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How to Save the Day

Thanks to ON Magazine www.onmagazine.com - May 2001

How to Reinstall Your Operating System.
Sometimes the only cure for a sick PC is starting from scratch.
  • After a lengthy period of happy computer-using, are you constantly getting system errors for no apparent reason?

  • Have you installed so much junk on your computer, in so many weird folders that you've lost track of it all and don't know how to delete it?

  • About to turn your computer over to a friend and want to get rid of any, um, incriminating documents?
Then it's time to reinstall your operating system
(also know as your OS - Windows, most likely, if you're on a PC).

Think of it as cleaning out your fridge:
taking out (usually) everything, getting rid of the sour milk and week-old squid pad thai and putting all the stuff that you still need back in again.

It's not exactly a fun thing to do with a date, but it is fairly simple - though count on it taking anywhere from one to five hours, depending on your level of tech savvy and how selective you want the reinstall to be.

If you want to do a complete brain wipe, it's pretty easy:
it's a bit tougher if you want to pick and choose which programs to delete.

Reinstall your OS once or twice a year, and you'll notice a marked improvement in your computer's performance.

Just make sure to back everything up on floppies or more capacious Zip disks (which you should be doing anyway), follow these simple steps (depending on whether you're on a PC or Mac), and you'll be cleaning house in no time.

For Windows 98 and ME users:

Step One
    Back up all your programs and files.
  • Make sure you have a backup of your operating system too - this may or may not have come with your computer.
  • Print or save copies of your user IDs
  • Passwords,
  • Dial up numbers for your Internet service
  • And any other irreplaceable information.
Step Two
    Make sure you have a boot disk.
  • This probably came with your computer: if it didn't, you need to make one.
  • Windows ME users need to download the Windows ME Boot Disk Maker.
  • Windows 98 users: put a blank floppy disk in your computer and go to Control Panel, then Add/Remove Programs, then Startup Disk, and follow the prompts.
  • Windows 95 users: get a friend with Windows 98 to make you one.
  • You should always have one of these stored in a safe place.
Step Three
    If you have an operating system CD that boots the computer,
  • Put it in and reboot.
  • If it works, you'll see an install menu after restarting your machine and automatically running Setup Wizard.
  • Some manufacturers (such as Gateway and Sony) let you do either a total reinstall or just a reinstall of Windows and essential drivers.
  • In either case, reformat your hard disk before completing the installation.
  • If your computer requests driver disks during the setup process, you'll usually find them on the operating system CD in a folder called Drivers.
  • You're doing fine now - skip ahead to Step 7.
Step Four
    If you can't reboot directly from your CD, insert your boot disk (see Step 2).
  • Restart your PC.
Step Five
    If your computer loads a CD drive
  • (A text display will say this is happening),
  • Put in your operating system CD, type d: (or whatever letter is assigned to your CD drive).
  • Type dir; you should see setup.exe.
  • Now switch to your floppy (by typing a:)
Step Six
    The Windows 98 startup disk includes utilities for preparing your hard drive.
  • Type format c:/s to reformat the hard drive, which will obliterate all programs and data on your PC.
  • There is no turning back now.
  • You did remember to back everything up, right?
  • When you're done, switch to the CD drive again (that is d:),
  • type setup.exe, then hit Enter to install Windows 98.
Step Seven
    Windows 98 and ME users
  • Go to the Start menu and click on Windows Update to connect to Microsoft's website
  • Download any updates that were released since your CD was created.
Step Eight
    Need any more help?
  • Go to the aptly named Windows Reinstall site.

Mac Users, Here's What You Should Do

    You Mac folks are lucky. It's way easier to debug a software problem on a Mac.
  • Go to the Extensions Manager in the Control Panel
  • and turn off all extensions.
  • Next, turn on the extensions one a time,
  • Rebooting after each until you isolate the problem.
  • If that fails, though, sometimes even you'll need to reinstall your OS.
Here's how
Step One
Turn Off any security software.
Step Two
Back Up your files (see Windows Step 1)
Step Three
Get out your restore CD. Normally it's provided along with your computer.
Step Four
Decide how much you want to restore. You'll typically have the option of either the system Restore CD, which restores everything on your computer, or a second CD that allows you to select the specific programs you want to restore.
Step Five
Put in the CD you want, open the Startup Disk Control Panel and choose the CD as your Startup Disk.
Step Six
Restart your Mac and then follow the prompts.
Step Seven
  • Doing a complete system restore?
  • Make sure that you select the option to erase the hard disk first.
  • Doing a Custom Install?
  • Run Drive Setup in the CD's utilities folder.
  • Select the Hard Disk, then click on Initialize.
  • After the disk is formatted, run the System Software Installer;
  • Select Easy Install, or Custom if you want to pick and choose your components.
Step Eight
Restart your Mac again - Reinstall the data you backed up.
Step Nine






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