lil'o'lady trying to do the impossible! REFORMAT HD

[Guest]

WHO are you talking with here:
56 yr old grandmother.
intelligent but S L O W... with little memory.
NOT computer savvy, but tenacious.
DETERMINED to take back my computer [system info below] from those hardware
[software?] grabbing, vile, meanies who got in thru the internet.

I must reformat and start again.
I have recovered what i could of what i lost.
DELL is too busy to help me, so... .

QUESTION:
can i save programs i have on my computer that didn't come on it originally?
some i bought and downloaded [don't remember which ones or whether i
registered them or... .], some i downloaded free ["don't remember ..."],
some i borrowed from friends ["don't..."].

then there are the Microsoft Help and Support Center, Learn XP program, and
others i want to make sure i keep.

i transferred the programs from C:\Program files to a folder in that folder,
so far.
i was thinking that if i could find/save the files that held the original
program INSTALLATION files, that would be what i need.

if i can't save them to disk, what are the ways i could try to find/get them
again.

thank you sooooooo much.
--
lil' o' lorain

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 2002
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Manufacturer Dell Computer Corporation
System Model Dimension 8300
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 9 GenuineIntel ~2992 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date Dell Computer Corporation A05, 2/23/2004
SMBIOS Version 2.3
Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB
Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
File System NTSF
Size 74.46 GB

 

[A]

errrr no .....
if you reformat then you loose everything on the disk bar basic boot
up..everything will go except basic msdos commands fro mwhich you can reload
windows..that's why it takes us ages to get rid of of virus's without
reformatting
......

 

[Guest]

thanks for replying, A!
understood. i wanted to know how to save the programs B4 reformatting.

errrr no .....
if you reformat then you loose everything on the disk bar basic boot
up..everything will go except basic msdos commands fro mwhich you can reload
windows..that's why it takes us ages to get rid of of virus's without
reformatting
......

WHO are you talking with here:
56 yr old grandmother.
intelligent but S L O W... with little memory.
NOT computer savvy, but tenacious.
DETERMINED to take back my computer [system info below] from those hardware
[software?] grabbing, vile, meanies who got in thru the internet.

I must reformat and start again.
I have recovered what i could of what i lost.
DELL is too busy to help me, so... .

QUESTION:
can i save programs i have on my computer that didn't come on it originally?
some i bought and downloaded [don't remember which ones or whether i
registered them or... .], some i downloaded free ["don't remember ..."],
some i borrowed from friends ["don't..."].

then there are the Microsoft Help and Support Center, Learn XP program, and
others i want to make sure i keep.

i transferred the programs from C:\Program files to a folder in that folder,
so far.
i was thinking that if i could find/save the files that held the original
program INSTALLATION files, that would be what i need.

if i can't save them to disk, what are the ways i could try to find/get them
again.

thank you sooooooo much.
--
lil' o' lorain

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 2002
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Manufacturer Dell Computer Corporation
System Model Dimension 8300
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 9 GenuineIntel ~2992 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date Dell Computer Corporation A05, 2/23/2004
SMBIOS Version 2.3
Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB
Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
File System NTSF
Size 74.46 GB

 

[Jim]

thanks for replying, A!
understood. i wanted to know how to save the programs B4 reformatting.

You can't. The programs must be reinstalled, and reinstallation means much
more than merely copying the programs back to the proper spots.. All you
can do is save the installation files to CD-R to save you some time. If you
don't have these files, you are out of luck.
Jim

 

[Guest]

how do i find the installation files?
how do i save them?

thanks!
lorain

 

[Steve B.]

how do i find the installation files?
how do i save them?

thanks!
lorain

The installation files are on the original medai. Without the original
media you can not install most programs. Its worth a shot to back up
the directories the programs are in and then after you reload restore
them and see if they will run. Many older programs will work if you
do that but its pretty rare for a new one to work because they have
registry entrys and files in more than one directory.

Steve B.

 

[D.L.]

WHO are you talking with here:
56 yr old grandmother.
intelligent but S L O W... with little memory.
NOT computer savvy, but tenacious.
DETERMINED to take back my computer [system info below] from those hardware
[software?] grabbing, vile, meanies who got in thru the internet.

