Hello,

Before reformatting, copy all your personal (must keep) files to a backup
device.  You may want to include your personal address book (for email),
your current email files, and possibly your IE favorites.  Backup any
hardware specific drivers for any older devices that you know the
manufacturer no longer supports (i.e., Out-of-Business).

Also before reformatting, make sure you have a few of the essentials
available to you.  Make sure you have the Windows 98 CD and Startup disk
with a copy of FDisk on it.  Boot to this disk and run FDisk.  It's fairly
intuitive, however; to save time - remember the delete order is:  logical
drives in the extended partion, the extended partion, and then delete the
primary partition.

Once that is done, you get to choose how you would like your hard drive
configured.  Create the Primary partion (ensure to choose "enable support
for large drives"), create the extended partion, and logical drives as per
your desire (size).  You also must set the primary partions as the Active
partion.

Following the Fdisk directions,  restart the the computer with the
intentions of loading the Win98 OS (either boot from CD (if bootable) or use
the Win98 startup disk)).  Following the on screen directions, Windows will
format the primary partion and reload Win98 (fresh clean install).  As far
as formatting anything else that you created during the partioning process,
you can format them through with Windows now.  That will get you back to the
original installation.

You should confiure your Internet connection and install your anti-virus
software first.  Because you have a clean installation, you will need to
reload the critical updates from the windows update site and update your
virus definitions.  These steps should be done as soon as possible to ensure
your system is protected from the known vulnerabilities.

That's it off the top of my head, if I have left anything vague - I trust my
colleagues at this site will fill in the gaps.

Good Luck...John

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bonnie :-)" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2003 9:54 PM
Subject: [PCBUILD] Reformat ?


Greetings,
I posted recently about Scandisk taking 14 hours. I've had a couple of great
replies. Someone suggested I might need to reformat, re-install Win98 &
partician the harddrive . Now I can't find that response so I'm asking ...
how does an indiviual (almost novice) reformat???
TIA
Bonnie Rowley


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