iTunes and hard drive format (PC) question

I use my Powerbook for my everyday computer, but I kept my Windows machine as a juke box, and it only runs iTunes and a few other programs.

I want to clean it off and format the drive, my question is if I back up all the iTunes files in the My Music folder along with all my music and other files, will is save information like play counts, last played date, etc.?

Another thing, will those iTunes files keep my iPod linked to iTunes and the music when I reimport them, or will I have re-sync it?

Thanks!

Save off your ENTIRE iTunes folder and then after you have reformated, presumably re-installed Windows, copy it back. This will preserve you tunes and your playlists. I can't say if it will do play counts and so on.

I would guess you will have to resync your iPod. Windows will have lost its mind in the reformat/reinstall. I suspect iTunes must keep the association stuff somewhere in the Windows registry - my *guess* is that it will get lost in the reformat.