I must reformat and start again.
I have recovered what i could of what i lost.
DELL is too busy to help me, so... .

QUESTION:
can i save programs i have on my computer that didn't come on it originally?
some i bought and downloaded [don't remember which ones or whether i
registered them or... .], some i downloaded free ["don't remember ..."],
some i borrowed from friends ["don't..."].

then there are the Microsoft Help and Support Center, Learn XP program, and
others i want to make sure i keep.

i transferred the programs from C:\Program files to a folder in that folder,
so far.
i was thinking that if i could find/save the files that held the original
program INSTALLATION files, that would be what i need.

if i can't save them to disk, what are the ways i could try to find/get them
again.

thank you sooooooo much.

It's unforatunate that you aren't sure which ones you possess, which
ones you borrowed, and which ones you downloaded.

As others have said, you do indeed do need the orginal install files
(they usually auto-run a self-install routine off a CD. Downloaded ones
are usually called "setup.exe" or may be self-executing setup files
within a .zip file). There is very little chance you will have any luck
copying whatever nowresides in your program areas.

A couple of things to consider before you reformat:

-You might condsider buying or borrowing an external USB hard drive to
offload all of the data files (files you created in whatever
applications you were using...usuall the ones found in "My Documents" or
"My Pictures" and moving them off the machine before you reformat or
reload Windows.

-Depending on the nature of your problems, if you are committed to
clean reinstall with hard drive format, you don't have anything to lose
by trying a "repair" intstallation first. This will preserve your data
and your apps. Unfortunately, if you are infected with spyware or other
malware, they will also be likely to be left intact also. Have you run
BOTH Adaware and Spybot Search and Destroy??
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
Between the two of them, you have a pretty good chance of getting rid of
all or nearly all of the current flavors of malware out there.


--A full reinstall with a hard drive reformat should cure your problems.
I hope you have a broadband connection, because you will want it to
add the operating system patches/updates as a security measure. The
current size of everything you need to bring an original XP install up
to date (Service Pack 2) is approaching 100 MB...which takes a LONG time
via a dial-up.

--You were savvy enough to find these forums, so you are probably
selling yourself short on your techical abilities. If you end up with
slicked harddrive and shiny new XP install, consider the following:

-Run (and pay for the subscription of it's not a freeware solution)
current antivirus software. McAfee and Norton are the most popular, and
they have made their auto-updates pretty painless these days.

-Consider shifting to Mozilla Firefox as your default browswer. It's
less likey than IE to be exploited.

-If you use a POP mail service, consider shifting to Mozilla Thunderbird
as your mail software...for the same reason as described in the browswer
comment above.

-If you decide to do this,you can get the functionality of both products
in the current Mozilla suite.

-If you have broadband, get a software firewall solution, and use it.
Scan your incoming and outgoing mail. Do not open any attachment you
weren't expecting. Be careful what links you click on and especially on
"I agree" in suspicious EULAs.

It's a tough world online these days....but getting smarter makes it
less so.

Good luck!

 

[Guest]

Holy Cow! DL you’re so generous with your time, energy, and knowledge.
Thanks much!

More questions…
-- How do I find, get, set up Mozilla Firefox? Remember you’re talking to
someone who doesn’t know the lingo. Just think you’re talking to someone who
doesn’t know a computer from a sewing machine.

-- lingo: what is a POP mail service?

-- "Mozilla Thunderbird mail software" Is it free? I have an extremely
limited budget social security disability. Would that replace my yahoo
account I finally told everyone I would never change.

-- "If you have broadband [Comcast?] get a software firewall solution, and
use it." Is Norton what you’re talking about? If not, how do I find, get,
set up…

more response:
--I copied my docs, IE favorites, to CDs.

--“if you are committed to clean reinstall with hard drive format†: yes,
spyware and adware files I can not delete or my computer goes haywire are the
cause.

--“broadband connection†is Comcast one of those?

