How to erase my difficult drive and start over

Updated: 12/30/2021 past Calculator Hope

Computer hard drive

Most computers have a system restore disc or built-in restore procedure on the hard drive to reset the reckoner to the original or default settings (manufactory reset). Resetting, formatting, or restoring, a computer helps eliminate issues with calculator software, including decadent program files and virus infections. Instructions on how to restore your computer back to the original software are provided below.

Alarm

Restoring your computer erases all the data on the hard drive and makes it like new. Once the steps below are completed, you cannot restore any lost data. Back upwards any files yous practise non want to lose before proceeding with the restore procedure.

  • How to format a difficult drive, SSD, or USB flash bulldoze.
  • How to make sure all data is erased on a reckoner hard drive.
  • Why am I unable to restore my computer using restore disc?
  • How to reset a lost or forgotten Windows password.

Erasing the hard drive and reinstalling Windows

To erase your hard drive and reinstall Windows, select a link below for your version of Windows and follow the steps.

Tip

If you're erasing everything and reinstalling Windows, an administrator login name or password isn't needed.

Windows xi

Follow these instructions to erase or uninstall and reinstall Windows xi.

  1. Open up the Outset carte du jour.
  2. Select the Settings app (Windows 10 Settings icon.).

Tip

If you don't run across the Settings app in the Offset menu, click the magnifying glass icon on the taskbar. In the text field at the top of the search window, type settings and press Enter.

  1. In the Settings window, click the System option in the left navigation menu.

Windows 11 Settings - System option

  1. Roll down on the correct side of the window and select the Recovery option.
  2. On the correct side of the Recovery window, under Recovery options, click the Reset PC button.

Windows 11 Settings - Recovery options

  1. Choose the Continue my files or Remove everything option, depending on if you want to preserve your files or delete everything and start over.
  2. Follow the prompts to begin the recovery process.

Windows is reset, keeping your files intact or erasing everything, depending on the choice you selected above in step 6.

Windows 10

Follow these instructions to erase or uninstall and reinstall Windows 10.

  1. Press the Windows central, type Settings, and then printing Enter.
  2. In the Settings window, select the Update & security option.

Update & Security icon.

  1. Select the Recovery (A) option in the left navigation pane, and so click the Become started button (B).

Starting the recovery process Windows 10.

  1. Choose the Keep my files or Remove everything selection, depending on if you lot desire to preserve your files or delete everything and start over.

Reset this PC options.

  1. Follow the prompts to begin the recovery procedure. Once the process completes, Windows is reset.

Windows viii

Follow these instructions to erase and reinstall Windows 8.

  1. Press the Windows key+C to open the Charms menu.
  2. Select the Search option and type reinstall in the Search text field (do non press Enter).
  3. Select the Settings option.
  4. On the left side of the screen, select Remove everything and reinstall Windows.
  5. On the Reset your PC screen, click Next.
  6. On the Practise you lot desire to fully clean your drive screen, select Just remove my files to do a quick deletion or select Fully clean the drive to have all files erased.
  7. On the Ready to reset your PC screen, click Reset.

Your files or all files on the hard drive are removed, depending on the option you selected in footstep half dozen, and then Windows viii is reinstalled.

Windows 7 and Vista

To restore a Windows seven or Vista computer, you must have a ready of restore discs for the computer or an original Windows 7 or Vista installation disc. If y'all do not have a set of restore discs, contact the estimator manufacturer to order a new set or restore discs.

Note

Before following the steps below, make sure the computer is fix to boot from the CD-ROM drive.

  • How to kick from a CD or DVD in a computer.
  1. Insert the Windows seven or Vista installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the reckoner.
  2. When yous come across the message "Press whatever key to kick from CD," printing a key on the keyboard.
  3. Press Enter at the Windows Setup welcome screen.
  4. When prompted, press any primal on your keyboard.
  5. On the Install Windows screen, select your preferred language and other preferences, then click Adjacent.
  6. On the License Agreement screen, accept the terms and agreements, and then click Next.
  7. On the Installation Type screen, cull the Custom option.
  8. Select the Drive Options (avant-garde) option.
  9. For Deejay 0, delete all partitions. When all partitions are deleted, a unmarried entry named "Unallocated space" should be seen.
  10. Click Deejay 0 and select Next.

