Chapter 6. Reformat and Reinstall

What You’ll Learn

In this chapter, I’ll show you:

• How to reinstall Vista straight from the desktop

• How to reinstall Vista by editing the BIOS and booting from the installation DVD

• Detailed step-by-step instructions during the reinstall

• How to delete and edit partitions

• How to tweak Vista details before booting to the desktop for the first time

Now that everything is backed up and you have collected all the tools and drivers you need, let’s do the difficult deed—wipe the hard drive and reinstall.

If you haven’t read Chapter 5, “Preparation and Backup,” I highly recommend that you read through it before tackling the directions in this chapter. The steps presented here will erase your hard drive, meaning all of your documents, email, photos, music—everything—will be gone forever unless you back it up first.

Here’s what we’ll do next:

• Wipe the hard drive clean.

• Install a squeaky-clean version of Windows that runs as crisply as it did when you first laid eyes on your computer.

Wipe the Disk: Time to Clean the Hard Drive

At this point, you have preserved any data that you want to keep, right? I am about to show you how to destroy all the data on your hard drive, so make sure your backup data is in a safe place where the dog, or any other member of the family, can’t chomp on it.

I know I sound like your mother here, but she and I have to be a little stern. We don’t want you to come back and whine about the data you left behind and is now gone forever.

So, if you’re sure that all your data that you hold near and dear has been removed from the system and has been safeguarded, we can proceed without fear or regret.

Let’s start the reformat and reinstall process.

To begin, know that you have a choice in your approach here:

• Option 1—Insert the install disc and start the reinstall and reformat from the Windows desktop (see Figure 6.1).

• Option 2—Boot from the Vista install disc and then reformat and reinstall without booting into your existing Windows installation.

Figure 6.1. You can reinstall Vista from your DVD directly from the desktop (shown) or by booting from the DVD directly.

The pros and cons to both options are shown in Table 6.1.

Table 6.1. Booting from Vista DVD Versus Installing from Desktop

I am going to show you how to install using both methods; however, the desktop process is the easiest way to do a reinstall and reformat. If you’re with me on that, skip over the next section, which shows you how to boot from the DVD after making edits in the BIOS to your startup routine.

How to Install by Booting from Your DVD

If you’d like to boot from your CD or DVD drive, you’ll need to make an edit to a BIOS setting.

This process is not for the shy or the nervous. I offer it here because there should be no secrets. However, if you like the easy way out, skip ahead to the next section, “How to Install Vista from the Desktop.”

If you are still with me, here goes. The BIOS, as you may know, is a series of settings that control how a computer is set up and how it relates to its hardware. These settings include information about the hard drive, time, date, and other uglier brain-thudding settings that most reasonable people should never have to worry about. But since you qualify for a Geek Guild membership and associated Geek Pride button, you’re one of the lucky few who get to bungee with me into the depths of the BIOS. Here’s how:

1. Restart your system.

2. When the computer first starts to boot, look for an onscreen option before you get to the Windows logo screen that says “Setup,” “BIOS,” or “CMOS.” The onscreen lingo varies between brands and manufacturers, but it may have one of those words in it. For example, on the top-right side of my Dell, it says: “F2 = Setup” (see Figure 6.2). Other BIOSes might require that you press Esc or Delete to enter the BIOS Setup utility. Keep your eyes peeled when your computer is starting up, as it will flash by pretty quickly. If you get to the Windows splash screen and you didn’t see what key to press, you’re too late. Let Windows finish booting, and then restart the computer and wait for the BIOS Setup prompt to appear again.

Figure 6.2. On boot, this Dell machine shows you how to get into its BIOS by displaying “F2 = Setup.”

3. If you have an older computer and you added a USB keyboard to the system, replacing a PS/2 keyboard, you may find that the new keyboard won’t work in a pre-boot environment, so you won’t be able to get into the BIOS or navigate in it. Not to worry—simply plug in your PS/2 keyboard and use it for the BIOS edit.

4. Once inside the BIOS, look for a setting that is listed as Boot or Boot Sequence. You might have to cursor around in the menus with your keyboard’s arrow keys (there’s no mouse control in most BIOSes) to find the right setting. In my Dell, it’s listed as Boot Sequence (see Figure 6.3). In my ThinkPad T43, I had to navigate to Startup, then Boot, and then Boot Priority Setting. As you can see, you’ll need to dig around a bit.

Figure 6.3. Look for something called Boot Sequence or similar in the BIOS to find the command to resequence the order in which drives are read on system bootup.

5. When you find it, you’ll need to change your DVD drive to the top spot (see Figure 6.4) in the boot list with the hard drive that contains Windows Vista as the second bootable drive on the system.

Figure 6.4. Once you find the setting, you should put your DVD-ROM drive as the first item (identified here as a CD-ROM device even though it can read DVDs) in the list so the system can boot from the Vista DVD.

