How to erase my hard bulldoze and outset over

Updated: 12/thirty/2021 past Calculator Promise

Computer hard drive

Most computers take a organisation restore disc or congenital-in restore process on the hard drive to reset the computer to the original or default settings (factory reset). Resetting, formatting, or restoring, a computer helps eliminate issues with estimator software, including corrupt 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 information on the difficult drive and makes it like new. One time the steps below are completed, yous cannot restore any lost data. Support any files you exercise non want to lose earlier proceeding with the restore process.

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

Erasing the hard drive and reinstalling Windows

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

Tip

If you lot're erasing everything and reinstalling Windows, an ambassador login name or countersign isn't needed.

Windows 11

Follow these instructions to erase or uninstall and reinstall Windows 11.

  1. Open up the Start menu.
  2. Select the Settings app (Windows 10 Settings icon.).

Tip

If you lot don't come across the Settings app in the Starting time card, click the magnifying glass icon on the taskbar. In the text field at the top of the search window, blazon settings and press Enter.

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

Windows 11 Settings - System option

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

Windows 11 Settings - Recovery options

  1. Cull the Go on my files or Remove everything option, depending on if you desire to preserve your files or delete everything and start over.
  2. Follow the prompts to brainstorm the recovery process.

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

Windows 10

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

  1. Printing the Windows fundamental, type Settings, and then press Enter.
  2. In the Settings window, select the Update & security option.

Update & Security icon.

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

Starting the recovery process Windows 10.

  1. Choose the Keep my files or Remove everything option, depending on if y'all want to preserve your files or delete everything and kickoff over.

Reset this PC options.

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

Windows 8

Follow these instructions to erase and reinstall Windows 8.

  1. Press the Windows key+C to open up the Charms menu.
  2. Select the Search option and type reinstall in the Search text field (practice not press Enter).
  3. Select the Settings choice.
  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 desire to fully make clean your drive screen, select Just remove my files to do a quick deletion or select Fully clean the drive to take all files erased.
  7. On the Set up to reset your PC screen, click Reset.

Your files or all files on the difficult drive are removed, depending on the selection you selected in step vi, and then Windows 8 is reinstalled.

Windows 7 and Vista

To restore a Windows 7 or Vista estimator, you must accept a prepare of restore discs for the computer or an original Windows 7 or Vista installation disc. If you do non have a set of restore discs, contact the reckoner manufacturer to order a new set or restore discs.

Note

Earlier following the steps below, make sure the calculator is set to boot from the CD-ROM drive.

  • How to boot from a CD or DVD in a computer.
  1. Insert the Windows vii or Vista installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the calculator.
  2. When you run across the bulletin "Press any key to boot from CD," printing a key on the keyboard.
  3. Press Enter at the Windows Setup welcome screen.
  4. When prompted, printing whatsoever central on your keyboard.
  5. On the Install Windows screen, select your preferred language and other preferences, and then click Next.
  6. On the License Agreement screen, accept the terms and agreements, so click Side by side.
  7. On the Installation Type screen, choose the Custom pick.
  8. Select the Drive Options (advanced) selection.
  9. For Disk 0, delete all partitions. When all partitions are deleted, a single entry named "Unallocated infinite" should be seen.
  10. Click Disk 0 and select Next.

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

Windows XP and 2000

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

Note

Before following the steps below, brand sure the computer is set to boot from the CD-ROM bulldoze.

  • How to boot from a CD or DVD in a figurer.
  1. Insert the Windows XP/2000 installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the computer.
  2. When you lot encounter the message "Press any key to boot from CD," press a cardinal on the keyboard.
  3. Press the Enter key 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 hard drive partition to format and install Windows XP.
  5. Later on formatting the hard drive, which erases all data, see our steps for reinstalling Windows.
  • How to install the Microsoft Windows operating organisation.

Earlier versions of Windows and DOS

Follow these instructions to erase and reinstall MS-DOS v.0+, Windows three.ten, 95, 98, ME, or NT 4.0.

Formatting the drive

  1. Identify the bootable diskette or disc within the reckoner and reboot to get to the DOS prompt. In some cases, you may demand to boot the computer with CD-ROM support or press a fundamental to boot from the deejay.
  2. At the MS-DOS prompt, type format c: /due south and press Enter.

Annotation

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

  1. The calculator asks "Are you lot sure you want to erase everything on drive c:?" If yous are ok with doing this, enter "Y" for aye and printing Enter.
  2. The computer begins the formatting process. While the computer is formatting, make sure no errors are encountered.
  • I'chiliad getting bad sectors, clusters, or missing allocations.
  1. Once the format procedure is completed successfully, at the MS-DOS prompt, blazon fdisk /mbr and press Enter. After entering this command, information technology should return you to the MS-DOS prompt with no message. This step is not required, but recommended.
  • Do you take boosted information on fdisk /mbr?
  1. Once back at the MS-DOS prompt, reboot the reckoner with the kicking disk still inserted and follow the steps below to reinstall Windows on the hard drive.

Windows NT 4.0

Windows NT can be installed in unlike ways. We recommend Windows NT be installed using the steps below as we feel that these steps past far are the easiest manner to install Windows NT 4.0.

Beginning, we recommend all users wanting to install Windows NT utilize the /b switch, which allows the users to non need to create the diskettes. Nosotros do, withal, recommend the user create the emergency recover diskettes if they have non already been created later on the installation of Windows NT.

Finally, before the installation of Windows NT, nosotros recommend y'all run smartdrv, which helps the installation of Windows NT run a lot faster.

  1. Identify the CD into the estimator.
  2. Blazon 10: (where X is the CD-ROM drive, often the D:).
  3. Once at the appropriate bulldoze, type 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 fill-in CD

  1. Place the CD in the reckoner.
  2. Type X: (where 10 is the CD-ROM drive, ofttimes the D:).
  3. Once at the appropriate drive, blazon cd win95 and press Enter to go to the Windows 95 directory.
  4. Once at the X:\WIN95> prompt, blazon setup to begin the installation.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

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

Windows 95 with floppy diskettes

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

Windows 3.x

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

MS-DOS

  1. Place the first MS-DOS diskette into the calculator.
  2. At the A:\> prompt, type setup and press Enter to being the installation.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.