The Windows installation procedure starts by creating a new division, formatting the partition, and installing Windows on the hard drive. The formatting procedure erases the hard drive before installing Windows.

Windows XP and 2000

To restore a Windows XP or 2000 reckoner, you must take a set of restore discs for the computer or an original Windows XP or 2000 installation disc. If you do not accept a set of restore discs, contact the computer manufacturer to gild a new set or restore discs.

Note

Before following the steps beneath, make sure the computer is set to kick from the CD-ROM drive.

  • How to boot from a CD or DVD in a computer.
  1. Insert the Windows XP/2000 installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the figurer.
  2. When you come across the message "Press whatsoever cardinal to kick from CD," press a fundamental on the keyboard.
  3. Press the Enter fundamental at the Windows XP Setup welcome screen, then press F8 to accept the Terms and Agreements.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to select a difficult drive partition to format and install Windows XP.
  5. Later on formatting the difficult drive, which erases all information, encounter our steps for reinstalling Windows.
  • How to install the Microsoft Windows operating organization.

Earlier versions of Windows and DOS

Follow these instructions to erase and reinstall MS-DOS 5.0+, Windows 3.10, 95, 98, ME, or NT 4.0.

Formatting the bulldoze

  1. Identify the bootable diskette or disc inside the computer and reboot to become to the DOS prompt. In some cases, you lot may need to boot the computer with CD-ROM support or press a key to boot from the deejay.
  2. At the MS-DOS prompt, type format c: /s and printing Enter.

Note

If the "format c: /southward" command does not piece of work, you may need to download the format.com file to your boot disk.

  1. The computer asks "Are you lot sure you want to erase everything on bulldoze c:?" If you are ok with doing this, enter "Y" for yes and press Enter.
  2. The computer begins the formatting process. While the computer is formatting, make sure no errors are encountered.
  • I'm getting bad sectors, clusters, or missing allocations.
  1. Once the format process is completed successfully, at the MS-DOS prompt, type fdisk /mbr and press Enter. After inbound this control, it should return you to the MS-DOS prompt with no bulletin. This stride is non required, just recommended.
  • Practice y'all have additional information on fdisk /mbr?
  1. Once back at the MS-DOS prompt, reboot the computer with the kick disk still inserted and follow the steps beneath to reinstall Windows on the hard drive.

Windows NT 4.0

Windows NT tin be installed in different ways. We recommend Windows NT be installed using the steps below every bit we experience that these steps by far are the easiest way to install Windows NT 4.0.

Start, nosotros recommend all users wanting to install Windows NT utilise the /b switch, which allows the users to not need to create the diskettes. We exercise, however, recommend the user create the emergency recover diskettes if they accept not already been created afterward the installation of Windows NT.

Finally, before the installation of Windows NT, we recommend you run smartdrv, which helps the installation of Windows NT run a lot faster.

  1. Place the CD into the computer.
  2. Blazon X: (where Ten is the CD-ROM drive, frequently the D:).
  3. Once at the advisable drive, blazon cd winnt and press Enter to become to the Windows 95 directory.
  4. Once at the X:\WINNT> prompt, blazon winnt /b.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Windows 95 with a backup CD

  1. Place the CD in the computer.
  2. Blazon X: (where 10 is the CD-ROM drive, oftentimes the D:).
  3. In one case at the appropriate bulldoze, type cd win95 and press Enter to get to the Windows 95 directory.
  4. Once at the Ten:\WIN95> prompt, type setup to brainstorm the installation.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

If you are encountering problems during the setup process, y'all can add boosted switches to the setup command line. These switches are on our Windows 95 setup switches page.

Windows 95 with floppy diskettes

  1. Place the start diskette of Windows 95 in the computer.
  2. At the A:\> prompt, blazon setup and press Enter to begin the installation.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Windows 3.ten

  1. Identify the starting time diskette of Windows 3.x in the computer.
  2. At the A:\> prompt, blazon setup and press Enter to begin the installation.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

MS-DOS

  1. Identify the first MS-DOS diskette into the computer.
  2. At the A:\> prompt, blazon setup and printing Enter to being the installation.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.