Re-Install Windows 7 Pro-What's Best/Free Way To Backup Files?

Chaim613 · 11 May 2013

Hello,
My machine is quite slow, and in hopes of cleaning/speeding it up, I will try to re-install Windows7 Pro. I don't have an external hard drive and I see a lot of on-line storage resources.

Can I use the on-line file storage locations to substitute for an external HD to put the files somewhere temporarily when I reformat the C: drive and re-install the O/S and later download the files back onto the C: drive?

Are the free file storage sites as good as they sound? Are they all created equal, or are some better than others?
Thanx

gregrocker · 12 May 2013

Here's an option which offers up to 7gb of free storage, tho you can buy more for very cheap. It will also allow you easily to Sync your files to all of your devices. It's all explained here: Sync, Backup and Store your Files to the Cloud with Skydrive - Windows 7 Help Forums.

You can upload the files manually from your SKydrive account you create, or install the Skydrive app to drag anything you want backed up (and later sync'd) to its folder. Just be sure to Unlink it in Settings before you reinstall so files are not deleted when the folder is.

You can also create a data partition on the end of your HD to store your data. As long as you don't touch it during reinstall, just deleting and recreating the C partition instead, your files should be safe there. If you do this I'd use both methods. It's always best to have another HD or external.

Here are also steps to get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 which work equally well for retail.

AddRAM · 12 May 2013

And you can always use blank dvd`s.

Mark Phelps · 12 May 2013

One thing that will make reinstalling a LOT easier is having a full set of working drivers that you can use to restore those that the reinstall doesn't automatically install.

One way I've done this is to use DoubleDriver to copy off all the Win7 drivers to a USB stick. Then, when I reinstall, I simply insert the stick, and for each driver problem seen in Device Manager, I point the driver installer to the top-most directory of the USB stick -- and it finds and installs all the drivers.