6. When you are done, choose the Save Changes and Exit option. The system restarts and attempts to read the optical drive you just designated as the first bootable drive.

7. Be sure the Windows Vista disc is in your DVD drive. It boots into the reformat and reinstall routine, after a long stall where you look at a grainy screen that looks like blue underwater curtains.

8. The first screen asks for your installation language, time, currency format, and keyboard input method. The defaults are fine unless you specifically want other settings. Click Next, Install Now.

9. At this point, skip ahead to “Installing a Fresh Copy of Windows Vista,” later in this chapter.

10. If this is the first time you have achieved this procedure, be sure to pat yourself on the back and run outside and prance around with your arms raised like Rocky. If I drive by and see you, I’ll wave.

How to Install Vista from the Desktop

If you’re here, I trust you skipped all the BIOS editing instructions discussed earlier. It’s all worth knowing, but given that you can now reinstall straight from the Vista desktop, it is a less hazardous method of getting this job done (although as previously noted, you have fewer options with regard to hard drive partitions, and not all the data on your drive is wiped away).

I liken it to either having dental work done (installing from the desktop) or getting smacked in the ear with a hammer before you get dental work done (boot from the DVD). Which would you choose?

Then again, years ago, reformatting and reinstalling was like smacking yourself in the ear with a hammer and then doing your own dental work.

So let’s get to it:

1. From the desktop, pop the DVD into your optical drive. It should auto-start. Alternatively, it might throw open a box that asks you to Run Setup. If so, choose that option. If it doesn’t, click the Windows button, click Computer, and double-click your DVD drive. User Account control will kick in here, so click Allow. The Setup file will run and get the process going.

2. When the pretty Vista installation window opens up, click Install Now.

3. If your Internet connection is working, choose Go Online to Get the Latest Updates for Installation (Recommended) in the next window. The Vista installer searches online for updates and downloads them for the installation. It also grabs drivers and any OS fixes, which saves you from grabbing them later.

4. After it’s done, follow the instructions in the next section.

Installing a Fresh Copy of Windows Vista

This is where the Boot via DVD and Desktop Installation processes converge. So let’s proceed:

1. You’ll see a screen that prompts you to enter your product key. This can be found on a label on the packaging or on the sleeve that the Windows Vista disc came in.

2. You might also want to choose Automatically Activate Windows When I’m Online. The software will need to verify that your key is legitimate using the activation wizard within 30 days of installation.

3. Next is the license agreement. Some lawyer at Microsoft wrote this. Most people don’t read it, but I’ll leave that up to you. Because it’s a contract between you and Microsoft, you should eyeball it carefully. I like the part that says “16. LIMITED WARRANTY. If you follow the instructions and the software is properly licensed, the software will perform substantially as described in the Microsoft materials that you receive in or with the software.” Love that word substantially. In English, this means Vista will work pretty much as advertised, but there’s room for it to crap out here and there, which as we know it will. That’s why this book exists.

4. If you accept the agreement, click the I Accept box, and then click Next.

5. The next screen gives you the options to choose Upgrade or Custom. Choose Custom because we want to wipe the hard drive clean.

6. On the next screen, you’ll see a choice of drive locations where a fresh copy of Windows can be installed (see Figure 6.5). Your current installation of Windows Vista will likely be on the largest disk, marked Disk 0.

Figure 6.5. A list of storage locations where Vista can be potentially installed will appear. Usually you’ll want to install it to Disk 0 on Partition 1.

7. If multiple disks are listed—for example, Disk 0, Disk 1, and Disk 2—each one of those is a unique physical drive.

8. If each disk has partitions, like this:

Disk 0 Partition 1 (C:)
Disk 0 Partition 2 (E:)
Disk 0 Partition 3 (F:)

it means the disk has been carved up as partitions, meaning that each partition appears to Windows as drive C:, E:, and F: (drive D: is not shown because it is usually your CD or DVD drive). If your manufacturer has put restore information on a partition on your hard drive, you might see a small partition or the partition may be numbered starting at 2, as in the following:

Disk 0 Partition 2 (C:)
Disk 0 Partition 3 (E:)

This could indicate that Partition 1 is hidden from view on purpose by your manufacturer so that you don’t overwrite the restoration data.

Your boot partition, where you will put Vista, should be the lower-numbered partition on Disk 0 that has the largest space.

9. When you select the partition and click Next, a message might warn you that a copy of Windows already exists on the partition. If it does, this is a good sign. It means you are about to overwrite your existing copy of Windows. My preference, though, is to delete the partition to destroy all the previous data and then create a fresh blank partition in its place for the new installation of Vista. This will only be possible if you boot from the DVD. The desktop reinstall procedure does not offer this option.

10. After you have either chosen a partition or deleted and re-created one, click Next. If you have chosen to overwrite the partition, you will see a warning message that says, “The partition you selected contains a previous Windows installation” (see Figure 6.6).

