Should I Repair or Reinstall Windows?

Customers often want to avoid reinstalling Windows at all cost because any extra programs and / or devices that were installed after they bought the computer must be completely reinstalled. Also various settings and other data (such as local emails and browser settings) must be migrated and / or reconfigured after reinstalling Windows. But sometimes there is only so much that can be done to repair a damaged Windows system.

Here's just a few examples of the many strange things (often targeted by viruses or damaged by registry cleaners) that can plague a computer, and may or may not require a complete Windows reinstall or a less destructive "repair install"...

Years of registry entries & deletions, accumulation & removal of programs and updates, and infection & removal of viruses can take a toll on a computer's performance and behavior. Yes, one option is to clean, tweek, repair and optimize your computer ("software repair" without doing a reinstall) but sometimes this can be a wasted "wild goose chase" that leaves less than 100% gratifying results. Damage left behind from viruses may not be easily identified, and / or may not even become evident until long after performing a less destructive "software repair".

Damage left behind from registry cleaning (performed by the customer) may not be easily identified. Experts have determined that registry cleaners can and will cause more harm than good. Despite this and despite the fact that registry cleaners like C Cleaner are FREE, consumers continue to pay money for registry cleaners.

Palisades Computer Repair provides FREE and simple computer maintenance instructions, but if that doesn't help, your best bet may be a full reinstall of Windows, which should get your computer running as when it was BRAND NEW however there may be disruptions that come with the territory of a reinstall. If you have a valid Windows "product key" associated with the computer, and your other important installation CD's (printer drivers, DSL drivers, router drivers, paid-for programs such as Adobe PhotoShop, TurboTax, etc), and you don't have critical data and settings to migrate and re-configure (such as saved emails), then a Windows reinstall may be a no-brainer best choice for you.

If none of this makes any sense to you don't worry. Either way, Palisades Computer Repair will carefully review your computer situation and then advise you as to what action is the best route to go.

