Reinstalling Windows without Losing your Data

But if you really have to reinstall, there's no need to lose any data other than your 'old' Windows.

The safest way is to make different partitions on your hard disk and to put your programs and data on a different drive than the one with Windows on it. Don't bother to move the installed applications--just setup files and zip files will do, you'll have to reinstall programs anyway because those installed under your old Windows won't work under your new Windows (99% of all programs alter your System files).

To make these partitions you need a special program. In other words, you need to spend a little money (if you really can't afford it, check out the next paragraph). With this program, you can also make partitions in DOS, so it's not too late if you're unable to enter Windows.

With, for instance, your programs on D:\ and your data on E:\, you won't feel so bad when you key in the 'FORMAT C:\' command.

But why not reinstall Windows without formatting anything? Why should you format anyway?

Experience has shown that cleaning up your old Windows is the best option. If you don't, some of it, or even a lot of it, will remain, even if you have deleted or, which is the better option, renamed it. In the first stages of the installation, Windows Setup searches the drive in which you want to install for already installed components, and it will find them as long as they are undeletable. Depending on what the problem was, things might not be any different after reinstallation. This can also be the case if you apply a 'trick' that is recommended here and there: install Windows in a new folder, e.g. C:\WINDOW. This is one of the options you can try if you really don't want to repartition your disk. In our opinion, this will lead to a messy system and a lot of adjusting that will never get finished.

Another 'trick' is provided by Windows itself in 'Microsoft Batch 98 Setup' (on the 98 cd in Tools/Reskit) or 'Batch Setup for Windows 95' (on the 95 cd in Admin/Nettools). This tool should be used when you have a properly functioning Windows with settings and preferences you are comfortable with. In times of trouble, you can reinstall fast and without having to do anything to get your preferences back. It's not imperative that you format your Windows drive; all you have to do is rename (or delete, but that is not advisable) the former Windows folder--and this is why, again, things could go wrong anyway: if you had corrupted files in that directory, they could pop up again in your 'new' Windows. Keep in mind that Microsoft did not develop this tool to be used for reinstallment of Windows, but for batch installations on workstations in a network. Also, reinstallation with Batch Setup doesn't always work; for some reason or other the registry is liable to get corrupted before setup is complete--which is one of the reason that in this case you should rename your 'old' Windows, and not delete it.

Conclusion: if you don't want to take any chances, reinstall Windows on a completely empty drive. To keep your data, you need other drives (other partitions). Instead, you could also save your data and programs to an external hard disk. If you don't have one, it will cost you more than a partitioning program, and it is only 'safer' if you fear internal hard disk problems.

(If you're not familiar with 'setup', 'rename', 'delete' etc., read about the basics of (re)installing Windows.)