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 , 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 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 (Windows XP, NT, , 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 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 "" 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 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 (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 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 , andWindows ME. These presented an 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 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 's , 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)