Checklist:

The below recommendations are what a user should check before completely erasing their computer hard disk drive and starting over. Following these steps can prevent hours of hassles and headaches.

Did you backup all information on your hard disk drive?
Although most current operating systems have driver support for most hardware have you made sure you have the diskettes/CD's for your computer hardware devices so you can install the hardware after erasing everything?
If you are reinstalling Windows 98 or lower do you have a boot disk?
Have you tested the boot disk or bootable CD to make sure it loads properly?
Do you need an operating system CD or Restore CD to reinstall the operating system?
Do you have the necessary licensing and OEM numbers needed to register your software again?
If you are planning to use a floppy diskette version to install your software you may want to verify all diskettes are accessible to prevent you from erasing the hard disk drive and not being able to recover the data because of a bad diskette.