Q: What if my PC needs to have Windows reinstalled? What do I need to know and do to prepare for this?

A: If your PC crashed and is in such bad shape that it needs to be rebuilt, we’ll need to wipe your system and reinstall Windows. We can get your data and save it before we do this, but we cannot do this for programs. Programs cannot be copied, they must be reinstalled.

Therefore, you’ll need to gather all of the CD/DVD installation disks for any programs that you are using on your computer. If you downloaded your software, we can re-download them, or we can usually get these off your hard drive for you, even if your PC doesn’t start.

Typical Software Includes:

• Microsoft Office (includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, and Outlook).
• Personal finance software, such as Quicken, Quick Books, Microsoft Money, Peachtree, Turbo Tax, etc.
• Games, Photo Editing, CD/DVD Burning, and any programs you installed after you bought your computer.
• AntiVirus or Firewall software, such as Norton, McAfee, Zone Alarm, etc.
• Your Windows CD/DVD, if you have one. We usually don’t need it though, as we have our own disks.

What Data Files Do You Need?

Make a list of any other personal information you want to keep and tell us what you want us to back up. This usually includes:

• Contents of the ‘My Documents’ folder (documents, pictures, music and multimedia files).
• Favorite Internet sites/bookmarks.
• Email, Address Book, and Calendar (not needed if you use web-based email, like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc).
• Financial data from programs such as Quicken, Quickbooks, Microsoft Money, etc.