Complete format - what do I need to re-install

[s44678]

Right, can't fix my windows after a botched update. So I've backed everything up, and now preparing to format the windows partition and just start again from scratch.

Built the (bastard) thing myself, and seem to remember installing quite a lot of drivers etc when I first built it. Over time I've lost most of the original discs, so I wondered what things do I need to get together before I do this?

I'm assuming

- Windows install
- Graphics card drivers
- Sound card drivers

I'm sure there was something else called 'Nvidia Forceware Drivers' but I cant find the disc. Does anyone know what this is? or am I confusing it with the graphics card (which is Nvidia)?

Cheers in advance

[Hetzer]

Forceware drivers are for motherboards with an NVidia chipset.
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"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[t121anf]

create a windows cd with sp3 built in, it'll only take 30mins or so to make and it'll save you a whole lot of hassle with drivers and windows updates.

you could also google ryanvm and see if he has a post sp3 update pack, when i reinstalled xp last week i am sure there were some 50 update to apply in addition to sp3.

[s44678]

Ahh, that makes sense. Thanks. (@ Hetzer)

So that's probably the most important bit then? Suppose I can get that off the Nvidia site...

[ncrn]

You might need drivers for things like printers, mobile phones and perhaps your mouse/keyboard if they do fancy things. Oh and maybe for any wireless cards. You should be able to get all the drivers you need online.

I re did my PC on Saturday and 90% of the drivers were picked up on windows update, so all I did was run the update manage over and over till it was done, then I looked to see what hardware still didn't work.
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[deanoet]

Windows disk
Windows code
Harddrive driver disk if using SATA / RAID confiduration

+ drivers to get you online
So mobo network drivers / wireless card drivers / USB dongle driver (if u use USB, you need the mobo USB drivers as well)


Once done
Update windows till fully updated
Then go into system and just right click what is yellow and update drivers
Windows will find best ones and install them

GFX download from manufacturer and install
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[Colin Edwards]

Does the old build still work at all?

If you you can still get into windows install MyDrivers:

https://www.zhangduo.com/ (top download)

Do a full driver scan and a full driver backup, This will copy all active and recently used drivers with all associated .sys files etc. Burn these to a CD.

Install windows and when installing devices just point windows to the cd. A cd works better because if you save them to a USB or hard disk you have to search the path manually, A cd install will search the disk until it finds whats needed.

I recommend everyone backs up their drivers. Saves a lot of time.

This software is a full trial version that never expires. There are others like it but this one seems so simple and having used it a lot the most stable I know of...

CE

[s44678]

Cheers for all the info people.

Got it back up and running today. Might look at one of those imaging programs to make a boot disc, to save me all the ballache of installing everything if (when) I cock it up again.

[Colin Edwards]

Get a cheep 2nd hard disk or usb drive.. Buy (cough cough) a copy of ghost and take a copy of your build as it stands. If you make a lot of changes make a backup strategy of once a month of something that suits you more..

CE