -- 250000000 bytes as the size for C, and 248000000 bytes for D (500 gigs is never exactly 500000000 bytes -- the science of hard drives is not that precise).

Select Drive C as the drive you want to install on, and hit enter. Windows will now ask you if you’re sure you want to install, as doing so will wipe the drive. Answering NO will not save your files. It’ll just abort the Windows install.

Once you actually get to the INSTALL stage, the rest of the install is usually pretty much automated. Some versions may ask you to click YES every once in a while, though, so stay close.

When the install is done, Windows will automatically install most of your drivers. Make sure you leave your motherboard driver disk in the DVD tray after your first reboot. When Windows has gotten as far as it can on its own, install your anti-virus. Do this now, first, before you start Driver Warfare. Absolutely nothing is more important than your anti-virus. You won’t be able to update your virus definitions till you’re online.

Next reinstall your missing drivers. Windows should start this process after each reboot. There will also be a Set Up for the drivers on the disk -- pop it in after reboot (you need to remove the driver disk each time you reboot or Windows will try to boot from the disk and you’ll get a start up error -- also note that if you did not remove the Windows disk when you were told to, it’ll keep asking you to reinstall Windows.)

After you’ve gotten all your hardware working, run your Windows patches with manual (custom) setting. Do not run Windows Service Packs until you’ve installed all the older patches -- the service packs will skip stuff you need that makes them work. Service Packs assume you’re up to date at the time they are released, so you have to run all the previous updates first. Windows at this point will want you to re-validate your software. Since there have been “Substantial Changes” you may need to use the automated phone system to get Windows activated. If necessary you can speak to a human and explain you did a reinstall and get a new activation code, when all else fails.

Once Windows is up to date, reinstall your programs, make new shortcuts to all your online stuff, and you’re done. (That part’s the extra four hours I tacked on to the 5 hours of install time!)

Sound like too much? Then remember --
Save Early, Save Often, Save Everywhere…
And reinstall to a new hard drive!

Shelby Morgen
www.shelbymorgen.com
Call me an Electronic Plumber.
Some people BUILD computers.
I tend to muck them out