Is is possible to refresh my pc without having to format it?

Question

My pc has been infected with viruses and with other problems and after cleaning the viruses i lost other applications so I am then wondering if there is any other possibility which i can use to give it a new and fresh life.

Thanx!

Answer 1

Hello,

Usually, I always format the computer to fix it. If you can't do that you can do the following...

Boot your computer in safe mode with networking. How to do that?

Keep hitting F8 really fast as your computer starts up on the Windows screen. Select safe mode with networking. Once booted up go to filehippo.com.

Download CCCleaner, Hijackthis, AVG Antivirus, Windows Defender, and Spybot Search and Destroy. Hijack this works great for getting rid of almost everything, all other apps will finish it off.

Install all of those apps, scan your computer with all of them, and remove anything you find (with hijack this you need to resort to a guide below).

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial42.html

Secondly, go to add remove programs in the control panel. Remove any antivirus software you have, and try to take off everything you know that you didn't install / need. Game stuff, toolbars, odd looking names....

Try that and respond back

Answer 2

You never HAVE to format your PC.

If you have your Windows CD you can do a Repair Re-Install of Windows. This is a complete refresh of Windows but does not affect your files and installed programs.

Some manufacturers give you a repair partition instead of a Windows CD and SOMETIMES offer the equivalent. In this case there may also be an option to reset the computer to factory settings BUT preserve your files and data. It's probably safest to make a backup anyway.

If you do manage to give your computer a new and fresh life, make sure it is not a short life by getting an anti-virus program.

Answer 3

Put you operating system disk in the CD-ROM and then go to Start>Run and type sfc /scannow, this activates Windows "system file checker".

Be sure to leave a space between the "c" and the "/".

If that doesn't work, do a system repair install.

To do a repair install, do the following.
1) set cd-rom as first boot.
2) insert your OS disk.
3) restart.
4) let Windows load its files.
5) press F8 to agree to terms.
6) Windows will complain there is already a OS installed, continue.
7) press R for repair install - caution do not format.
This way all your data will remain intact, only windows will be repaired.
Windows will delete some of its files and then replace them, and you will have repaired operating system.