Reinstall Windows For The Last Time

Speed up your PC, clear out the clutter and fix annoying errors by reinstalling Windows. Here’s how to make this your last ever reinstall.

STEP 1 GET BACKED UP

Everyone should have a backup plan for their computer, whereby important or irreplaceable files, documents, photos, emails and more are backed up to an external device, such as a USB or network hard drive. But if you’ve so far resisted the urge to protect your data and settings, now is the time to bite the bullet and make sure you’re fully backed up.

This is because the process of reinstalling Windows is a destructive one, wiping all data from your hard drive and putting in a shiny new Windows installation. You need to make sure you’ve got copies of everything that’s important to you, or you’ll lose it all. There are two types of backup you can choose: file-based, whereby specific files and settings are selected for backup, and image-based, which takes an exact copy of your drive, ensuring that nothing is lost.

We recommend you take one of each kind of backup for extra security, with the image-based backup giving you a fail-safe in case you forget a specific important file or setting. This fail-safe can also restore your computer should something go wrong with the installation process.

Tools of the trade

There are perfectly adequate backup tools built into Windows itself, but they’re not universal to all versions of Windows, so we’ve provided two of the selected partition(s) under Backup Tasks. Click Next, then select the hard drive or partition that your copy of Windows is installed on before clicking on Next again.

Choose your backup device – local hard disk, network drive or CD/DVD burner (not recommend for backups with Windows Vista or Windows 7) – and then click on Next followed by Finish and then OK to start the backup.  Once complete, open the Other Tasks menu and click Verify to check your backup isn’t corrupt, then pop a blank CD or DVD into your drive and choose Other Tasks ➜Create Rescue CD.

Leave the default Linux option selected, click Advanced, tick Compatibility Mode and click Finish to create the rescue CD. Label this and store it in a safe place. You’ll need to boot from the rescue CD whenever you want to restore a drive image – should something go wrong with the reinstall process, for example, or when you want to recover your perfect PC setup in the future.

Back up files and settings

It’s time to back up your files and settings. People running Windows 7 and Windows Vista can use the built-in Windows Backup tool: click Start, type “backup” and launch the Backup and Restore tool when it appears in the list. Follow the prompts to create a backup.

Windows Vista users get more choice over what exactly they’re backing up, but Windows 7 users should make sure they select Let me choose when prompted to avoid taking a system image – this will simply replicate what you’ve already done with Macrium Reflect Free.

Once the backup has been taken, you’re ready to move on to the next step. Windows XP users don’t have this user-friendly backup option; instead, take a look at GFI Backup Home Edition on the cover disc. This enables you to choose exactly what to include in your backup – files, settings, email and even Registry keys. It’s something more advanced Windows 7 and Windows Vista users might also like to check out, but it’s not as user-friendly or as easy as the Windows Backup option.

STEP 2 SAVE SETTINGS

Your data and settings are backed up, and you have a fail-safe backup in case you forget an important file or the reinstall process doesn’t go to plan. But don’t reach for your Windows installation disc just yet. There are some further steps you still need to take. First, make sure you’ll have internet access after you’ve reinstalled Windows, so you can download all outstanding drivers and updates quickly and easily.

If your computer is directly connected to the modem via a USB cable, you’ll need to source the drivers from the modem manufacturer or internet provider, plus make a note of the settings you need to connect to the internet (do check with your provider though – they may provide a program that does all the hard work for you).

If you connect to the internet through a router or via Ethernet cable, you’ll need network drivers – if you’re restoring Windows from a recovery partition or disc, these will be included; if you’re using a Windows installation or upgrade disc, download the drivers you need now from either your computer manufacturer or the manufacturer of your wireless adapter.

Next, check you have any program discs and product keys or serial numbers you might need – check your email for product keys purchased over the internet and write them down. If you can’t find certain product keys, enlist the help of third-party software: Belarc Advisor is free and included on the cover disc, but if it can’t help, download the demo of Recover Keys from http://recover-keys.com – if it’s able to locate the product key you’re looking for, you’ll need to pay US$29.95 to access it.

STEP 3 THE REINSTALL PROCESS

You’ve backed up all your files and settings, have the drivers you need to restore your internet connection and got all the programs and product keys you need. You’re ready to reinstall Windows for the last time. If your computer came with a manufacturer’s recovery disc or partition, then check the box for more details on what to do next; if it came with a Windows installation disc (or you’ve purchased a Windows 7 upgrade disc), then read on.

First, place your Windows installation disc into the drive, disconnect all nonessential USB devices (such as printers and scanners), then restart your computer. As it starts up, look for an option to select your boot device – press this key and select CD/DVD.

When prompted, press any key to boot from CD or DVD, and the installation process will begin. People running Windows XP should now switch to the printout of the PDF file on the cover disc, which offers a complete step-by-step guide to the reinstall process. Windows 7 and Windows Vista users should follow our simple step-by-step guide below.

Step-by-step Reinstall Windows quickly and easily

1 FIRST STEPS

When prompted to choose a language, click on the Time and Currency format drop-down menu and select English (United Kingdom) – it’s right above the default English (United States) setting. Click Next followed by Install Now.

2 SELECT HARD DRIVE

Read the licence agreement, tick the box and click Next followed by Custom (advanced). Select your Windows partition or hard drive and click Drive options (advanced). Click Format, read the warning and click Yes to format the drive.

