Is it possible to stay with a computer for a long time without formatting it? My external hard disk is saying format now while I am an architect with very expensive designs inside there what can I do? My screen shows blue what can I do? My screen is black and showing nothing what can I do?I happened to be using vypress chat software that enables two or more people on the same network to share audio and video files while chatting. My computer was at risk of various viruses, worms and malware as friends could come and take the latest music, books and movies from my computer and since I was doing computer studies I could not do away with the windows operating system in the computer.I decided to partition or divide my computer into more than two partitions and keep other files like music, games, videos in one partition and important files in the other partition. On one I installed Windows Operating System and on the second partition I installed Linux Operating System. Whenever I could get an external or secondary hard disk that I don’t trust, I could log in using Linux meaning once I restart my machine, I could be prompted to start using the Windows or the Linux. Majority of virus that are compatible with Widows OS are not compatible with Linux therefore it made it easy for me to identify them because they appear as draft writings without meaning. This way I managed to use my computer for three years without having to format it. When a friend brings an external hard disk that requires formatting, I can only help if it is rotating, meaning it can read files and data from different tracks and sectors inside it. The best method to help my friend is to try the hard disk in different operating systems like Windows, Linux or iOS. If it can be read in one of the system then I transfer his files, format and then return them to the disk. The causes can be a virus, malware or a worm that can cause the computer to behave in such a manner. If the computer screen show blue and nothing else comes up, it is called BSD meaning the Blue Screen of Death and is also caused by malware, virus or a worm that enters into the computer. The best solution is just to format the computer with a genuine operating system because if not genuine it might give you a hard time while formatting. But you must insist and not give up until you achieve the desired results. When the screen is black, the best option is just to test from a desktop screen by connecting the VGA (Video Graphics Adapter) cable into the one in your computer. The problem may be caused by the back light bulb that lights the screen being burnt or if the inverter that takes the information from the motherboard to the screen is not working well or is dead. In such situations you should just replace the screen with a new one.It is possible to your computer back to life if you are willing to try. The writer is a Technician at Riviera High School