Option #1 : Back-up Files before Reformat 

(Remember your computer will be "Like-new" after our reformat service)  Any files you wish saved should be backed-up prior to the reformat service.  We prefer your making a copy of desired files to save prior to Computer Help America servicing your computer.  If you are familiar with Windows explorer this is a very easy process.  Create a directory and name it "BackupCHA"  Place a copy of all desired folders you wish to save in this directory. Prior to reformatting your hard-drive a copy of this folder and all sub-folders will be backed up.  After reformat they will then be restored to your fresh hard-drive.

Searching/Scanning for Files:

Saving complete folders of information is the quickest way to make sure the desired backup files are saved, however this can also save many non-document files.  This can take extra disk space to save.  Sometime disk space is available on your hard-drive and some-times there is no hard-drive space left.  A better way to backup your desired files is to scan or search for them by extensions.  Windows has a "built-in" search program for finding your files. Read windows help instructions to familiarize yourself with how it works.

What are file extensions?

A file extension designates the type of files associated with a specific programs.  Example1: Microsoft Excel File extension = xls  /might be named: spreadsheet.xls  Example2: Microsoft Word extension = doc  /might be named: mytext.doc 

Why do I need to Search for my files?

Example:  You have many family picture files on your computer.  These are one-of-a-kind photos.  You do not wish to loose them.  Do you know what file folder your picture files are located in.  They will have a file extension of *.jpg  If you do not know where all your picture files are located then you can Search your entire computer for any file with the extension of jpg and this amazing little search tool will find them. 

Files for backup consideration include document, picture, and music files. The search tool is Located on the Start Bar | Search

To backup your files we need to know where they are located on your computer.  Other-wise we must scan your drive to locate these files.  This takes extra time.

What files are usually important?

Below is a list of file extensions and the type of media they are associated with.  By using the Windows search tool you can place copies of all these files into your BackupCHA directory prior to our reformatting your hard drive. 

To determine which files apply to you is a matter of looking at programs you personally use.  You can look at the file extensions on your computer by opening "My computer" then from the tools menu open "Folder Options"  then choose "File Types".  You are now viewing all the file extensions that have been associated with a program on your computer.

Ensure all necessary files are backed up

An easy way to capture necessary files for backup is to run Belarc Computer profile software.  Then view software programs installed on your computer.  If you cannot find a the specific file extension for your program we would be happy to help.  mechanic@computerhelpamerica.com

Compressed and Encoded files

.hqx
ASCII-encoded binary file. A common format on the internet for files for Macs.

.sea
Self-Extracting Archive file. Compressed archived file for the Macintosh. Can be read on any platform with StuffIt Expander software.

.sit
StuffIt Compressed Archive file. Compressed archived file for the Macintosh.

.tar
Tape Archive file. A UNIX file format. tar files are often further compressed, and therefore may be found with the extension .tar.z or .tar.gz

.uue
UUencoding file. 7-bit ASCII encoding for binary files.

.z
Compressed file, generated by a computer running the UNIX operating system. Can be extracted using WinZip software (95 or later).

.zip
A compressed file package. Can be unzipped by "WinZip" software. A "zipped" package of one or more files can significantly reduce the size in bytes; this method is therefore very popular for transmitting files. The WinZip software is available for free download on the internet, and is also used to create zipped file packages.

Data and Information files

.csv
Comma-Separated Values. Most often generated by database or spreadsheet programs in order to present tabular data in a flat file. Each row in the file represents a row in the original data table; the values in adjacent columns are separated by a comma.

.dat
Data file. A basic flat file of data, almost entirely free of structure. Can be opened by many software applications including text editor programs. (However when a .dat file exceeds a few megabytes in size, it may be too big for a text editor to open.)

.E00
ArcInfo Coverage Export File. Used for Geospatial data.

.ivt
Beyond 20/20 file. This program is a statistical browser for viewing tabular data.

.mif
MapInfo Interchange format. Geospatial data file for MapInfo software.

.sas
SAS file. SAS is a statistical analysis software.

.shp
Shape file. Used for Geospatial data, with ArcView software.

.sps or .spss
SPSS file. SPSS is a statistical analysis software.

