Preparing Windows OS Installation

After OS installed for a long moment, moreover if you install a lot of applications you'll feel that the computer slow down. Besides that, you may meet a system crash due to incompatible device driver, fragmented file, full of junk file, virus attack, etc. Of course you have many choice what to do with the computer. But I do recommend to reinstall the OS to make it fresh again.

There are 2 kinds of Windows installation; 1. Replace old OS, 2. Make a fresh installation. By replacing old OS, you don't have to format or loss any data and old program files. I prefer to do a fresh or clean installation. By clean installation, you have to reformat the hard drive, and install the OS into a completely blank partition. With clean installation will completely clean and remove any virus inhabits in the system.

Before reinstalling Windows, you have to prepare your future Windows installation from now and make back-up of some important things inside the hard drive.

1. Back-up documents
Backing up documents is first must to do. If your documents located in My Documents folder which usually in drive C: Nowadays, usually a hard drive divided into several partitions. Move all your important document to other drive except C: (assumed we will make C: as system drive). More than that, you may want to burn the documents into DVD or VCD.

2. Back-up drivers
After back-up documents, you have to make sure that all driver for devices is available and ready to use. Usually, your device driver is in CD format as a package with your new PC/laptop when you buy it for the first time. FYI, devices driver is very important to make sure your devices will works correctly. Even some devices driver already supported by OS. That supported device called PnP stands for Plug and Play. If you cannot find driver for the devices, you can use driver back-up program like Driver Magician or Driver Collector.

3. Back-up settings and fonts
You need to back-up Windows settings and fonts if you don't want to reconfigure you new installation. Later you only need to restore this setting to new installed Windows. To back-up Windows settings you can use Files and Settings Transfer Wizard which located on System Tools under Accessories group in Start menu.

4. Back-up applications setting
Back-up application setting if you have customized settings for application like MS Office. To back-up MS Office settings, for example, go to Start > All Programs > Microsoft Office > Microsoft Office Tools > Microsoft Office Save My Settings Wizard. After that, follow next instruction. If you can't find the Microsoft Office Save My Settings Wizard shortcut, perhaps that feature is currently not installed. To install the feature, insert MS Office original installation CD and choose Add/Remove feature. For other programs back-up settings, refer to documentation comes with your software.