Drive Formatting

[kol654]

Hey, not sure where i should post this so i hope it' in the right place. What will happen if i format my hard drive? And what exactly do i have to do to get the computer back up and running the way it was before?

[RJ]

Hi,

What will happen if i format my hard drive?

All data will be gone. That includes any program of any kind, too.

And what exactly do i have to do to get the computer back up and running the way it was before?

You need to install the operating system (Windows) again, and then all the drivers. Then you install all the programs you want and customize Windows the way you like it.

RJ

[kol654]

Hey cheers for that RJ but what exactly did you mean by re-installing all the drivers?

[RJ]

A driver is a program through which Windows is able to use a certain device. Video card, sound card, NIC, printer, whatever, they all need drivers to work in Windows. So, after you install Windows, you need to install the drivers for all the devices you have.

Windows already includes many drivers, sometime only standard or older drivers, so that you will see an image on your screen or hear some sound. So just for basic work. But you get the best results when you install the newest drivers for your devices. You get the drivers from the manufacturer's website.

RJ

[kol654]

Ok, cool, just one last thing, how exactly can i find out what are the exact devices that i have? i mean is there any particual program or anything that i can download that'll be able to inform me?

[glc]

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