How to erase my difficult drive and start over

Updated: 12/30/2021 by Computer Hope

Computer hard drive

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

Warning

Restoring your estimator erases all the information on the hard drive and makes information technology similar new. Once the steps beneath are completed, you cannot restore any lost data. Back up any files yous practice not want to lose before proceeding with the restore procedure.

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

Erasing the difficult drive and reinstalling Windows

To erase your hard bulldoze 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 the Kickoff carte du jour.
  2. Select the Settings app (Windows 10 Settings icon.).

Tip

If you don't encounter the Settings app in the First carte, click the magnifying drinking 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 card.

Windows 11 Settings - System option

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

Windows 11 Settings - Recovery options

  1. Choose the Go along my files or Remove everything choice, depending on if you want to preserve your files or delete everything and start over.
  2. Follow the prompts to begin the recovery procedure.

Windows is reset, keeping your files intact or erasing everything, depending on the choice you selected to a higher place in step six.

Windows 10

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

  1. Press the Windows cardinal, type Settings, and then press Enter.
  2. In the Settings window, select the Update & security selection.

Update & Security icon.

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

Starting the recovery process Windows 10.

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

Reset this PC options.

  1. Follow the prompts to begin the recovery process. One time the process completes, Windows is reset.

Windows eight

Follow these instructions to erase and reinstall Windows 8.

  1. Printing the Windows key+C to open up the Charms bill of fare.
  2. Select the Search option and blazon reinstall in the Search text field (exercise not 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 desire to fully clean your drive screen, select But 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 bulldoze are removed, depending on the choice you selected in step 6, and then Windows viii is reinstalled.

Windows 7 and Vista

To restore a Windows 7 or Vista estimator, you must take a set of restore discs for the estimator or an original Windows vii or Vista installation disc. If you lot do not take a set of restore discs, contact the computer manufacturer to guild a new set or restore discs.

Notation

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

  • How to boot from a CD or DVD in a computer.
  1. Insert the Windows 7 or Vista installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the computer.
  2. When yous see the bulletin "Printing any key to kicking from CD," press a cardinal on the keyboard.
  3. Press Enter at the Windows Setup welcome screen.
  4. When prompted, printing whatsoever fundamental on your keyboard.
  5. On the Install Windows screen, select your preferred linguistic communication and other preferences, then click Next.
  6. On the License Understanding screen, accept the terms and agreements, then click Next.
  7. On the Installation Blazon screen, choose the Custom option.
  8. Select the Drive Options (advanced) option.
  9. For Disk 0, delete all partitions. When all partitions are deleted, a single entry named "Unallocated space" should exist seen.
  10. Click Disk 0 and select Side by side.

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

Windows XP and 2000

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

Annotation

Earlier post-obit the steps below, brand sure the reckoner is set to boot from the CD-ROM bulldoze.

  • How to boot from a CD or DVD in a reckoner.
  1. Insert the Windows XP/2000 installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the computer.
  2. When y'all meet the message "Press any primal to boot from CD," press a key on the keyboard.
  3. Printing the Enter key at the Windows XP Setup welcome screen, then press F8 to take the Terms and Agreements.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to select a hard drive partition to format and install Windows XP.
  5. After formatting the hard bulldoze, which erases all data, see our steps for reinstalling Windows.
  • How to install the Microsoft Windows operating arrangement.

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. Place the bootable diskette or disc within the computer and reboot to get to the DOS prompt. In some cases, yous may demand to boot the computer with CD-ROM support or press a key to boot from the disk.
  2. At the MS-DOS prompt, type format c: /s and press Enter.

Annotation

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

  1. The computer asks "Are y'all sure y'all desire to erase everything on drive c:?" If yous are ok with doing this, enter "Y" for yes and press Enter.
  2. The computer begins the formatting process. While the computer is formatting, brand 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 entering this command, it should return you to the MS-DOS prompt with no message. This step is not required, but recommended.
  • Do you accept additional data on fdisk /mbr?
  1. Once dorsum at the MS-DOS prompt, reboot the reckoner with the boot disk all the same inserted and follow the steps below to reinstall Windows on the hard drive.

Windows NT 4.0

Windows NT tin can be installed in different ways. Nosotros recommend Windows NT be installed using the steps below as we feel that these steps by far are the easiest way to install Windows NT four.0.

First, nosotros recommend all users wanting to install Windows NT use the /b switch, which allows the users to non need to create the diskettes. We do, withal, recommend the user create the emergency recover diskettes if they accept non already been created after 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. Identify the CD into the computer.
  2. Blazon X: (where X is the CD-ROM bulldoze, often the D:).
  3. Once at the appropriate bulldoze, type cd winnt and press Enter to get to the Windows 95 directory.
  4. Once at the X:\WINNT> prompt, type 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. Type X: (where X is the CD-ROM drive, often the D:).
  3. One time at the advisable bulldoze, type cd win95 and press Enter to become to the Windows 95 directory.
  4. Once at the X:\WIN95> prompt, type setup to brainstorm the installation.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

If yous are encountering issues during the setup process, you can add together 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 first diskette of Windows 95 in the calculator.
  2. At the A:\> prompt, type setup and printing Enter to begin the installation.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Windows three.x

  1. Place the starting time diskette of Windows three.ten in the computer.
  2. At the A:\> prompt, type setup and press Enter to brainstorm the installation.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

MS-DOS

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