Tech Tips / Windows 2000 Professional / Installation and Configuration
You might think that performing a clean install of Windows 2000 on an existing system means you'll have to reinstall all of your applications. While it's true you'll probably have to reinstall a few, it's a good bet you can get by without a reinstall for at least some programs.
Before you install Windows 2000, export a copy of the application sections of your existing registry. In some cases you can simply import the registry settings after Windows 2000 installation, which effectively reinstalls the applications.
Other applications don't require registry settings and therefore seldom require reinstallation. Just recreate a shortcut to the program's executable and you're all set. Other applications are self-healing, recreating their registry settings if the settings or even the entire key is missing.
If all else fails and you do have to reinstall an application, make sure you back up any customized files first. For example, back up your custom templates, AutoCorrect entries, or similar custom settings before reinstalling. You can then restore those custom files and settings afterward if the reinstallation doesn't pick them up automatically.
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