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February 25, 2005
Dear CNET members, Spring is right around the corner, and what better way to beat the spring-cleaning rush than this week's topic on how to reformat your drive and start afresh? After years of computer use, useless data and other factors eventually pollute your drive to the point where routine maintenance doesn't help. With that said, I'll let Dana's winning answer, this week's honorable mentions, and other members' suggestions do all the explaining about this process. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned veteran of reformatting hard drives, I encourage every one of you to join in this week's discussion to share your knowledge. Thank you all for your wonderful participation!
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Member Question of the Week
I'm currently running Windows XP Pro. Can you please give me step-by-step instructions on how to reformat my hard drive and start fresh? I have many peripherals attached: a printer, a Webcam, a 64MB video card, a video capture card with TV and FM, and an external modem. Thank you.
Submitted by:
Ricardo R.
Let me start by saying that a complete reformat and reinstallation of your operating system is something that is often required when a computer system has just become too damaged to continue attempting repair. Over time, viruses, spyware, installing and uninstalling programs, and errors that compound themselves can eventually bring even the fastest computer to a grinding halt. Many avid computer users plan a complete restore once every year or two just to keep things running smoothly. Having said this, there are a number of steps you should take before reformatting, as well as things you can do to help speed up the process the next time...
Submitted by:
Dana H. of Wayland, Massachusetts
Please click the following links for this week's: For
Dana's
efforts, we're sending him his choice of any Help.com Learning CD.• Honorable mentions • Other suggestions from members Community Buzz  Each week we take a look at topics discussed in the forums.Best regards and enjoy! Member Rob3000 has a long list of security utilities in place--antivirus, firewall, and a few antispyware apps--all of which he updates and scans regularly. But he's still feeling a bit insecure even with all this protection. Is he wrong or right about having these fears? See what other members are saying, and if you have other security tips to offer, let's hear them. More from the Windows XP forum Newbies shouldn't jump to Firefox browser Here's a twist. While in our forums, more often than not, members usually recommend the switch to Firefox, but in this instance, member skyace begs to differ, advising newbies to hold off jumping on the Firefox bandwagon. Want to know why? Read his post and chime in on what you think of his opinion. More from the Computer newbies forum Three new hard drives: loud clicking noises If you recently purchased a Maxtor hard drive that emits loud clicking noises, you're not alone. See what members are experiencing and share your issues with one another; maybe together there is a solution to this madness More from the PC hardware forum Strange e-mail: how can it be stopped? Getting strange e-mail messages from people you don't know all of sudden? If you're oblivious to e-mail spoofing, you'll want to join in this discussion to find out more. If you have any sound suggestions and explanations for these members about e-mail spoofing, we want to hear them. More from the Viruses & security alerts forum Perils of unsecured wireless networks If you take a laptop with a wireless network adapter and drive around, I guarantee you'll find more open wireless hot spots than you can handle. So are you one of the people providing wireless access without even knowing it? Take a look at how this member and his friends may be tapping into your bandwidth--and more. Maybe it's time to revisit the security setting on your wireless network. More from the Wireless Internet forum Mac nugget: One mouse, keyboard, and monitor for Mac and PC usage So you've just introduced yourself to a Mac but would still like to continue using a PC, too? Does that mean you need two of everything: keyboard, mouse, and monitor? Find out in this discussion what is needed without having to double up on everything. More from the Mac hardware forum |
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Check out next week's question:
I'm relatively new to surfing and so on. I'm about to upgrade to ADSL from dial-up. I'd like to know what I need to do to protect my privacy and my PC from malicious invaders and viruses. I'm currently using Norton but feel it won't be enough once I've converted. Secondly, how safe is it to give out private information, especially banking or credit card details to sites that request such information for verification purposes only and not for billing. Are these sites legit? I'd really like some feedback regarding these issues, especially on Internet security. Thanks!
--Submitted by:
Steven V.D.M.
e-mail us at messageboards@cnet.com. If we choose your response, you'll get a free Help.com CD. Click here for Q&A submission guidelines and check out our previous Help & How-to newsletters here.
Have a question? E-mail us on one of our upcoming topics:
Need help right away? Don't wait for us, come and join our lively community forums for all the tech help and how-tos.
Last week's poll results
How often do you perform system maintenance? Have a poll you'd like to ask our members? E-mail us a suggestion. Simple question, simple answer
Help your fellow members
This week on CNET
 Ask the Editors: A computer's life expectancy What will you need to replace and when? Our editor answers. Learn more  Tech Nightmares: Wi-Fi horrors What do you do when your network goes dark, leaving you and your computer disconnected from all hope? Learn more |
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