xp??????? will rep!!

[devilsadvocate]

Hi Mate

First off you cant backup your programs onto disk and then put them back on your PC afterwards, unfortunately i doesnt work like that. you will need to have all the original install files (.exe) files that you used to install the progs in the first place. Obviously any Windows programs will be there when you reinstall, i.e Media player, messenger etc.

If you have any other progs that did not come with Windows such as office or dreamweaver or antivirus progs to name a few then they will need to be reinstalled from the original disks after you have formatted the HD and reinstalled windows.

As for your emails, can i ask why they are stored on your PC?. I am with Yahoo so use Microsoft Outlook for emails. Emails are usually stored on one of the compaines exchange servers. What happens is outlook remembers existing emails and when you click Send/recieve it connects to the exchange server and checks for new emails, then DL's em to your pc.

Once you have reinstalled everything you just setup outlook with the same settings you have now. Click Send/Recieve and any emails in your account (all of them as you have formatted the HD) will be downloaded back to your PC.

Hope this helps

My email address is ldatlen@yahoo.co.uk if you have got any more questions or PM me.

[mick2404]

Originally Posted by lauriedatlen

Once you have reinstalled everything you just setup outlook with the same settings you have now. Click Send/Recieve and any emails in your account (all of them as you have formatted the HD) will be downloaded back to your PC.

That's not 100% strictly true.

If your e-mails are kept locally in a mail store, you won't be able to do a send and recieve to recover them.

They are stored in DBX files on the local hard drive.

They can be found in :

C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR USER NAME \Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{YOUR USER IDENTITY (STRING OF NUMBERS AND LETTERS}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

Browse to these using your "my computer" icon (windows explorer) and copy them to your external hard drive.

When you re-install windows, you can got to outlook express and import the messages back into outlook express by going to :

File

Import

Messages

HTH

Mick


Incidentally, you may not be able to see your "local settings" folder.

To make sure you can view this go to windows explorer again and select :

Tools

Folder Options

View

(under hidden files and folders select) Show hidden files and folders

Then click ok...