Figure 6.6. Vista detects the old Windows installation and warns you that it will wipe the partition but keep the old stuff just in case.

11. It will also note that your folders called Windows, Documents and Settings, and Program Files will be moved into a folder called Windows.old. Click OK to confirm. The install CD then wipes the partition clean and installs a fresh copy of Vista, while preserving the Windows.old file.

12. During this process, the screen shows a list of the tasks it is doing. Then the system reboots a couple more times until you get an almost-finished Vista installation.

13. While it does this work, you can walk away from the machine and let it do its business. It’s a good time to re-surface and let the family or roommate know you’re OK. If the pets and/or kids are around, you have enough time to de-lint them; however, remind your spouse that there is not enough time to mow the lawn or paint the garage door. Plan on a 15- to 30-minute break.

14. You’re on the final leg of the process when you get a screen that asks you to choose the country that you live in and a keyboard layout (if you boot from the DVD, you will have done this off the top). Make your choices and click Next.

A Few More Things to Do

You’re almost done. Only a few more tasks before you get your desktop back and restore all your data.

Create an Admin Account

Next up, you’ll be asked to enter a username and choose an optional password. This will be the administrator account you’ll use for all system-level changes, fixes, and updates.

Microsoft recommends that this not be your primary login. It suggests that once you create this, you can then create a standard user account for day-to-day use and reserve the administrator account for maintenance, backups, and other system administration duties. It’s a good idea because if you come into contact with a nasty piece of malware as a limited user, it won’t get very far.

That said, it is not practical if you’re always mucking around in the system as an administrator. But if you don’t twiddle with the system every day, it might be a strategy you want to use. Frankly, though, pretty much no one who has any patience is going to take Microsoft’s advice on this one.

Either way, go ahead and create an admin account here and choose one of the offensively happy icons Microsoft suggests you use to distinguish the account (see Figure 6.7). The good news is you can change it later to whatever you like—maybe a picture of a slice of cheddar or a smiling obese clown on a bike.

Figure 6.7. Choose a username and an icon. You can customize it later. For now, match your mood and be the constipated kitten.

Name Your Computer

On the screen that follows, you’ll be asked to name your computer (see Figure 6.8). Choose a name without spaces or these special characters:

" / [ ]: ; | < > + = , ? "

Figure 6.8. Choose a computer name and a desktop background. Be creative. Fight the power!

And keep it shortish, under 15 characters. This name will be used to identify your computer on your home network, if you have one. Amusing or clever computer names can be fun.

I knew an admin who called his computers John, Paul, George, and Ringo. You could also try Batiste, Newbold, Eaton, and Zinni. Recognize the reference? They’re the names of the retired generals who called for Donald Rumsfeld’s ouster in mid 2006. Who knew that home IT could be so politically savvy?

If you’re more practical, something like AndyDell3000 might be useful—it identifies my Dell Dimension 3000 on my network. However, this kind of naming scheme gives away personal information to anyone who tunes into your wireless network (if you don’t turn on wireless security settings) because computer names are browsable—that, plus there’s no comedy in it.

Turn On Security

On the next screen, Vista asks how it should protect your system. This is a vast improvement over the original Windows XP, which has no security functions during a reinstall.

The Vista security settings are an evolution over the measures introduced in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). And I’d like to take a moment to applaud Microsoft for taking security seriously enough to delay Vista’s release to improve it. It won’t be impervious or scandal free. But security is on the agenda for Microsoft, and I applaud that loudly.

At this point in the Vista installation, Microsoft gives you three options in security setup, as described next.

Use Recommended Settings

Choose this option, and you’ll turn on the following features:

• Windows automatic updating—Fixes and highly recommended updates will be auto-downloaded to your system and installed.

• Enhanced spyware protection—The built-in antispyware program called Windows Defender is enabled and automatically removes severe and high-alert spyware and adware infections known to compromise your security or damage your system.

• Automatic driver updates—Vista automatically checks the Internet for a new driver when a new piece of hardware is installed.

Unless you have a good solid reason not to, I’d urge you to choose Use Recommended Settings.

Install Important Updates Only

This option turns on Microsoft Updates so you get the latest fixes and high-priority updates automatically. It doesn’t turn on antispyware mechanisms or enable automatic Windows problem reporting.

Ask Me Later

This procrastinator setting is not recommended, unless you’re determined to spend time configuring security to your liking later. Even if this is the case, I’d turn on everything now and turn off stuff later when you go to customize your security settings manually.

Finish Up

Finally, set the system time and date and your time zone. And that’s it. After a bit more processing, Windows Vista starts up, all squeaky clean. The work is still not done, however. There is a lot of postinstallation work still ahead that you need to complete. That’s what I’ll cover in the next chapter. Before we go there, don’t forget to take a break—do a little yoga or rummage around in the fridge—because you have earned it.