The first is what I call a “soft” format, which basically instructs the drive that all data on it is no longer “good” and can be overwritten. The other is a hard format, usually only possible from a bios level, and “disappears” all the data. I’m not tech enough to know exactly how. At this point the drive is so naked it’s lost not only its data, but its partition. You have to create a new partition to use it.

Most of the time, I use separate physical drives for separate logical drives (My “C,” “D,” and “E” drives are three different 500 GB hard drives). So I instruct the partition program to create the largest possible partition in a 500 GB drive (it ends up being 465 on my machine for some reason). “C” is always applications. “D” is always data. I’m using “E” for leftover heavy storage.

On my laptop, there’s only one drive, so I partitioned it into a “C” and “D” drive. There are programs (I use Partition Magic) that actually let you screw with partitions after the fact. I’ve shoved the border around on my laptop with it.

Seriously, I have never partitioned a drive. Seems to be a simple enough operation but I have never been sufficiently motivated.

I assume you put your docs and exe files in the partition.

That sounds like a very good idea.

There is no way that I am aware of to recover programs from back-up.

Well,I have never been able to do it.

There are software programs designed to do it and I have tried them with dismal results. You need to do a fresh install of each program from the original disk or from a saved download.

All that is not so hard if you still have access to your program installation stuff.

The hard part is getting the old O/S cleaned off.

I have done that so it has to be doable by almost anybody. I just followed written step by step procedure and it worked the first time.

I have my applications/system and data on two separate drives. I’ve also worked things out so my mail is stored on my data drive and is backed up with the rest of it. There’s also a file where I store a copy of my browser bookmarks. I don’t have a lot of customized application preferences to worry about. It’s all the little drivers and odds and ends that are the pain in the ass on a rebuild.

When I got a new computer a few years ago, I upgraded it to Windows 7 immediately since I knew eventually most applications would be looking for it, and better then than later.

I suspect one could backup all of that onto something, probably an external hard drive, but that adds another layer of cost and complexity into the process.

Sigh.

Ubuntu is a GUI desktop environment for linux. It is available free for download. You can put it on a USB flash drive, boot to it, and voila! You have a full featured OS capable of the same feats as Microsoft, Macintosh, and other Linux distributions.

Here is a link providing instructions

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick

I would google image Ubuntu desktop as well so you can see the wide array of options. And best of all, ITS FREE!!!

I firmly believe Ubuntu is the best OS on the planet, alongside Windows 7 64 bit of course

Ubuntu is light, powerful, and does not require a formal install like its cousins.
Installation/FromUSBStick – Community Ubuntu Documentation
help.ubuntu.com
The recommended way to install Ubuntu from a USB flash drive is to use the usb-creator program, point it at a ISO image of a Ubuntu installation CD that you have downloaded, and let it create a bootable USB that you can use instead of the CD.

…Computer geek that lives in the abode with Jody.

Driver, with an affected lisp: “The rear end is squealing.”

Kid, apprentice mechanic, after looking under the vehicle: “It looks as if you’ve blown a seal.”

Driver: “I’m not talking about my sex life, I’m talking about my car.”

It will probably be some variation on “blows goats.”