3 SIT BACK AND WAIT

Click the Next button and Windows will start the installation process proper. Sit back and wait while this process completes – once it is finished, Windows will restart again. Ignore any prompts to boot from CD or DVD and wait.

4 SET UP BASICS

Start by entering a username for your new profile, plus the name of your computer, which will identify it on your network. Click Next to enter a password and hint for your user profile. Click Next again to enter your Windows product key.

5 SET UP NETWORK

Click Next and enter the product key you’ll find inside your Windows box. Click Next, then click Use recommended settings. Verify (UTC) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London is selected under Time Zone and click Next again.

6 NETWORK CONNECTION

If you’re wirelessly connected and Windows automatically installs your Wi-Fi drivers, you’ll be prompted to connect: select your network and enter the passkey if necessary. Finally, choose Home and let Windows complete the set-up process.

STEP 4 MISSING DRIVERS

Once Windows has been restored or reinstalled, it’s time to get your PC back in working order. If you reinstalled from an installation disc, you’ll need to reinstall any missing drivers. Press the Windows key and R, type devmgmt.msc and press Return to access Device Manager, which gives you a quick view of drivers that are missing. Start by restoring network or modem drivers so you can get online.

If you downloaded other drivers, reinstall these too. If drivers are still missing, install DriverEasy from the cover disc – let this scan for outdated and missing drivers, then follow the instructions to download (save them to a folder on your backup device) and install each in turn.

By now, Automatic Updates should be downloading outstanding updates. Ordinarily, you might find yourself downloading updates over a period of days, but speed things up by continually revisiting Windows Update from the Start ➜All Programs menu. Once done, it’s time to take your first drive image.

If necessary, plug in your external backup drive and wait for Windows to recognise it and install any necessary drivers, then click Start ➜Computer to see what drive letter has been assigned to it. Reinstall Macrium and take a drive image of your new installation, following the steps you took to take your fail-safe backup. Think of this as your ‘baseline’ – if something goes wrong with the next step, just boot from your Macrium rescue CD and follow the instructions to restore this drive image.

STEP 5 PARTITIONING HARD DRIVES

One of the most time consuming parts of reinstalling Windows is setting up and sorting out all your data and settings again. The simplest way to get past this problem is to store all your files and some settings on a different drive to Windows and your programs – that way, should you ever have to restore Windows in the future, your data is already in place.

You don’t need to invest in a second hard drive to do this – instead, a process called partitioning enables you to divide a single hard drive into two or more smaller drives, enabling you to keep your data separate from Windows on one drive. Check out the tutorial on page 58 for the full lowdown on how to do this. Once this step is complete, click Start ➜Computer and you’ll see your new drive appear.

The next step in the process involves moving key folders such as My Documents to your new data drive. Start by creating a folder on your new data drive into which all your data will be moved. Open up this folder and create more folders for all your files, such as Documents, Music, Photos, Videos and so on. Windows 7 and Windows Vista users should now click Start followed by your username to access your personal user folder.

Next, right-click on the Documents folder and choose Properties ➜File Location or the Location tab. Now click on the Move button. Select the Documents folder and click OK. When you’re prompted to move your existing files to this folder, click Yes. You can repeat this step for the other folders found in here too, including Desktop, Pictures, Videos and Music.

Doing so now ensures that you’ll never have to back up these folders prior to reinstalling or restoring Windows in future – more time saved! Windows XP users can move their documents, pictures, videos and music folders in one go: just right-click My Documents on the desktop or Start menu and choose Properties, then click on Move.

STEP 6 REINSTALL PROGRAMS

Now is a good time to take a second drive image using Macrium Reflect Free – make sure you only select the drive containing Windows (drive C in most cases). Once done and verified, delete the original ‘baseline’ image you took earlier and use this in its place if necessary. Now you can start reinstalling your programs – don’t reinstall everything at this point; concentrate on core apps such as your email program, Microsoft Office and so on.

Don’t forget to install your security software as well. Make sure your programs are registered and up to date. Also look to move key data from your Windows drive to your data drive – for example, if your email is stored in Windows Mail, Outlook Express or Windows Live Mail, look for a Store Folder option under Maintenance, and point this towards your data drive: look under Tools ➜Options (Windows Mail and Outlook Express) or Options ➜Mail (Windows Live Mail) for an Advanced or Maintenance tab.

Now it’s time to restore your backup: launch the Windows Backup and Restore tool again. Select Restore – Windows will have no record of the backup you made prior to reinstalling, so choose ‘Select another backup’ (Windows 7) or ‘Advanced restore ➜Files from a backup made on a different computer’ (Windows Vista) to locate it. It’s a similar tale with GFI Backup Home Edition – click Restore, select Restore individual files and folders and click OK twice.

Click Import Task, select your back-up job, then restore folders to their new destinations by selecting the folder and clicking Restore to. Select the destination folder and make sure you untick Include original path before clicking OK. Other settings such as Registry, Email and User can simply be restored by clicking on Restore. Once restored, make sure you take a new backup so your data and settings are safely stored on your external device.

Never reinstall again

Everything is now in place to prevent you from ever having to reinstall Windows from scratch again – all you need to do is take one more drive image with Macrium and you’re done. Call this your perfect PC set-up. In future, instead of going through the reinstall process, simply restore this ‘perfect’ drive image. Then take the time to update Windows and all your programs (including your security software), and take an updated image to replace your old one for future use.