How to erase my hard bulldoze and start over

Updated: 12/xxx/2021 by Computer Hope

Computer hard drive

Almost computers have a system restore disc or born restore process on the hard drive to reset the computer to the original or default settings (mill reset). Resetting, formatting, or restoring, a reckoner helps eliminate issues with estimator software, including corrupt program files and virus infections. Instructions on how to restore your computer dorsum to the original software are provided below.

Warning

Restoring your computer erases all the information on the hard bulldoze and makes it like new. In one case the steps below are completed, you cannot restore any lost data. Back up any files you exercise not 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 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 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 11

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

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

Tip

If you don't come across the Settings app in the Start 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 selection in the left navigation menu.

Windows 11 Settings - System option

  1. Ringlet down on the right 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 Continue my files or Remove everything option, depending on if yous 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 option you selected above in step vi.

Windows ten

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

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

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 Go on my files or Remove everything choice, depending on if you want to preserve your files or delete everything and start over.

Reset this PC options.

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

Windows eight

Follow these instructions to erase and reinstall Windows 8.

  1. Press the Windows fundamental+C to open the Charms carte du jour.
  2. Select the Search option and type reinstall in the Search text field (do 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 Do y'all want to fully make clean your drive screen, select Simply remove my files to practise a quick deletion or select Fully clean the drive to take 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 pick yous selected in step six, and and then Windows eight is reinstalled.

Windows 7 and Vista

To restore a Windows 7 or Vista reckoner, yous must accept a gear up of restore discs for the calculator or an original Windows 7 or Vista installation disc. If you do not accept a set of restore discs, contact the figurer manufacturer to order a new ready or restore discs.

Note

Before following the steps below, make certain the reckoner is prepare 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 bulldoze and restart the computer.
  2. When you run into the message "Press whatever key to kicking from CD," press a key on the keyboard.
  3. Press Enter at the Windows Setup welcome screen.
  4. When prompted, press any key on your keyboard.
  5. On the Install Windows screen, select your preferred language and other preferences, so click Next.
  6. On the License Agreement screen, take the terms and agreements, and then click Next.
  7. On the Installation Type screen, choose the Custom option.
  8. Select the Drive Options (advanced) selection.
  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 Next.

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

Windows XP and 2000

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

Note

Before post-obit the steps beneath, brand sure the computer is set up to kick 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 estimator.
  2. When you run across the message "Press any cardinal to kicking from CD," press a key on the keyboard.
  3. Printing the Enter primal 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. Afterward formatting the hard drive, which erases all data, see 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.x, 95, 98, ME, or NT 4.0.

Formatting the drive

  1. Place the bootable diskette or disc inside the estimator and reboot to get to the DOS prompt. In some cases, you may need to boot the figurer with CD-ROM back up or printing a key to kicking 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, y'all may need to download the format.com file to your kick disk.

  1. The computer asks "Are y'all sure you want to erase everything on bulldoze c:?" If you are ok with doing this, enter "Y" for yep and printing Enter.
  2. The computer begins the formatting process. While the computer is formatting, make sure no errors are encountered.
  • I'yard getting bad sectors, clusters, or missing allocations.
  1. One time the format process is completed successfully, at the MS-DOS prompt, type fdisk /mbr and press Enter. After entering this control, it should return you to the MS-DOS prompt with no message. This pace is not required, but recommended.
  • Do you have additional information on fdisk /mbr?
  1. Once back at the MS-DOS prompt, reboot the computer with the kicking deejay however inserted and follow the steps below to reinstall Windows on the difficult bulldoze.

Windows NT 4.0

Windows NT tin be installed in different ways. We recommend Windows NT exist installed using the steps below every bit we experience that these steps by far are the easiest mode to install Windows NT iv.0.

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

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

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

If you are encountering bug during the setup process, y'all tin can add together additional switches to the setup control line. These switches are on our Windows 95 setup switches page.

Windows 95 with floppy diskettes

  1. Identify the start diskette of Windows 95 in the computer.
  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 3.10

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

MS-DOS

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