Re: What to save before reformatting

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"Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uBxGVrZ9GHA.536@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
MaryL wrote:

I plan to reformat my hard disk. I have a Compaq computer that has
been getting slower and slower, and I frequently have problems with
freezes when I simply click on a link in newsgroups or Internet
programs. I have tried everything I know to do, but I think the time
has come to "bite the bullet" and reformat.


Your choice of course, but I think that's almost always a mistake. Besides
all the difficulties involved with recreating your system the way you want
it, you won't find out what caused your slowdowns and freezes and will
therefore very likely repeat the behavior that caused it, and quickly find
yourself back where you started.



I have a couple of questions that I hope someone can help with:
(1) I have the original Compaq Restore Plus disks that came with the
computer. The tiny manual with them only refers to a complete
format. Does anyone know if there is a way to do a "partial restore"
where my exisiting programs would not be lost?


There's no such thing. The restore CD puts your computer back to the
condition it was in when you got it.


(2) In case I really do have to reinstall everything, how/what should
I backup so I can return Windows and newsgroups to their present
settings -- newsgroups with threads that have been marked to follow,
etc.? I already have good backups of all data on my computer. I rotate
the
process, so I always have 4 different sets (in case of a total
disaster). I also have all of the original program disks --
everything on my computer is registered; no piracy. So, I can
restore everything if necessary, but it will take many hours (or
days). Any tips will be greatly appreciated.



Yes, it will take many hours or days, and as I said, my guess is that
you'll soon find your self back in the same situation.. My advice is not
to do this, but to address the problems you have. Describe your probelms
here, and it's likely that someone can help you and you won't have to
reformat.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup


Okay, I would like to try. I would much rather *not* reformat, but I did
post a question about this earlier without any success. There were some
suggestions, but I did not succeed. One person recommended that I look at
Event Logs, but I did not understand them.

First, the computer has gotten much slower. That could be "bloat" because
of too many programs. One problem is that some of the programs came
preinstalled, and I simply don't know if it's safe to get rid of some of
them. There are some, of course, that I can get rid of, and that part would
be simple.

Second, I get very frequent "nonresponsive program" errors where the screen
freezes and I have to use alt/ctrl/del. This brings up the dialog box which
shows
the program is nonresponsive (and a request to send a report). On some
occasions, I have to reboot because the 3 keys won't work. This occurs when
I am using IE or newsgroups, and it happens without any warning. I will
click on a link, and nothing happens -- then I know the gremlin has struck
again! This happens several times a day and is really annoying. It most
often happens when I click on a link within newsgroups and sometimes when I
click on a link in IE. They are innocuous, "safe" links -- such as a link
within CNN.com. After I reboot, I can usually click on the same link and
have no problem.

I am using a Compaq Presario 8000 running Win XP-Home Edition with Service
Pack 2 and updates, and I have a LinkSys wireless-G router (2.4GB). It is a
Pentium IV CPU, 2.40 GHz, 512 MB of RAM. I use AVG for anti-virus checks.
I regularly run Ad-Aware and Spy Bot. I clean the cache daily, and
sometimes more often if I have accessed bank accounts or credit card
information. The Windows Firewall is turned on. The computer has a
DVD+R/RW drive, 120GB primary hard disk, 80GB Maxtor 7200 RPM secondary hard
disk, and Iomega internal Zip 250 MB drive. I use Sudden Link (previously
Cox) Internet via cable.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

MaryL


.

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