Straightforward: A Fresh Reinstall

Repair installations can fix some problems, but they won't clean up your PC or do much to speed it up. If all the clean-up tutorials in the world have no effect on your PC's performance, if its reliability is at an all-time low, or you can't even boot into Windows, a complete format and reinstall is - in most cases - the solution.

Formatting your hard drive will erase everything on that drive, so it's important you back up all your data - documents, photos, email, settings and so on - before you begin. Open your backup tool and perform a manual backup to ensure the latest versions of your files are secure. If you're unable to boot into Windows, or want the security of knowing every possible file on your computer is protected, follow the tutorial on page 26 to take a complete backup - known as a 'drive image - of your hard drive. If anything goes wrong, simply restore this backup and start again.

Again, the procedure for reinstalling Windows will be different depending on whether your computer was supplied with a recovery disc or partition, or a Windows installation disc. As with the repair installation procedure, if you're using built-in recovery options, set this procedure in motion when starting your PC - either boot from the disc or press the key when prompted to access them.

The key difference between this and a repair restore is that you want to perform a 'destructive' recovery - one which wipes all existing data from the Windows partition and returns your computer to the exact state it was in when you first switched it on.

A full reinstall
Reinstalling from the Windows installation disc is reasonably straightforward - unplug any non-essential USB devices such as printers, then pop in your Windows installation disc and restart your computer. When prompted to press any key to boot from CD or DVD, do so, and the installation process will begin.

This process differs depending on whether you're reinstalling Windows XP or Windows Vista/Windows 7. We've placed a PDF of the complete procedure for Windows XP users on the cover disc, but Windows Vista and Windows 7 users should read on for instructions.

After Windows has loaded the basic set-up files you'll be asked to set your language: click the Time and Currency format menu to select English (United Kingdom), which is above the default setting of English (United States). Click 'Next', then 'Install now' to continue.

Windows Vista users will be prompted to enter their product key here - do so before clicking 'Next'. After reading the licence agreement, tick I accept the licence terms' and click 'Next' again. When prompted for the installation type, choose 'Custom (Advanced)'. A list of your hard drives and partitions will appear - select the one with your current installation and click Drive Options' for more options. Click 'Format', read the warning - this is the point of no return - and click 'Yes to format the hard drive.

Sit back and wait
Once formatted, click 'Next' and the installation proper will begin. This will take 30 minutes or so depending on the speed of your hard drive. Once the process is done, Windows will reboot - ignore the prompt to boot from CD or DVD this time - and you're ready to configure your new installation.

The configuration is straightforward: supply a username, a name for your computer (to identify it on your network) and a password for your account. Windows 7 users will then be prompted to enter their product key. Once done, click Use recommended settings to ensure Windows stays up to date, then verify your time zone.

The final stage involves connecting to your network. If Windows installed wireless and/or Ethernet drivers, you'll be prompted to connect to any nearby wireless network. Once this is done, Windows will complete the setup process and you'll have a fresh, uncluttered installation to work with.

Restore
Once you're back at your desktop, follow the instructions in the post-restore box to bring your computer back to working order. Once done, the final step is to restore your data and settings using your backup tool.

Whether you're using the built-in Backup and Restore tool in Windows, or using Comodo Backup from the cover disc, you'll need to manually select your backup - in the case of the Windows Backup tool, after clicking 'Restore' you'll be told the backup can't be found. Don't panic. choose Select another backup (Windows 7) or 'Advanced restore > Files' from a backup made on a different computer (Windows Vista) to locate it yourself.

When you come to restore the backup, the default setting should be to restore the files to their original location, which should be the correct option in most cases. Once your files have been restored successfully, you're ready to launch your backup tool again and create a new backup plan to ensure your files are protected in the future.