Format and Reinstall
what does it mean to format a computer?
When
To format a drive means to prepare the chosen partition on the drive to be used by an operating system by deleting all of the data and setting up a file system.
The most popular file system to support Windows is NTFS but FAT32 is also sometimes used.
In Windows, formatting a partition is usually done from the Disk Management tool. You can also format a drive using the format command in a command line interface like Command Prompt, or with a free disk partition software tool.
Formatting can't usually be done by accident so you shouldn't worry that you'll delete all your files by mistake. However, you should be cautious when formatting anything and be sure you know what you're doing.
What is a Reinstall?
A reinstall is the process of installing a software program over the version that is already installed.
This step is commonly performed when a program has worked in the past, but now is experiencing issues that cannot be resolved.
To reinstall a program, install the program the same way you did in the past. If prompted about the program or directory already existing choose continue to overwrite.. however installing windows again can be quite difficult if you have no experiance with it.
When reinstalling Windows we need the following:
A Driver for each peace of hardware in the system, typically these can be found on the manufactures website. it is wise to take this step first is possible to avoid having internet access problems later.
A C.O.A (Product Key) This is usually a sticker on the side of your desktop, Bottom of your laptop or sometimes under the battery, however some newer computers have a Digital Licence built in and wont need this sticker.
a source of Windows Installation Media, this can be a Compact Disk, USB Or PXE boot Network install
Software to install after e.g. Browsers, Office Suits and other basic utilities
After we have everything we need we can begin the install, this happens in the following order..
Backup any files that were requested
Turn off the system
Turn on the System
Boot from Installation Media
Enter Product Key if needed
Set disk location and setup partitions if needed
install the operating system onto the machine
wait through several reboots and enter user information
Restore user data
Install each peace of hardware with the drivers obtained beforehand
Install all possible updates
Install software packages
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