.tab
A tabular data file. Data columns are separated by tabs. This file format is designed for numeric data sets.

.vts
Formula One file. This spreadsheet program is an alternative to MS-Excel.

Image files

.bmp
Bitmap image file. This file type is common for desktop backgrounds.

.gif
A standard image file. (Graphic Interchange File) Can be opened with any graphics viewer or editor, or any browser.

.jpg or .jpeg
A standard image file. (Joint Photography Experts Group) Can be opened with any graphics viewer or editor, or any browser.

.pic
A Bitmap graphic file. Produced by the following softwares: PC Paint, Lotus picture, or Mac PICT Drawing.

.png
Portable (Public) Network Graphic file. An alternative to the .gif format.

.tif or .tiff
Tagged Image File Format. A lesser-known image file type. Can be opened with any graphics viewer or editor, or any browser. This file type is most commonly encountered in using Adobe Photoshop.

Internet files and Downloadable application files

.asp
Active Server page. You may notice this extension in the address bar of websites you visit. Essentially, ASP code is a tool from MicroSoft used to add some fancy features to web pages. ASPs are server-generated pages which can call other programs to do things like access databases, and serve different pages to different browsers

.cgi
Common Gateway Interface script. This file extension is common in internet addresses. CGI involves a method of transferring data from web pages to scripts running on a web server and back again.

.com
Command file. An executable application or program. (Be careful, since many viruses are spread as .com files)

.exe
An executable file - an application or program; downloading and double-clicking on a .exe file will cause it to run.

.gz or .gzip
GNU zip file. A popular format for compressing a single large data file. Used on the Unix platform (not Windows or Macintosh).

.htm
.htm is synonymous but not identical to .html Both are commonly known as HTML files, which stands for "Hyper Text Mark-up Language". For today's internet user, .htm and .html are equivalent. .htm is left over from the days when Windows did not support four-letter extensions for their files. Now all standard machines accept .html. But be careful: the two file extensions are equivalent in purpose, but not in reality. Two files called index.htm and index.html will be two distinct files. One must still be careful when opening and saving files written in HTML.

.html
Hyper Text Mark-up Language. This file is a simple "web page", a file that can be viewed by any browser (such as Netscape or Intenet Explorer). One key property of HTML is the use of hyper text links, which allows the user to jump between sections and across pages in internet documents.

.jsp
Java Server page. You may notice this extension in the address bar of websites you visit. JSP code helps add some fancy features to web pages, and they work well across all kinds of computers. ASPs are server-generated pages which can call other programs to do things like access databases, and serve different pages to different browsers

.sgml
Standard Generalized Mark-up Language. International standard for electronic presentation of texts. Largely used by the publishing industry and digital libraries.

.shtm or .shtml
A form of .sgml Used specifically for web page editing.

.xml
Extensible Mark-up Language. A language used to write web pages; similar to HTML, but newer, more complex, and with extra capabilities.

.zip
A compressed file package. Can be unzipped by "WinZip" software. A "zipped" package of one or more files can significantly reduce the size in bytes; this method is therefore very popular for transmitting files. The WinZip software is available for free download on the internet, and is also used to create zipped file packages.

Media files

.avi
A Window video file. (Audio Video Interleave file)

.mp3
A highly-compressed file format. This file format is most used for music files and movies.

.mpg or .mpeg
The most popular file format for movies. A compressed file format.

.ra
RealAudio file. A popular sound file format. For use with RealAudio player.

.vdo
VDOscript file. Video file format; its player software is no longer available.

.viv
VivoActive file. Video file used with VivoPlayer software. This format is known for mediocre image quality but very compact files.

.wav
A popular sound file format.

Popular Software files

.doc
MicroSoft Word (MS-Word) file. A popular word-processing document format

.dxf
An AutoCAD file. This program is used by architects to create floorplans and blueprints.

.mdb
MS-Access file. A simple database file. Opens with MS-Access.

.pdf
Portable Document Format. PDF files give the user a non-modifiable copy of a document. Opens with Adobe Acrobat Viewer; can be edited with Adobe Acrobat.

.pps
MicroSoft Powerpoint slide show presentation. Double-clicking on this file will cause the slide show to run. (Your entire screen will go blank and soon be filled by the first slide. Left-click with your mouse to progress through the slides; hit Escape on your keyboard at any time to exit.) .pps files are often distributed by e-mail.