--“selling yourself short on your techical abilities†I’m smart, but
mentally challenged ~ meaning V E R Y slow, and literally have to take naps
or just plain go to bed after a few hours doing this stuff. [it took me one
month day and night ~ and $120 ~ to figure out how to recover my precious
pictures of my kids…well, I didn’t recover the good ones…just the ones I had
trashed… but I’m grateful for them]

-- have Norton internet security. They couldn’t get rid of those nasty
adware creeps.

thanks again.
love & peace, lorain

 

[D.L.]

Holy Cow! DL you’re so generous with your time, energy, and knowledge.
Thanks much!

More questions…
-- How do I find, get, set up Mozilla Firefox? Remember you’re talking to
someone who doesn’t know the lingo. Just think you’re talking to someone who
doesn’t know a computer from a sewing machine.

-- lingo: what is a POP mail service?

-- "Mozilla Thunderbird mail software" Is it free? I have an extremely
limited budget social security disability. Would that replace my yahoo
account I finally told everyone I would never change.

-- "If you have broadband [Comcast?] get a software firewall solution, and
use it." Is Norton what you’re talking about? If not, how do I find, get,
set up…

more response:
--I copied my docs, IE favorites, to CDs.

--“if you are committed to clean reinstall with hard drive format†: yes,
spyware and adware files I can not delete or my computer goes haywire are the
cause.

--“broadband connection†is Comcast one of those?

--“selling yourself short on your techical abilities†I’m smart, but
mentally challenged ~ meaning V E R Y slow, and literally have to take naps
or just plain go to bed after a few hours doing this stuff. [it took me one
month day and night ~ and $120 ~ to figure out how to recover my precious
pictures of my kids…well, I didn’t recover the good ones…just the ones I had
trashed… but I’m grateful for them]

-- have Norton internet security. They couldn’t get rid of those nasty
adware creeps.

thanks again.
love & peace, lorain

Quickly, since it's close to bedtime:


Mozilla Thunderbird:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/

Mozila Firefox:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Mozilla suite:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/

They are all free.


POP:
Post office protocol. If you are using Outlook or Outlook express via
Comcast, you are probably using POP (the messages download from a server
and stay on your machine). If you access your email via a web browser,
you probablu aren't using POP (although most providers now offer
web-based access to those messages you haven't downloaded yet):
http://email.about.com/cs/standards/a/pop_basics.htm

If you are using the free version Yahoo exclusively, then POP is not
part of your email experience (but they will sell you POP capability for
$20/year).

If spyware and adware are your biggest issues, you have nothing to loose
by running spybot search and destroy and adware. They are very good.
They are free.

Broadband: do you dial up via a modem? Probably not. Comcast is a a
cable provider, so you probably have a cable modem and broadband.

Norton internet security won't work after the fact. And sometimes not
before hand. "Norton" has multiple products, so I just can't say.

If you have the time, many community colleges offer no-cost or low-cost
training for seniors for just the kinds of questions you are asking
about (and many libary systems too). In order to maintain that
cross-generational activity, it could be worth your time.

It's not easy! But it's do-able. My 74-y/o mom is hanging on there as an
ebay seller via her AOL account!

 

[Guest]

you are such a "dear".
your mom must be proud of you with that big heart... i can feel it through
the web!
i'd love to talk with her about how she does that eBay thing.

not using outlook - don't know how to set it up - tried a few times - didn't
understand the lingo! will the mozilla work with it?

used spyware and adaware and shredder AFTER i caught a cold! it wouldn't
get rid of one file that kept screwing up my computer and WORSE when i went
in and deleted it by hand [safe mode] so i gave up and now i'm
here...getting up enough nerve to do the wipeout.

i don't want to ask more of you, but, then again... i do!

after posting this first one and looking around for answers, i posted
another with another question. If you wouldn't mind looking at it and giving
me some help i'd appreciate it very much. I'm going to take all their
advice...i guess...but i'm overwhelmed. it's titled - guess what ---
"PLEASE help this lil' o' lady"

love&peace, lorain

p.s. i'm getting smart and deleting the previous post..they get