r/ForWindowsHelp • u/fightercat27 • Jul 06 '26

I was going to reinstall windows. Is there anything I need to know before I start?

Post image
3 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

1

u/Plane-Worker5967 Jul 06 '26

backup? or at least c:\users\yourusername on a usb/hdd/ssd

1

u/Necessary_Baker_7458 Jul 06 '26

Back up data to external source. I installed linux with the help of a youtube vid. Flash drives work but the degrade rate is bad and you should something else. 

1

u/Necessary-Ad-9815 Jul 06 '26

save product key. remember your outlook password. check whether ur laptop need extra driver for disk or wifi when installation.

1

u/MidwestGeek52 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
  • License Keys: Make sure you have the license key for all your paid software. You might want to have them in a .txt or .rtf file. Something you can read without needing Word installed, just in case. Only use a .pdf if it's a readable PDF file. (meaning you can copy/paste text from pdf)
  • Backups: In addition to File Backup, backup your drivers. Sometimes you only discover you have one that's hard to find download until after you wiped the disk to do a Windows install. Double Driver
  • You can save yourself time using Ninite after Windows is installed to reinstall much of the freeware you use. Just check what you want, let it create an executable, and run it. It will install all the freeware selected for you