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Install Belarc (before reformatting) and print out the report, that'll give
you a list of everything that will be useful in the future (applications,
reg numbers and so on).
What I backup depends on how much room I have (a 500GB external drive copes
easily though).
Backup:
C:\Windows\fonts
C:\Program Files\ - the entire folder, as many apps store configuration
files there
C:\Documents and Settings\[YOURUSERNAME] - there are MANY hidden folders and
files in there that MAY be useful. I tend to back this up, reformat and,
after a couple of months, delete the backup as I clearly don't need any of
the files (or wait 6 months, a year, whatever you feel comfortable with).
Or if you have room, just back up everything. That way if an application
says "Can't find file..." you can go to your backup and grab it from there.
Of course you still have to re-install everything but at least you'll have
the myriad of downloaded and system created files.
HTH!!
G
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=grahamtechnology -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=grahamtechnology -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c
om] On Behalf Of Nancy Allison
Sent: 26 March 2008 15:13
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Checklist for Reformatting
I've just done a web search for "checklist for reformatting hard drive" and
I have not found anything like what I'm looking for.
I work from home and don't have an IT department to rely on. Even after I
run SpyBot, Counterspy, Norton, and AdAware, and even after I did a partial
reinstallation of XP, my computer is still as slow as cold molasses.
It's time to reformat my hard drive, but despite saving almost everything to
an external HP Personal media drive, I'm scared to death that I will lose
key data. Here's the backup checklist that I've come up with so far:
1. Export Contacts, Calendar, and Mail from Outlook, and back up the
exported files.
2. Export Favorites from IE and back up.
3. Back up all known data files.
4. Back up all downloaded executables that I will need to reinstall
software.
>From your collective wisdom (and painful experiences) -- What hidden or
obscure files am I not thinking of?
Honestly, I could not find an existing checklist for personal computers. If
there is one, please point me to it. If there isn't, I'll create one from
what I learn here and send it to anyone who'd like to have it.
Thank you for your help. I am sick to death of having to take a nap while
waiting for a new application to open . . .
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