Originally Posted by WildBlueSooner:
The hardest part is always backing up anything important before you format...I have formatted my old computer several times and each time several days later I though of something I wished I would have kept..so think hard first!
Backing up all the files is my biggest dread to formatting.
What I do is get all my personal docs, pics, etc. and create a couple of folders (ie. DVD 1, DVD 2,....). Move all my data into those folders, burn onto DVD's, then delete the original folders. As I find new files, create more folders. Then I start deleting system & program folders (warning here, only do this when you are 100% sure you will backup). I know I'm done when my disk space is pretty small. This helps me find all those files that are stored in folders other than my documents, but are important. Sometimes programs are pretty annoying about using their own save file dirs.
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Because I do it yearly I learned a long time ago to format a separate partition for just the files I want to keep. On that drive I have folders for my working files, Documents, spreadsheets and so forth. Another folder is for my photos, movies and music. Then there is the catch all folders for stuff I just don’t know about. When each folder gets bigger than a DVD I start looking at moving things off the hard drive and onto a DVD. That keeps the size of the folders to a manageable level. When it’s time to reformat, I move what’s left onto a DVD and give it all the three finger salute and start over. Occasionally I miss something but fortunately so far it’s never been of major importance.
Chas
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Originally Posted by JJG:
yeah, sorry I started talking about 2 different computers. confusing. The one in the original post I do have a disk for but for my Dell I do not have the XP cd.
If you lost your original CD then order another one from the company,,,it's only about $13 plus S/H,,,it's worth getting it because it will bring your computer back to the original specs,,,I had to do that with my Compaq because I lost the start up CD,,,,you load and walk thru the whole thing as it will prompt you with what to do next,,almost idiot proof.
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