Formatting Your Windows system? Here are a few things to take care of!

Formatting the Windows operating system could be the last option when internal processes or applications are not working. There are few important steps to be followed to ensure that the you do not lose data or any other important information on your computer. Backing up all the data is one vital step and a standard procedure that everybody follows. Apart from that, there are a few things that users can do so they can ensure the system is formatted properly without any errors.

File and Setting Transfer Wizard

 

You can use this option from the start button and follow the dialog box to transfer your files and select the drive to which you want to transfer the files. Make sure that this is not the Windows drive you select, as this is the drive that you will be formatting. If you want to do a complete format, you can transfer these files to an external storage drive your system is connected to. It could be a pen drive, a DVD, external hard disk, or any other storage device that has the same file system as that of the Windows operating system.

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 Repair Installation

If you want to keep files on your system, and only resolve a small system error, then you might not need a complete system format. You can save your files to a different drive and do a repair installation instead of complete installation. When you choose this option, you do not have to reinstall any of the applications, drivers, plug-ins, or add ons that you have been using. The Windows only replaces corrupted, deleted, or system files from the registry and makes all the background processes functional.

 

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Store Web Passwords in a Spreadsheet

After a clean installation or a repair installation, you will not be able to use stored passwords for documents or websites that you have used previously. For this, store all the passwords in a spreadsheet and complete the installation.

Export Bookmarks, E-mail Addresses, and Address Books

This is one important thing to be done before performing any kind of installation on your computer. You must export all the browser bookmarks so you can import them later into your browser. Also, whenever you download any app, save them to the different folder, so you know to take a backup of these applications and install updates later.

Get a Back Up of Motherboard and Device Drivers

Though, most of the latest version of Windows operating system comes with drivers. You can still look into these drivers separately and install them on the system once you have performed the formatting and re-installation on the computer.

Do not Press Enter the Second Time

 

The system restarts a couple of times during the process of installation. At the beginning of the boot, it gives a message called "Press any key to boot from the CD." Do this only the first time the system starts and ignore this instruction every other time it restarts and follow the dialog box to follow the instructions.