How to Rebuild a Personal Computer

At some point, most personal computers will have to be rebuilt. Instead of taking it to a computer shop and paying outrageous prices, it is possible to rebuild it at home. This not only saves money but also prevents others from seeing sensitive or personal information that's on your personal computer. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Copy all needed information. Any documents, Internet favorites, pictures and music for example, should be copied. The data can be saved on a flash drive, an extra hard drive, a CD or DVD, or any other storage device with adequate memory. Any files or information that should be on the personal computer after the rebuild should be copied.

2. Locate software needed. Make sure to have the operating system disks, as well as any software programs to be installed. Drivers for external devices, such as printers, can be downloaded directly from the vendor's website. Also make sure any serial numbers needed to install software are located.

3. Format the hard drive. This erases all the data on the computer. This should only be done after all information has been copied, and software has been found. It wipes out any information on the hard drive, and it is not recoverable once it has started formatting. Formatting is usually done by inserting a boot disk, and typing the command "format c:."

4. Install the oldest software first, then the newer software. The newer software is normally more compatible, so installing the older software first makes any problems visible up front. Make sure to also install all the drivers necessary, and to personalize any settings desired.

5. Put documents and other copied information back. Copy all the data back from the other storage device.

6. Test programs to ensure they are working. Open programs just to make sure that they are functioning correctly and there weren't any problems with the install.