Wiping pc and re-installing windows

thebutlerforall

I wondered how easy it is for me to learn about wiping off my pc and then reloading windows. I ask because we have 4 computers across the different parts of the family. Over the last 2 years they have at various times been taken to pc repair shops and have been wiped off and reloded to fix whatever problem we've had - usually that they are running slow or have just crashed. It nearly always costs me £45 but I'm not really trying to do qualified people out of the money its just that I live a distance from everyone and they can't drive so the nuisance is travel, copying stuff off it, disconnecting them and collecting/delivering them before and after repairs. I'd like to learn how to do it myself. Do I just buy a disc to wipe it? I'm sure I have all the start up discs for each pc somewhere so I assume that start up discs are the same as the term 're-installing windows'?
Advice would be most welcome as I have a pc which I think will shortly need to take to be wiped and re installed.
Many thanks.

santer_2

IMO, you should consider learning to fix any problems, or even better, preventing them happening.

For instance, a slow PC

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2436849

You can use dban to wipe the drive if you are unable to tweak the PC to suit

http://www.dban.org/about

4Fingus

Re-installing windows is a very easy, but often time consuming task. You can actually put the CD into your PC, boot from it and overwrite your existing system.

The things to be careful of are the following:

1. Data loss - Make sure you put ALL essential data on removable media. If you have 4 PC's I'm assuming you use a NAS for your data. If not I suggest you invest in one. - Remember things like you favourites and autofill files. These are often overlooked.

2. Manufacturers drivers. If you have a system restore disc or partition, use that. If not, make sure you have the Network Card/Wireless drivers BEFORE you wipe the machine. If you have these you can get the rest off the internet. Windows is now very good at recognising devices but they will never be as good as the manufacturers.

3. Program Loss. make sure you have the source files for ALL your recently used programs. If they are internet based, download them first if you can. Like I said, it can take time to collect these after. If you download the latest service pack from microsft, do that too as updates can take almost a day if your OS is what we call 'Vanilla'

Other than that you just need to plan ahead and make sure you have everything in place ready for the rebuild. This is often the BEST way to remove viruses and malware as you know you have complete new system. It often speeds the PC too because redundant startup items are no longer running.

Its a great way to learn! I have reinstalled windows over 200 times (not on my PC) and i still quite like doing it because the final product is a lean, mean, fast operating machine!

scheming_gypsy

4Fingus wrote: »

Re-installing wondows is a very easy, but often time consuming task. You can actually put the CD into your PC, boot from it and overwrite your existing system.

yep and like you say

This is often the BEST way to remove viruses and malware as you know you have complete new system. It often speeds the PC too because redundant startup items are no longer running.

in the time it takes to run a full virus scan, cccleaner, malwarebytes, hijack this, etc etc... then take advice on what to do and then repeat the process umpteen times till it's clean... you could have rebuilt your machine and got rid of all the problems.

jayme1

it is super easy peasy to reinstall the OS here is the rundown I have written previously:

• copy everything off your computer to an external hard drive
• deactivate itunes or any other similar software.
• find your system restore discs you either got with your computer or burnt yourself in the first start up (if not find the utility and burn them now)
• start up the pc and place in the erase disc
• turn off the computer and restart it
• follow the onscreen prompts to begin the erase of the HDD (you may have to set the BIOS to boot the CD drive before the HDD)
• start up the pc and place in the factory restore disc
• turn off the computer and restart it
• follow the onscreen prompts to begin the reinstalation of the OS (you may have to set the BIOS to boot the CD drive before the HDD)
• wait for a while (have a cuppa) but be near because it may need you to swap discs ect.
• come back and you will be greated by the standard start up screens you got when you first got the computer. (you will not even have to activate the computer)
• install some antivirus such as the free microsoft security essentials (or avast) also a great time to uninstall the crapware that came with the computer (free trial of antivirus, toolbars, trial games ect.)
  
• run windows update and let it get on with that
• then start installing your programs (windows live essentials, itunes, office ect.)
• copy all your data off the external hard drive to the relevent folders.
• keep an upto date copy of all your data on the external hard drive as a backup (common sense)

you will not need to install any drivers if you use either the HDD revovery partition or the restore discs you burnt when you got the computer.

you dont have to erase the hard drive before you reinstall the OS but if you do that is also easy, just use DBAN or Active@killdisk in the red steps above one pass zeros would be more than enough for a simple reinstall of the OS.

thebutlerforall

Wow!! Thanks everyone. I'm going to give it a try but will make sure I have all my discs etc before I start. I've done most of what you say before such as listing what programs we will want to re-install and the backing up of data before I whisk them o ff to the pc repair shop. Whilst I have 4 pcs they are across all the family at different houses so i have to go over and instruct the grandma and grandchildren about copying their data etc. They have less of a clue than me so I'm the family expert!! One grandchild is certainly catching me up - any iphone 4 probs are his domain and he help grandma with her iphone! All this takes my time and I often stay the weekend so I think I will use that time and have a go at it myself this once and if its ok it'll give me confidence.
Put me out of my misery and tell me what an IMO is and what do you mean NAS for data?
Thanks everyone!

santer_2

IMO In My Opinion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network-attached_storage

I have this so only need to have the ditto key with me to be able to transfer anything to or from my PC

http://www.my-ditto.com/forBusiness.aspx

http://www.my-ditto.com/MD_web_mov.html

thebutlerforall

start up the pc and place in the erase disc
Jayme - where does the erase disc come from? do you think it would've been when I bought my pc in al the start up disc?
Thanks

thebutlerforall

Thanks Santer.
What is IMO and NAS for data?
Thanks !!!!

santer_2

One version here

http://www.dban.org/about

Click download then burn the file to a CD

http://www.dban.org/download

You can use imgburn if you do not already have a programme for those

http://www.imgburn.com/

jayme1

thebutlerforall wrote: »

start up the pc and place in the erase disc
Jayme - where does the erase disc come from? do you think it would've been when I bought my pc in al the start up disc?
Thanks

last paragraph

jayme1 wrote: »

you dont have to erase the hard drive before you reinstall the OS but if you do that is also easy, just use DBAN or Active@killdisk in the red steps above one pass zeros would be more than enough for a simple reinstall of the OS.

just download one and burn it to a disc then use that disc in that step