How to erase my difficult bulldoze and start over

Updated: 12/30/2021 by Computer Promise

Computer hard drive

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

Warning

Restoring your computer erases all the data on the hard drive and makes it similar new. Once the steps below are completed, you lot cannot restore any lost data. Back up any files y'all exercise not want to lose before proceeding with the restore process.

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

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 11.

  1. Open the Beginning bill of fare.
  2. Select the Settings app (Windows 10 Settings icon.).

Tip

If you lot don't run into the Settings app in the Get-go menu, click the magnifying glass icon on the taskbar. In the text field at the peak of the search window, blazon settings and press Enter.

  1. In the Settings window, click the Organization option in the left navigation bill of fare.

Windows 11 Settings - System option

  1. Scroll 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 Go along my files or Remove everything selection, depending on if you desire 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 pick y'all selected above in stride half-dozen.

Windows ten

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

  1. Press the Windows primal, blazon Settings, and 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 then click the Go started button (B).

Starting the recovery process Windows 10.

  1. Choose the Keep my files or Remove everything pick, depending on if you want to preserve your files or delete everything and first over.

Reset this PC options.

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

Windows eight

Follow these instructions to erase and reinstall Windows 8.

  1. Press the Windows central+C to open the Charms carte du jour.
  2. Select the Search pick and type reinstall in the Search text field (do not press Enter).
  3. Select the Settings selection.
  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 Do you want to fully make 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 Fix to reset your PC screen, click Reset.

Your files or all files on the hard drive are removed, depending on the selection you selected in step 6, and and so Windows 8 is reinstalled.

Windows vii and Vista

To restore a Windows 7 or Vista computer, you lot must have a set of restore discs for the computer or an original Windows vii or Vista installation disc. If you do not have 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 up to kicking from the CD-ROM bulldoze.

  • How to boot from a CD or DVD in a calculator.
  1. Insert the Windows seven or Vista installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the calculator.
  2. When yous come across the message "Press any key to boot from CD," printing a key on the keyboard.
  3. Printing 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 linguistic communication and other preferences, so click Side by side.
  6. On the License Agreement screen, accept the terms and agreements, and and so click Next.
  7. On the Installation Blazon screen, choose the Custom selection.
  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 be seen.
  10. Click Deejay 0 and select Next.

The Windows installation process starts past 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 computer, you must take a ready of restore discs for the figurer or an original Windows XP or 2000 installation disc. If y'all do not have a prepare of restore discs, contact the computer manufacturer to society a new set or restore discs.

Annotation

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

  • How to kicking from a CD or DVD in a calculator.
  1. Insert the Windows XP/2000 installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the figurer.
  2. When you see the bulletin "Printing whatsoever key to boot from CD," press a key on the keyboard.
  3. Printing the Enter fundamental at the Windows XP Setup welcome screen, and 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. After formatting the difficult drive, which erases all information, encounter our steps for reinstalling Windows.
  • How to install the Microsoft Windows operating system.

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 iv.0.

Formatting the bulldoze

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

Note

If the "format c: /s" command does not work, you may demand to download the format.com file to your kick deejay.

  1. The computer asks "Are you sure you lot want to erase everything on drive c:?" If you lot are ok with doing this, enter "Y" for aye and printing Enter.
  2. The estimator begins the formatting procedure. While the computer is formatting, make sure no errors are encountered.
  • I'thousand getting bad sectors, clusters, or missing allocations.
  1. Once the format process is completed successfully, at the MS-DOS prompt, blazon fdisk /mbr and press Enter. After entering this command, it should return you to the MS-DOS prompt with no bulletin. This footstep is not required, but recommended.
  • Do you have additional data on fdisk /mbr?
  1. In one case back at the MS-DOS prompt, reboot the reckoner with the boot 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 different means. We recommend Windows NT exist installed using the steps below as nosotros feel that these steps by far are the easiest way to install Windows NT four.0.

First, we recommend all users wanting to install Windows NT utilise the /b switch, which allows the users to not demand to create the diskettes. We do, however, recommend the user create the emergency recover diskettes if they have non already been created subsequently the installation of Windows NT.

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

  1. Place the CD into the calculator.
  2. Type Ten: (where X is the CD-ROM drive, frequently the D:).
  3. Once at the appropriate 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. Type X: (where X is the CD-ROM drive, ofttimes the D:).
  3. Once at the appropriate drive, type cd win95 and press Enter to get to the Windows 95 directory.
  4. One time at the Ten:\WIN95> prompt, type setup to begin the installation.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

If you lot are encountering bug during the setup procedure, you lot tin 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 estimator.
  2. At the A:\> prompt, type setup and printing Enter to begin the installation.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to consummate the installation.

Windows three.ten

  1. Place the kickoff diskette of Windows iii.x in the reckoner.
  2. At the A:\> prompt, type 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 estimator.
  2. At the A:\> prompt, type setup and press Enter to being the installation.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to consummate the installation.