Repair existing Windows installation ("Diagnostic + Software Repair")	Reformat drive, reinstall Windows, and hardware drivers
Labor rate: $120.00	Labor rate: typically $100.00 - includes FREE installation of basic necessity programs including free anti-virus software. Add $20 for raw data migration. Does not include certificate migration, email and browser data reconfiguration, user specific settings migration.
Data left untouched	Data loss is not a concern if you already have a backup of your data OR if you are keeping your "old" drive as a safety backup, and buying or providing a new internal drive. Though very unlikely, data loss is possible during migration. PCR will simply migrate and drop your data files and folders into a single folder. It will be up to YOU to do any organizing / filtering / deleting of those files unless you are paying for additional migration of data described in detail below.
Settings left untouched	Not a concern if settings such as desktop shortcuts, desktop background image, mouse speed, and other settings don't matter to you. Otherwise you may wish to pay for a "Files & Settings Transfer" (one time charge of $10.00 per "user").
May or may not make Windows run much faster / problem free	Computer will run as fast as it did when it was brand new
Bloated extra, unneeded, or problematic software programs remain on your computer and / or in the Windows registry, thus slowing down your computer. Example: Dell and other companies typically pre-install many unneeded "bloatware" programs on their computers.	PCR will install only the bare-bones necessity programs that you need / want, including tried and trusted freeware (such as free anti-virus software, Flash player, Adobe PDF viewer) at NO extra charge
Years of registry problems and clutter adversely affect your computer's performance, causing it to run slower or do strange things. Often these issues remain even after using registry cleaning software. Many experts have actually concluded that registry cleaning usually causes more harm than good. Effects of virus or registry damage may not be easily identifiable or even appear until long after "repairing" the existing Windows installation.	Registry clean as a whistle. Computer should run as problem free and as fast as it did when it was brand new.
"Blue screen of death" errors can be intermittent and/ or difficult to remedy.	Most software based blue screen errors eliminated. Regardless of whether Windows is reinstalled, hardware failure based blue screen errors will continue until the faulty piece of hardware is replaced. Blue screen errors due to poor software design will not be eliminated until the software maker corrects the problem (very uncommon nowadays and I've only experienced it happening with very complex software such as pro-video or pro-audio editing programs).
No anti-virus software is guaranteed to be 100% effective. Most are about 97% to 99% effective.	Viruses will be definitively eradicated if you are not importing any personal data (your photos, documents, etc) back onto the new Windows installation. Even if you are migrating your personal data from the old installation, damage from viruses should be fully corrected.
Leaves all software programs untouched	If you wish, PCR will install bare-bones necessity programs free of charge if you need them (including Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird, OpenOffice, AbiWord, Windows Media Player, Adobe Reader, Flash player). Note that Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and Windows Media Player come standard with all Windows installations. *Other* software programs and their settings and data must be reinstalled using your original disks! PCR charges only $5.00 per extra program installation. Hopefully you saved the discs for any extra programs that you want reinstalled, such as Adobe PhotoShop, TurboTax, Word Perfect, Microsoft Word, etc. This $5.00 price does not apply to complex programs such as Final Cut Studio Pro, Pro Tools, Adobe Master Suite Collection, etc.
Leaves added software program "settings" untouched	Most customers do not use programs that have critical "settings". Some software program "settings" may be lost unless they are "exported" and / or "imported" if this is even possible. (example: Word Perfect settings) In most cases PCR does not support reconfiguration of various software program "settings".
Do you send, receive and store important emails using Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Outlook Express? If so these emails are left untouched.	If you store your emails on an external server such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Hotmail then this is not a concern. If you store important emails, address books, Internet service provider settings, and other email data on your computer then they must be either.... A ) Manually "exported" from a BOOTABLE computer and then "imported" back if you are paying for a "Files & Settings Transfer" (one time charge of $10.00 per "user"). B ) Manually "imported" into the new computer from a data backup at additional labor cost of only $20.00.
Do you send, receive and store important emails with your computer using Mozilla Thunderbird, Sea Monkey or other non-Microsoft email client? If so these emails are left untouched.	If you store your emails on an external server such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Hotmail then this is not a concern. Emails, address books and other non-Microsoft email data must be manually imported back if you are paying for a "Files & Settings Transfer" (one time charge of $10.00 per "user").
Internet Explorer browser "data" such as your "favorites", stored passwords, form data, history, and cookies are left untouched.	Not a concern if you don't have any critical browser settings. Not a concern if you don't use Internet Explorer to save critical passwords to log on to certain web sites. This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! Stored Internet Explorer passwords will be permanently LOST unless a security "certificate" is exported from a BOOTABLE computer!!! PCR can restore your Internet Explorer data at an additional labor cost of only $10.00 (as part of the "Files & Settings Transfer").
Firefox or other non-Microsoft browser "data" such as your personal bookmarks, stored passwords, form data, history, and cookies left untouched.	Not a concern if you don't have any critical browser settings. Browser data "imported" back at an additional labor cost of only $10.00 per non-Microsoft browser.
User login accounts and settings including specific permission attributes (if any) remain in tact	Not a concern if "user" account settings are not of importance and you haven't manually configured permission attributes to control access to your files and folders. . PCR can import certain account data if you are paying for a "Files & Settings Transfer" (one time charge of $10.00 per "user").
Encrypted folders and files (if any) remain untouched	Not a concern if you don't use encrypted folders. Most people don't. This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! Encrypted folders (and files contained within) will be permanently lost if a "certificate" is not ALSO backed up! Backing up just the files and folders is not enough! If you absolutely must encrypt your data then PCR highly recommends using TrueCrypt instead of Window encryption. It may make sense to un-encrypt just for the migration process. Don't take any chances. PCR can migrate encrypted folders at an additional labor cost of only $10.00
Internet connection remains configured to work	Cable Internet connection remains configured to work. Verizon DSL should work, however drivers may need to be reinstalled (but at NO extra charge by PCR).
Printer remains configured to work	Most printers will automatically work with Windows using built-in "plug & play" drivers. If not, then printer "drivers" software must be reinstalled. Printers will continue to work as they normally did if you are paying for a "Files & Settings Transfer" (one time charge of $10.00 per "user").

Have you backed up your critical data to a secondary drive, such as external USB drive? If not, and if you have critical saved emails, critical browser passwords, critical program settings (such as Word Perfect settings), critical data (documents, pictures, movies, MP3's, etc) or any encrypted files and folders then PCR highly recommends buying a NEW hard drive to use for the reinstallation! This way you can keep your "old" drive as a safety backup. Hard drives eventually fail. Statistically they have an 8% annual failure rate.

CLICK HERE for a layman's explanation about what to expect after a Windows reinstallation

"Essential" programs (that you choose) installed and updated at NO extra cost: Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird, Avast anti-virus, Ad-Aware, OpenOffice, AbiWord, Adobe PDF Reader, Flash player.

NOTE: Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and Windows Media Player are all installed automatically with Windows.

Nonessential programs installed at $5.00 per program. This price does not include installation of certain complex programs such as Final Cut Studio, Pro Tools, etc. Ask PCR if you have specific program(s) that you need installed.

What are "encrypted" folders? By default Windows does not encrypt folders. Folders and / or files must be manually encrypted by you. If you don't know what encrypted files are, let alone how to encrypt them, then chances are your folders are NOT encrypted.