Remember when your computer was shiny and new? Windows ran smoothly, applications opened fast and error messages were few. Over time you may have noticed some changes though. As applications were installed, patched, upgraded and uninstalled, as data files were created or downloaded, and perhaps as the occasional virus or malware jumped in (and hopefully was promptly squashed by your protection software), your shiny new PC began to slow down. Between leftover temporary files, changes to the configuration files, and other debris often left behind by normal applications, it’s no surprise that your computer is slower, less reliable, and more prone to errors than it was when you first unboxed it. The best way to give your computer a new lease of life is to wipe all of the information and start again with a new software load (commonly known as a ‘rebuild’ or a ‘wipe & reload’).

Computer experts regularly rebuild their own computers to restore their performance and sometimes it’s a better alternative than trying to remove a particularly nasty virus. However, before the rebuild proceeds, there are a number of things that you can do to make the process easier:

1. Know where you’ve been saving your files: If you create a new document or copy some photos from your digital camera, where do you save those files to? Whilst we can search for common file types, it’s a much quicker process when we know that you’ve been keeping everything under ‘My Documents’ (for example).

2. Know what software you use: Let us know if you use any specific software packages (such as accounting, sales or customer management software), so we can check other locations for hidden data. These types of software can store your information in locations which may not be obvious.

3. Know your account details: Your computer may be set to store and ‘remember’ your login details for certain websites. This information will be lost during a rebuild and will need to be re-entered, so make sure you have a list of any usernames and passwords. You may also have username, password and mail server details in your email client that will need to be re-entered.

4. Locate your software installation files: Get into the habit of storing all of your software CDs in one box, to make it easy to find the original files when you need them reinstalling. If your software was obtained via an internet download, store all of your downloads in one folder on your computer (e.g. name ‘Source’). You also may need to provide a serial number, license number or product key, which would have been supplied when you originally purchased the software. Keep these details filed in a box or in a folder on your computer to ensure they can be easily retrieved for the rebuild.

5. Your computer’s new look: If you’ve spent some time customizing your icons, menus, screen saver etc, much of this will be lost as your computer returns to the default software settings. Take a photo of your menu layout before the rebuild or take the opportunity to create a new look afterwards.

Talk to your local Computer Troubleshooter about the benefits of rebuilding your computer and how you can help to make the process go much smoother by providing the above important information.