What to sort out before reformatting

Reformatting cannot be undone. Here is what to handle before you even get to files.

Last updated 2026-09-08

First — the things that cannot be recovered

Files usually have some route back. These three do not: once they go with the reformat, there is no recovery. Handle them before you start thinking about backups.

1. 1

   Two-factor authenticator apps

   If your authenticator app lives on the PC rather than your phone, it disappears with the reformat — and so does access to every account it protects. Get backup codes from each service and write them on paper, or move the accounts to a phone app first.

2. 2

   Your password manager’s master password

   Tools like Bitwarden are built so the vendor cannot recover a master password. Forget it and every saved password locks with it. Write the master password and recovery code down somewhere off the PC.

3. 3

   Digital certificates

   Banking and government certificates stored on the hard drive are erased with everything else. Export them to a USB stick or phone from the certificate manager first. Reissuing can mean a trip to a branch office.

Backups — the places people actually forget

Desktop, Downloads and Documents get remembered. The "oh, that too" moments come from somewhere else.

Browser profile

If you never signed in, bookmarks and saved passwords exist only on this PC. Signing in and enabling sync before you start is the simplest fix.

Desktop chat history

Messages exchanged in a desktop messenger are often stored only on that PC, separately from the phone. Export the conversations you want to keep.

Game saves

Games with cloud saves keep progress on the account, but support varies per title. For anything you have played a long time, copy the save folder yourself.

Office customisations

Templates you built, macros, custom dictionaries and mail signatures are stored apart from the documents. Backing up files alone does not carry them over.

Fonts you installed

Downloaded fonts disappear with the reformat, and documents built with them reflow into a substitute face.

Program settings

Editor configurations, keybindings and development environments take a long time to shape and are tedious to rebuild. Check whether they sync to an account.

Email

Mail received in Thunderbird or Outlook is stored on the PC. Unlike webmail it goes with the reformat, so copy the whole profile folder.

Licences and activation

• Windows activation is easiest to restore if it is linked to a Microsoft account. Check Settings → System → Activation for the account link.
• Prebuilt desktops and laptops with a key in the motherboard reactivate automatically once online. Nothing to do.
• For separately purchased Office or other paid software, confirm the serial number or account link in advance.
• If you plan to reinstall a personal-use-only program on a work PC, this is a good moment to look at alternatives instead.

What to download in advance

1. 1

   Install USB

   Microsoft’s own tool makes one, and Rufus can build media that skips requirements such as TPM. Make it on a different PC from the one you are wiping.

2. 2

   Network driver

   This one matters most. If the network adapter has no driver after installation, you have no internet — and without internet you cannot download drivers. Get it from your motherboard maker onto a USB stick beforehand.

3. 3

   Graphics and chipset drivers

   Windows Update usually supplies these, but having them ready saves waiting.

Common questions