.ppt
MicroSoft Powerpoint file. Opens with and is created with MicroSoft Powerpoint. Opening it allows you to edit the slide show presentation.

.ps
PostScript file. Similar to PDF, this format allows a document to be viewed and printed but not edited. Can be printed using GhostScript, GhostWriter, or GSview software.

.wp
WordPerfect file. Another type of word-processing document.

.wpd
WordPerfect file. Another type of word-processing document.

.xls
MicroSoft Excel (MS-Excel) spreadsheet. Can also be generated by a database.

Technical and System files

.bat
Batch file. Commonly used to store system software information. Manufacturers often intall batch files instead of supplying an operating system cd. These are crucial files and should never be deleted.

.bak
A backup file for the operating system.

.bin
MacBinary Encoded File. This file type requires Stuffit Expander for Macintosh computers.

.bkp
A backup file extension used by some software applications.

.dic
A Dictionary file. Usually specific to a MicroSoft application (e.g. MS-Word).

.dll
Dynamic Link Library file. A DLL is a collection of small programs, used individually by a larger program that is running in the computer. The purpose of such a small program can be to let the larger program communicate with a specific device such as a printer or scanner. (DLL files that support specific device operation are known as device drivers.)

.ini
Initialization file. Contains the initial configuration settings of a specific program.

.sys
System driver file. Can be used by the whole operating system or by a single application.

.tmp
Temporary file. Used by the operating system to store current working information and data.

Text files and Word Processing documents

.doc
MicroSoft Word (MS-Word) file. Opens automatically with MS-Word. Be careful of version compatibility issues when working on different computers.

.rtf
Rich text file. Can be opened with any text editor program such as Notepad, Wordpad, MS-Word. .rtf format permits some formatting of the document's style, such as bold text, different font sizes and styles.

.tex
Text file format, most often used for scientific text editing. Generating a .tex format document requires TeX or LaTeX software. May be viewed with Scientific Viewer software.

.txt
Text file. Can be opened with any text editor program such as Notepad, Wordpad, MS-Word. .txt format permits no formatting of the document, only spaces and line breaks.

.wp
WordPerfect (WP) file. May be opened with WordPerfect or MS-Word.

.wpd
WordPerfect (WP) file. May be opened with WordPerfect or MS-Word.

.wp51
WordPerfect version 5.1 (WP51) file. A file with this extension probably dates from the early 1990s. May be opened with WordPerfect (version 5.1 or higher) or MS-Word.

.wri
Windows 3.1 Write file. A formatted word-processing document. Can be opened with any text editor program such as Notepad, Wordpad, MS-Word. .rtf format permits some formatting of the document's style, such as bold text, different font sizes and styles.

Option #2 : Download "FREE" EzBack-it-up Program

If you are not all that familiar with Windows explorer we offer a Free Backup program that can be downloaded here. This is an excellent "Free-Program" except they forgot to include a create-directory feature.  This program will automatically create your "BackupCHA" directory.    It is very easy to use.  Steps for using:

1. Create directory (folder) name "BackupCHA"
2. Name the job "BackupCHA"
3. save to the C:\BackupCHA (directory)

Option #3 : Have Computer Help America Backup/ Restore my critical Files

If you are still not comfortable backing up your files Computer Help America can assist you with the backup process!  We will backup and restore your files to your reformatted hard-drive.  All program applications will need to be re-installed.

Most of the time we can retreive your data.  Depending on your computer's physical condition this information may not be retrievable.  If your data is unretrievable we will advise you and ask for additional  permission prior to reformat.

* Shipping Kit:  Quick-ship computer mailing kit.  The kit includes a shipping box, service mail label, conformal foam shipping material (custom packs your computer), and instructions.  This kit allows maximum protection of your computer through the shipping process.  Our goal is to make it easier to ship your computer than loading it and dropping it off.

After receiving your order a shipping kit will be sent to you.  Follow included instructions to safely pack your computer for shipping.  Call the shipper for pickup.    After servicing the computer is then shipped back to you.  The standard shipping kit fee includes 2-way shipping + box carton and packaging material.