by Kimberley Heit

Created on: May 05, 2008

Reformatting your computer is a bit like taking your car for a service. It will rid your computer of viruses and help it run like new again. The good news is that you don't need to be the equivalent of a motor mechanic to undertake this task. If you have a general understanding of computers and the instruction manual for your system it is a relatively easy undertaking.

Over time the running speed of your computer slows down because the file registry becomes corrupted with errors. Therefore the operating system doesn't perform as efficiently as when it was first installed. In addition some viruses and spyware are not simply able to be deleted. Reformatting your computer is the best way to fix all these issues.

HOW OFTEN DOES A COMPUTER NEED TO BE REFORMATTED?

Every 6-12 months depending on the type of usage you undertake. If you run highly demanding software such as video editing software you will need to reformat your computer regularly, however if you only run fairly simple programs like Microsoft word and check the odd email a yearly reformat should keep your computer operating efficiently.

It is also necessary to format or reformat your computer if you purchase a computer which is not preloaded with an operating system or you purchase new hardware like a bigger hard drive.

WHAT IS INVOLVED IN REFORMATTING YOUR COMPUTER?

Essentially undertaking a reformat of your computer is like wiping the slate clean. Everything you have stored on the drive or if you only have one drive everything on your whole computer will be deleted. All of the data you have saved and all of the programs you have installed will be wiped in a reformat. Therefore there are several important steps you should take to ensure you don't lose any of your data or programs.

THE STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO REFORMATTNG YOUR COMPUTER:

Step one- set aside several hours to reformat your computer. Although the installation process often takes less then an hour, reloading all of your data and programs can take some time. The best time to reformat your computer is when you won't need it for a day or two because it can this long to get everything back to how it was before the reformat.

Step Two- You need to back up all of the data you have stored on your computer or the drive you are reformatting. You can copy this data to another drive, an external drive, to the web or CD/DVDs. Besides all of your obvious files such as Microsoft files, music, photos and movies there are a few less obvious files to consider. These include

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