Reformatting Help Please

I am looking at reformatting my desktop. it is an old 2.4 ghz pentium 4 from gateway. i have the OS cd (windows XP). i was so close to partitioning my hd when i thought about backing up my existing drivers. I recently installed a new ethernet card that came with a floppy drive full of drivers, i can't locate the floppy now. so if i reformat i wont be able to access the internet right? what folder should i back up to prevent any loss of hardware?

I'm sure you can download the ethernet drivers from the manufacturer's website. Typically, you want to backup all your data folders, such as My Documents, Music, Pictures, etc... anything that will be lost with a reformat. You can clone the entire drive using DriveImage XML.

mep916 said:

I'm sure you can download the ethernet drivers from the manufacturer's website. Typically, you want to backup all your data folders, such as My Documents, Music, Pictures, etc... anything that will be lost with a reformat. You can clone the entire drive using DriveImage XML.

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I recently worked on a friends Gateway that needed reformatting. They did not have the original OS CD.. I installed a new XP operating system.. I did have to use a separate computer that had access to the internet to download the motherboard drivers from Gateway. Their internet support is pretty simple if you have the S/N and model sticker on the back of the Gateway PC. Just enter that and it pulls up all the drivers. Download to a flash drive and take to the computer you are working on. About your ethernet card? You will have to do the same thing. Go to the manufacturers website for the card you installed to download the driver.

is there any chance that the computer will recognize the card and automatically download it? cuz i honestly wouldnt know what to look for, i dont remember the card name

kal2509 said:

is there any chance that the computer will recognize the card and automatically download it? cuz i honestly wouldnt know what to look for, i dont remember the card name

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You have the card installed now, right? Go into the Device Manager (In XP, right-click My Computer > Properties > Hardware tab > Device Manager) and collapse the Network Adapters menu. There you should find the model name and number for your ethernet card.

If you want XP to search for the drivers after the reinstall, you'll obviously need an internet connection. Without the ethernet drivers, I'm not sure how you'll connect, unless you have a dial up account and 56k modem installed.

BTW, are you using a factory recovery disk from Gateway, or doing a clean reinstall with the XP disk? If the ladder, like said previously, you'll need to download all the proprietary drivers from the Gateway site.

mep916 said:

BTW, are you using a factory recovery disk from Gateway, or doing a clean reinstall with the XP disk? If the ladder, like said previously, you'll need to download all the proprietary drivers from the Gateway site.

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its is a factory install disk, but it looks like i wont be doing the reformat because i can't seem to locate the code that is supposed to be on the back of this booklet, it says if it isnt there it was placed on your computer by Gateway... the only number i see on the tower is the serial number, is there anywhere else on the computer the xp number would be?

kal2509 said:

is there anywhere else on the computer the xp number would be?

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Download this...

http://magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

If it's a factory recovery disk it will not need the code to install, because the disc is just an image of the PC from the day you got it. It will also load all of the drivers as well other junk you won't need.

If it's an OEM installation disk you will need the code and the drivers. Magic jellybean or PC Wizard will find your code. As for drivers, goto Gateway and download your mobo drivers to CD before you reinstall. Use CD because occasionally you won't have USB drivers either after reinstall.