If you’ve had your computer for some time, you may notice that it becomes sluggish and less responsive. Good maintenance will stave this off, but even with the best care in the world a PC will eventually pick up enough glitches for your productivity to drop. You might also run into more severe problems after installing or removing programs or hardware that require remedial action. When all else fails, you’ll need to restore your PC to its factory settings using a restore disc. However, if you really want to seize control of your technology, then you’ll probably want to reinstall Windows.
Reinstalling Windows from scratch is a sure way to set yourself apart from people who are content to let others decide what goes on your computer and what doesn’t. It puts ultimate control into your hands and enables you to set up your system how you want to, without unnecessary extras that vendors might want you to have. You can also learn a bit about how your PC functions along the way. Like changing a tyre on your car, it’s an essential fix that can mean the difference between waiting on an expert to sort you out and getting back up and running quickly.
The whole process
This blog will take you through the whole process, from backing up your data so you don’t lose anything, though various clever ways to make installing Windows easier and less stressful onto what essential post installation tasks will prevent you dealing with glitches in the first days after your reinstall. We’ll recommend ways to make your system more stable, like creating a partitioned drive so that your data is kept separate from your Windows files, so it doesn’t get wiped when you format your Windows partition. We’ll also recommend various ways to back up your data so that it’s easily accessible for you to restore afterwards.
Many computers don’t come with a Windows CD, but we’ve tracked down a way that you can generate your own installation CD from a restore disc. We’ll also show you how to slipstream Service Packs into your installation files, saving valuable time after the install. For the very technical, there’s also a way to automate the process so that you don’t have to sit over your computer as you reinstall Windows. Having successfully reinstalled Windows, we’ll take you through activation, updating and validating your installation leaving you with a rock solid PC that’s good as, or even better than, new.
