In addition to being an atmospheric scientist, I'm also a software developer. I've been repairing computers (SW and HW) since I was a teen.

When I faced a computer, whether my own or someone else's, with a software problem, I would look through the logs, identify the problem, and fix THAT PROBLEM.

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I did not remove and reinstall whole programs without first backing up data and configuration settings.

I did not delete entire folders without knowing what they contained.

I did not reformat the hard drive unless I had absolutely no choice.

And if I did reformat, I backed up everything first.
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And another thing I did if I reluctantly had to reformat was this.

I had another machine that could run what I needed it to run until my regular one was good to go.

I knew that I would need to keep "operations" going, so I prepared. I did not blithely wipe out one without having another going.
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If you take your computer to repair shop and their approach for all problems is to do a full reformat, reinstall the OS, hand the machine back to you in two hours, hope YOU backed up your files first, leave YOU to reinstall all your software, AND BILL YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE...

Find another shop.
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As a software developer, I have a VERY low opinion of any "computer geek" who is too lazy or too unskilled to identify and solve problems without wiping the whole system.

The United States Government is that computer, except millions of lives and livelihoods are at stake.

Something to consider.
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