Is it better to uninstall programs before formatting your HD?

Question

Is it better to uninstall programs before formatting your HD and reinstalling your Operating System (Windows Xp)

Answer 1

First of all formatting your HD is the last thing you want to do if you are trying to fix a problem. It will erase everything on your computer. Make sure you have the drivers for your computer before you format your computer and you have the installation CD for all your programs.

To answer your question formatting your computer erases everything.

Answer 2

When you format the hard disk everything is logically erased and therefore there is no need of unistalling programs before formatting. But you may need to backup some important files before formatting the hard disk.

Answer 3

when you format your hard drive you clean erase everything that was on it, so you don't have to worry about unistalling programs first...

Answer 4

No, you don't have to. Formatting your hard drive will wipe all the data off your HD. No need to.

Answer 5

It's really a waste of time.

What you want is a program that formats it 3 times (erases everything).

Then install windows xp again.

Answer 6

No, your're going to wipe the drive entirely when you format it.

Do make sure that you back-up your own data files e.g. Word documents.