While a Windows reinstall may be absolutely necessary to get your computer back working normally again, inherently there are unavoidable "disruptions" to deal with IF you need to restore some or all of the changes that you've made to your computer since you bought it. Depending on a few variables (described below) PCR can restore most of these settings if you wish..

 

Did you install software programs onto your computer after you bought it? By nature, software programs (such as Turbo Tax, iTunes, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Word, Firefox, QuickTime Movie Player and PhotoShop) cannot be "backed up" or "migrated" to a fresh new Windows installation. Software programs must be reinstalled because they are tied to a thing called the Windows "registry", which gets completely rebuilt during a reinstall. (The only "extra" programs that come bundled with Windows re-installations are Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Notepad, Wordpad, Windows Messenger, Windows Movie Maker, Paint, Calculator, and few other unmentionables)

So PCR can "back up" up your personal DATA files (such as Microsoft Word documents, excel spreadsheets, photos, audio files, movies) which are opened up with all of the various programs.

By default Windows XP stores your personal data in a folder in Windows XP called "Documents and Settings". This folder contains things like your photograph files, MP3 audio files, word document files, spreadsheet document files, saved emails, browser bookmarks or favorites, browser passwords, etc. Even your "desktop" items and shortcuts are stored in this "Documents and Settings" folder. PCR will also search to make sure that you (or a program) didn't store any important files in any unorthodox locations such as just inside the C drive (rather than in the standard location "C:/Documents and Settings/" folder). Note: Windows Vista and Windows 7 store the same personal data in a different folder called "Users".

So, while PCR can safely migrate your personal DATA files, with some programs that data may not magically open up until it is "imported" and / or moved into the "new" folder that the program looks in. This can be a stumbling block for the average computer user, but PCR can import this data for you at a small extra charge described on the previous page.

  • "LOCAL" EMAIL PROGRAMS AND BROWSERS ARE THE MOST CUMBERSOME WHEN IT COMES TO "IMPORTING" DATA

"Local" essentially means that you send, receive and store emails using a program that is INSTALLED ON YOUR COMPUTER. Examples of "local" email programs include Outlook, Outlook Express, and Mozilla Thunderbird which allow you to save "inbox", "sent", "drafts", and "trash" emails ON YOUR COMPUTER. This does NOT include Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and other email programs that send, receive and store emails on and from a remote server on the world wide web. Obviously these "off site" saved emails would not be affected by reinstalling Windows on your "local" computer.

After a Windows reinstall, the most commonly used programs that won't magically open up with their old saved data are email programs and browsers. If you previously used a local program such as Microsoft Outlook Express or Mozilla Thunderbird to view old stored emails, it won't know where to "look" for them until you "tell" it where to look. If you have critical browser data, Internet Explorer (or Firefox) doesn't know where to look for things like "favorites", history or form field data until you "tell" it where to look. Your old stored data needs to be placed into the correct folders and then "imported", often with a handy tool that comes with the program. Most email and browser programs are NOT very friendly about importing saved data back. Sometimes other methods must be employed, such as using 3rd party software. This import process can be complicated, as many variables are involved. The cost is only an extra $10 per program (Example: Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Internet Explorer, Firefox).

Do you use Internet Explorer to "remember" critical passwords to log in to certain websites? Or do you have encrypted folders and files to back up? Do you send digitally signed emails? If so you MUST export one or more "certificates" from the "old" computer, then reinstall it on the "new" computer installation, otherwise the fore mentioned secured data will be permanently lost unless you are upgrading to a new C drive! Certificates must be exported from the original Windows system, so that original system must be bootable to the desktop and function well enough to allow the certificate export. The cost is only an extra $10 to import and/or reinstall a certificate.

If you use Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird or other "local" email program to send and receive emails, then settings must be re-configured. This does NOT apply if you access your emails via non-local storage though Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, Gmail, and the like.

Windows plug-and-play drivers may or may not allow your printer to work properly. Do you have your original install CD or driver CD? PCR can back up your printer / scanner drivers if your computer is bootable (to the desktop) and healthy enough to allow installation and running of special software used to back up drivers. Otherwise provide your installation CD's, or if you provide the exact model number, PCR can instead download the appropriate drivers from the internet. Some peripherals may or may not need to be physically connected to the computer before driver software can be properly installed.

When you log on to your desktop, Windows loads settings specific to the "user" account such as arrangement of desktop shortcuts, wallpaper background, mouse speed, etc. Certain settings (such as custom mouse speed, desktop background) can be migrated in one fall swoop using the "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard", one user at a time, and provided that the computer boots (to the desktop) and the "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard" functions properly. If you have just a few simple settings such as a desktop background image, then this can easily be manually reset.

Do you have several computers that are interconnected throughout your house? 

PCR does NOT provide any support for reconfiguring LAN's (local area networks) as part of repairs or reinstalls.

Corel Word Perfect "settings" must FIRST be exported using a paid third party software (such as this one), otherwise those settings will be lost upon a reinstallation of the program.

Sorry, no support for reconfiguring of data backup software (such as Carbonite), VPN software, computer phone service (such as net2phone, Skype), and certain other software. If you need help reconfiguring these programs then you would need to do that yourself. If you have special software / hardware to reinstall please enquire to see if PCR can help or not. Also no support for AOL's obsolete interface / browser which is notoriously problematic. If you wish PCR can ONLY install these programs, but not reconfigure, support or troubleshoot them. Note that some programs may require configuration at the time of installation, which would prevent PCR from proceeding.