Solved What do I need to back up before factory resetting my laptop?

[FraserBarclay]

Hello

I want to restore my laptop back to it's factory settings. I know how to do this however I want to make sure I don't lose anything in the process.

I have the Operating System Recovery DVD which came with my laptop and I also have a Drivers, Manuals and Utilities DVD which came with the laptop.

I have copied my favourites onto an external HDD.

I have moved all my files (such as music, videos, pictures, word documents etc) onto an external HDD.

I have copied all the installation files for the programs I have onto an external HDD.

Is there anything else I need to do? For example do I need to take a copy of any of the OS files or are they all on the aforementioned DVDs?

Thanks
Fraser

 

[windude99]

Hello

I want to restore my laptop back to it's factory settings. I know how to do this however I want to make sure I don't lose anything in the process.

I have the Operating System Recovery DVD which came with my laptop and I also have a Drivers, Manuals and Utilities DVD which came with the laptop.

I have copied my favourites onto an external HDD.

I have moved all my files (such as music, videos, pictures, word documents etc) onto an external HDD.

I have copied all the installation files for the programs I have onto an external HDD.

Is there anything else I need to do? For example do I need to take a copy of any of the OS files or are they all on the aforementioned DVDs?

Thanks
Fraser

I reccommend you make a Widnows Easy Transfer file that will keep the data that you had in your programs. It will allow you to restore the program data after you reinstall windows with your programs. Easy transfer doesn't backup your programs, but it does back up the program data. Windows Easy Transfer will also backup your user account, which includes your music, pictures, viseos, downloads, and items on your desktop. To use Windows easy transfer, go to start, then type in easy transfer, then click on Windows Easy Transfer. Once it opens click next. Save the easy transfer on your external hard drive by clicking on "a usb hard disk or flash drive." Then, click "this is my old computer". Then Windows Easy Transfer will scanb for what it can backup. Select what all you want it to back up, then click next. You may enter a password is you want, but you don't have to. After that, click save and save it to your external hard drive.

 

[FraserBarclay]

I have created an Easy Transfer File now. Thanks windude99.

Is there anything else I have missed?

 

[windude99]

I have created an Easy Transfer File now. Thanks windude99.

Is there anything else I have missed?

No. Your good to go!

 

[FraserBarclay]

That's great thanks!

 

[writhziden]

Warning: Easy Transfer does not back up Windows Live Mail data or some other data in the hidden appdata folder within your user account. Make sure you do not have anything important being saved by your applications in that directory or its subdirectories. Games, Windows Live data, greeting card files, etc. are often saved there.

 

[FraserBarclay]

Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I do not have any game data, windows live data or greeting card files. I will have a look at the AppData folder anyway.

*EDIT* - Does the AppData folder hold the settings etc of the programs?

 

[writhziden]

I was not entirely clear in my previous post about one thing: What I meant is it does not back those up by default. You can customize it to include that entire directory and its subdirectories. I gave the warning because I know at one point I failed to backup all my old e-mails from Windows Live Mail. Luckily, I had most of them saved on another system, but it was rather a nightmare to lose some since a number of them were important e-mails. Wouldn't want you to go through the same thing, so make sure everything you want is selected through customizing the folders selected by Easy Transfer.

*EDIT* - Does the AppData folder hold the settings etc of the programs?

It may for some programs. For most, that information is stored in Program Files, Program Files (x86), or ProgramData.

 

[FraserBarclay]

Does the AppData folder hold the settings etc of the programs?

Are the emails from my Windows Hotmail account saved on my computer?

 

[writhziden]

How do you access Hotmail? If it is through Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Google Chrome, that info is saved on the Hotmail servers and can be accessed from any browser from any computer with your username and password to Hotmail.

Google Chrome operates from within appdata/local, so it is one program that saves settings in that area for example.It does not save e-mails, though. Just the sites you have visited and bookmarks.

 

[FraserBarclay]

I access Hotmail through my browser.

Okay, thanks for the information.

 

[writhziden]

You're welcome. Holler if you need any further help with the process.

 

[FraserBarclay]

Just a quick follow up.

Once I have set my laptop back to factory default all I do is stick in the disc to put on the OS then plug in my external HDD to copy everything back?

Anything I need to be wary of?

Thanks

 

[writhziden]

You just have to start the Easy Transfer software, click the option that this is your new computer, then select the external drive the Easy Transfer file is on. Then you can choose what to restore or just restore everything. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11470-windows-easy-transfer-transfer-computers.html may be helpful reading.

 

[FraserBarclay]

The problem there is that I had lot's of GB to backup so I didn't select anything I already had a copy of when I was creating the Easy Transfer File. So I couldn't just select the File as that wouldn't restore everything.

I'm guessing I should just be able to copy those files across no problem though.

As long as I have a copy of everything I can worry about getting it back on later.

 

[writhziden]

Yeah, you can just drag and drop from one window to another, or you can select all items you want, right click on one of the items selected, and select copy. Then go to the folder you want to copy to, right click in a blank area, and click paste.

You can also use the method I use through command prompt using robocopy.