Reinstalling programs after formatting a computer

If you have to format your computer and reinstall an operating system, you will find you need to reload any programs that you want to use. Here is how to reinstall several popular programs:

iTunes
iTunes is a free program but must be reinstalled on your computer if you have had to do a format. You can go to www.itunes.com and click on the Download iTunes for Free button, then follow the prompts to install it.

Firefox / Chrome
These operating systems will need to be reinstalled after a format, however both are free downloads. Visit the Mozilla or Google websites and look for their links to download the respective programs.

Microsoft Office
The Office suite includes programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more. In order to load this program back onto your computer, you will need to find the discs for it. This is not a free program, so is likely something you purchased at one time or another. Many computers come with a free 60 day trial version, but once the trial has expired you will need to purchase the software to continue using it. If your computer originally came with it installed but after formatting the computer you lost it, I’m sorry but you are out of luck and will need to purchase the software to use it again. You can also not share one copy of the software with your entire office. The software will need to be activated by a product key, and if Microsoft determines the product has been activated too many times it will not allow further activation. This is a valuable program, so just spend the $100 or so and buy a legit copy for your use.

Internet Explorer
If you are using a PC, Internet Explorer will automatically be downloaded when you reinstall your operating system. You should not need to do anything.

Virus Scan
Virus scan software can be downloaded either via discs, or online. If you purchased the software online originally, go to the manufacturer website for the virus scan and log in to your account. Most big-name companies will have a record of how much time is remaining in your current subscription, and will let you re-download the product.

Other software
Other software you might use includes accounting software (Quickbooks, Quicken), games (Warcraft, Sims), photo editing software (Adobe, Kodak) and more. These programs were likely purchased by you at some point and came with a CD that you can use to download the software. Use the discs and make sure to have on hand any product key numbers that came with the software in order to reinstall it.

Format A Secondary Drive or External Drive with Windows XP or Vista

Formatting a secondary drive or external drive in Microsoft Windows XP or Vista is easier and less time consuming then formatting a primary drive. (These steps should work for all external drives suchs a usb jump drives, flash drives, flash cards, firewire drives, etc)

The first step, is opening My Computer or Computer.

Right click on the drive you wish to format. (This drive would normally NOT be labelled C:)

Select Format. Then, hit Start. If you are in a rush, you can check the box for Quick Format (files possibly could still be recovered with this method).

Before you format your computer – Getting Started

• Operating System CD/DVD This will say Windows 7 Windows XP, Vista, etc. on it, or might be called a Restore CD/DVD.
• Product Key This is a long number usually located on a sticker on the back of your computer. This is required to activate your operating system.
• Drivers You will likely need to reinstall some drivers in order to have full functionality of the computer. Drivers might be located on a CD/DVD that came with the computer, or you can go to the computer manufacturer’s website and look them up by model and operating system. Save yourself some grief and download the Network Drivers onto a portable USB drive ahead of time, so that you can quickly restore internet access after the format.
• Software You will need to reinstall your software after formatting your computer. Take an inventory of what you have on your computer before you format it. Common software programs you might use include Office (Word, Excel, Outlook…), accounting software (Quickbooks, Quicken…), and antivirus software.

Other notes:

Back up your data before formatting your computer. Make sure to back up all documents, pictures, music, contacts, emails, and anything else you regularly use. An external hard drive is a great tool for backing up data.