How to Backup Files before Reformatting a PC

Instructions
Things You’ll Need:
• Image Software
• Floppy Disks
• CD-R
• DVD
• Flash Drive
1. Probably the easiest way towards data recovery or data backup is to move your data onto a
flash drive. The greatest advantage is that they're portable for easy transfer, data can be
rewritten, and these devices cannot scratch like a typical CD-ROM. Simply purchase the
appropriate size for your needs, and you're good to go!
2. Moving your data DVD-R/RW is yet another good option for all your storage and backup
needs. The only downside to achieving this is having to own a DVD-RW drive. However,
considering today's low prices on these relatively old technology, it should not be a hassle to
get your hands on one.
3. Of course, placing your information on a basic CD-R/RW is also convenient, but due to their
small size of only 700MB, this may not be the best choice for you. If your information is simply
composed of pictures and documents, by all means, stick to this easy and convenient option.
Note that a CD burner is required and further backup software may be needed.
4. Harder, less common options also include transferring your data from one hard drive onto
another. You will need to either have two separate hard drives connected to your computer, or
even make a partition of one single drive. This solution can be rather difficult, but if there aren't
many choices, performing this task is certainly welcome. Hard drive partitioning may require a
more experienced audience.
5. Do you have a home network set up in your home? With the appropriate permissions, any data
can be easily transferred from one machine onto another within your environment. This option
is also recommended for an experienced audience.
6. Who can forget our trusty e-mail account? Today, most e-mail hosts grant you enormous
amounts of space, purely for text and occasional attachments. Gmail, for example, greatly
exceeds 5 GB of storage for basic e-mail access, which is often more than enough for all your
backup purposes. Simply upload the data, and say goodbye to your data-loss worries. Note:
Broadband connection recommended.
7. There are plenty of web hosts on the internet that allow you to also backup online. Websites
like Send Space, Mega Upload, You Send It, and Rapid Share are among the easiest and
most popular in existence. Again, upload your desired data, and conveniently download it
again once needed back onto your computer. Note: Broadband connection recommended.

Tips & Warnings

• Among every tip listed, moving your data to a flash drive is the easiest.
Most computers nowadays are equipped with USB ports, which are always used by these
portable, convenient devices.
• Backup your data regularly. Do not keep it all in one place, as any flash drive, CD/DVD, and
hard drive can eventually get damaged.
• IMPORTANT: If formatting your computer, all data will be lost. Save/backup before performing
such task.

How to reformat a PC

Sometimes, problem with Computer caused by PC viruses gets worse and reformatting your computer and
reinstalling operating system (Windows XP, NT, Windows Vista, etc…) becomes your only option in order to fix
your PC. Knowinghow to reformat a computer will help you to save your money in times of PC problem
because you can reformat your disk yourself and you don’t have to call for technicians. Formatting a disk is
just one of the basics when it comes to computer troubleshooting but most people don’t know how to do it. If
you are one of them, here’s how to reformat a computer and also how to reinstall yourWindows
XP or Windows Vista Operating System.

Note: Before you continue to reformat your PC make sure to back-up those important files first and also make
sure that you have the right driver

software for your hardware for the proper functioning after reinstalling windows.

How to ReFormat Your Computer and Reinstall Windows Vista.

1. Insert the Windows XP Vista CD.

2. Turn on or restart your computer.
3. When the PC starts to boot, keep pressing F2 or DEL to enter BIOS Setup. (This depends between
manufacturers)
4. Once inside the BIOS Setup, we need to change the start-up sequence, so that the CD/DVD ROM is in
the first boot sequence. Go to the Boot Menu and follow this sequence: CD/DVD ROM, Removable
Devices, Hard Drive, Network Boot.
5. Press F10 to save and exit.
6. Your computer will restart, Strike any key When you see the message “Press any key to boot from CD or
DVD”
7. Install Windows Screen appears, Select the Time, Language, Currency format, Keyboard or input
method.
8. Another Install windows will appear, press the INSTALL NOW button to continue.
9. Now you you will see a screen asking you to enter the product key. You can find the product key on a
label on the packaging. You may also choose the “Automatically Activate Windows When I’m Online”, if
you chose this option, the operating system will verify that you have a valid product key within 30 days
of installation using Activation Wizard.
10. Agree to license agreement.
11. Now we have to choose for the type of installation. Since we are doing clean installation of Windows
Vista, we have
to choose Custom installation.
12. After the type of installation, you will now have to choose the disks where you want to install the
Windows Vista.
Click the Drive Option to show the Format, and New (to be used when you want to crease New Partition)
Option.
13. Make sure to choose the right partition disk that you want to format. Now click the Format and wait for a
few moments.
14. After it finished formatting, click Next button. Its just a matter of waiting as Vista goes through the
install motions. It will restart several time. Installation can take from 30 minutes or over an hour.

BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH

History
The term Blue Screen of Death originated during development of the IBM OS/2 operating system at Lattice Inc, the
makers of early Windows and OS/2compilers. Developers encountered the error screen when bugs in the operating
system's software (typically null pointers) slipped through the net during beta testing. In feedback to IBM, a company
known informally as 'Big Blue', the developers humorously described the Stop screen as the 'Blue Screen of Death' in
consequence of its color, of the association of that color with IBM, and of the finality of the error (which caused the
computer to hang without any possibility of recovery, requiring a manual restart).

Details
If configured to do so, the computer will perform a "core dump" and save all data in memory in raw form to a disk file
(known as a "dump file") for later retrieval, to assist in the analysis by an expert technician of the causes of the error.

Blue screens are typically caused by uncorrected software errors in device drivers: in NT-based Windows systems by
poorly-written device drivers, and in the Windows 9x family of operating systems by incompatible DLL driver files or bugs
in the software kernel of the operating system. They can also be caused by physical hardware faults, such as faulty
RAM memory or power supplies, overheating of components, or hardware which is run beyond its specification limits
("overclocking").

These errors have been present in all Windows-based operating systems since Windows 3.1. OS/2 suffered from
the Black Screen of Death (also BSOD), and early builds of Windows Vista displayed a Red Screen of Death due to
a boot loader error.

Windows 1.0 and 2.0

Windows 1.0

The earliest blue screen of death was encountered upon booting into Windows 1.0, and subsequently Windows 2.0, and
consisted of seemingly random data ("garbage") composed of code page 437 symbols, presented against a blue
background. When Windows 1.0 encountered any MS-DOSrelated critical system errors, it displayed a black screen of
death instead.

Windows 3.0, 95, 98, and ME

The first blue screen that resembled an error screen was in the Windows 3.0 series. Similar error screens appeared
in Windows 95, Windows 98 andWindows ME. These presented an error message against an all-blue background, in 80-
column 25-line text mode. The error screen was displayed when there was a critical startup error (such as accessing a
hardware driver file that no longer existed), or in the case of some other serious fault such as an unhandled error
occurring inside a VxD hardware driver file. The BSOD also occurred during system use if a device driver had to present
a modal dialog to the user, such as where a removable disk was removed from the drive whilst a file was being read or
written.

Windows 9x/Windows ME

During a demonstration of a beta version of Windows 98 by Microsoft's Bill Gates, at COMDEX on April 20, 1998, a SE
incident occurred in public. The computer crashed with a blue screen when his assistant (Chris Capossela, currently
Microsoft's Corporate VP in the Information Working business unit) connected a scanner to demonstrate Windows 98's
support for Plug and Play devices. This brought applause from the crowd, and Gates replied after a pause: "That must be
why we're not shipping Windows 98 yet.”

Windows NT
Windows 2000

In Windows NT-based operating systems, the Stop error, (which is displayed in 80-column 50-line text mode) occurs
when the kernel, or a driver running inkernel mode, encounters any error from which it cannot recover. This is usually
caused by an illegal operation being performed, where the only safe action the operating system can take is to restart the
computer. As a result data may be lost, since the user is not given an opportunity to save any unsaved data to disk. Unlike
those versions of Windows based on Windows 95, the Stop error is reserved for where the system is halted due to
a bugcheck. Other modal messages are not displayed with a Stop error.

The text on the error screen contains an error number along with four error-dependent values, supplied to assist a
software engineer to fix the cause. Depending on the error number, it may display the memory address at which the
problem occurred, together with identifying details of the driver file loaded at that address. Under Windows NT and 2000,
the second and third sections of the screen may list all the currently-loaded drivers and display all memory data (a "stack
dump"), respectively. The driver information will list the disk address of the driver file, the file's creation date (as a Unix
timestamp), and the name of the file.[4]

Windows XP-based automatic teller machine displaying a stop error

By default, Windows NT based systems create a memory dump file when a Stop error occurs. Depending on the
operating system version, this can range from a 64kB mini-dump to a complete dump of memory that saves the entire
active contents of the RAM memory. The resulting file can thus be analysed later. A kernel debuggersoftware program
may be needed in order to obtain a stack trace (identifying certain memory information) to find the true cause of the error,
as the on-screen information is limited and may conceal the true cause.

Windows NT based systems can be configured to send live error details (or "debugging information") to software running
on a separate computer, (typically, to a kernel debugger program). Windows XP allows such software to be run on the
same computer as it booted from. If a Stop error is encountered while that software is running, Windows will halt and
cause the debugger to take over, rather than display a bluescreen. The debugger program can then be used to examine
the live contents of the computer's RAM memory in order to determine the causes of the problem.

A Stop error can also be caused by a critical boot loader error, where the operating system is unable to start from the
bootable drive due to the presence of an incorrect disk driver, a damaged file system, or a similar problem. In such cases
no memory dump is saved. As the system is unable to start from the hard drive, correction of the error requires booting
from the Windows set-up CD, to correct the problem by performing a repair install or by using the Recovery
Console (with CHKDSK or fixboot)