How to erase my hard bulldoze and start over

Updated: 12/30/2021 past Computer Hope

Computer hard drive

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

Warning

Restoring your computer erases all the information on the hard drive and makes information technology like new. Once the steps below are completed, you lot cannot restore any lost information. Support whatever files yous do not desire to lose before proceeding with the restore procedure.

  • How to format a hard drive, SSD, or USB flash drive.
  • How to brand 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 password.

Erasing the hard drive and reinstalling Windows

To erase your difficult 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 proper name or password isn't needed.

Windows xi

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

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

Tip

If you lot don't see 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, blazon settings and press Enter.

  1. In the Settings window, click the Organization choice in the left navigation carte du jour.

Windows 11 Settings - System option

  1. Coil downwardly on the right side of the window and select the Recovery choice.
  2. On the right side of the Recovery window, under Recovery options, click the Reset PC push button.

Windows 11 Settings - Recovery options

  1. Cull the Keep 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 begin the recovery process.

Windows is reset, keeping your files intact or erasing everything, depending on the choice y'all selected above in pace vi.

Windows 10

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

  1. Printing the Windows fundamental, type Settings, and and so 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 so click the Get started button (B).

Starting the recovery process Windows 10.

  1. Cull the Continue my files or Remove everything selection, depending on if you want to preserve your files or delete everything and showtime over.

Reset this PC options.

  1. Follow the prompts to begin 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 primal+C to open the Charms card.
  2. Select the Search option and type reinstall in the Search text field (practice not press Enter).
  3. Select the Settings pick.
  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 Exercise you want to fully make clean your bulldoze 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 bulldoze are removed, depending on the option yous selected in step vi, and then Windows 8 is reinstalled.

Windows vii and Vista

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

Note

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

  • How to boot from a CD or DVD in a reckoner.
  1. Insert the Windows seven or Vista installation CD in the CD-ROM bulldoze and restart the computer.
  2. When you lot see the bulletin "Press any key to boot from CD," press a key on the keyboard.
  3. Press Enter at the Windows Setup welcome screen.
  4. When prompted, press whatever key on your keyboard.
  5. On the Install Windows screen, select your preferred language and other preferences, so click Side by side.
  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 Bulldoze 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 Disk 0 and select Next.

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

Windows XP and 2000

To restore a Windows XP or 2000 estimator, you must accept a set of restore discs for the reckoner or an original Windows XP or 2000 installation disc. If you exercise not have a gear up of restore discs, contact the estimator manufacturer to society a new gear up or restore discs.

Note

Before following the steps below, make certain the reckoner is set to kick from the CD-ROM drive.

  • How to boot from a CD or DVD in a reckoner.
  1. Insert the Windows XP/2000 installation CD in the CD-ROM bulldoze and restart the computer.
  2. When you see the message "Press any key to boot from CD," press a key on the keyboard.
  3. Press the Enter central at the Windows XP Setup welcome screen, so printing 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. Subsequently formatting the hard drive, which erases all data, encounter 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.x, 95, 98, ME, or NT 4.0.

Formatting the bulldoze

  1. Place the bootable diskette or disc inside the calculator and reboot to get to the DOS prompt. In some cases, you may demand to kick the estimator with CD-ROM support or printing a primal to kick from the disk.
  2. At the MS-DOS prompt, type format c: /s and press Enter.

Note

If the "format c: /s" control does non work, yous may need to download the format.com file to your boot disk.

  1. The computer asks "Are yous sure you desire to erase everything on bulldoze c:?" If you are ok with doing this, enter "Y" for yes and printing Enter.
  2. The computer begins the formatting process. While the computer is formatting, make certain 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 printing Enter. After entering this control, it should return you to the MS-DOS prompt with no message. This pace is non required, only recommended.
  • Do y'all have additional information on fdisk /mbr?
  1. Once dorsum at the MS-DOS prompt, reboot the computer with the boot disk still inserted and follow the steps below to reinstall Windows on the hard bulldoze.

Windows NT 4.0

Windows NT tin can be installed in dissimilar ways. Nosotros recommend Windows NT be installed using the steps beneath as we experience that these steps by far are the easiest way to install Windows NT 4.0.

Beginning, we recommend all users wanting to install Windows NT use the /b switch, which allows the users to not need to create the diskettes. We do, however, recommend the user create the emergency recover diskettes if they take not already been created after the installation of Windows NT.

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

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

If y'all are encountering problems 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 start 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 three.ten in the estimator.
  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. Identify 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.