How to erase my hard drive and starting time over

Updated: 12/30/2021 by Calculator Hope

Computer hard drive

Most computers have a organisation restore disc or congenital-in restore procedure 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 computer software, including decadent program files and virus infections. Instructions on how to restore your computer dorsum to the original software are provided below.

Warning

Restoring your reckoner erases all the information on the hard drive and makes it like new. Once the steps beneath are completed, y'all cannot restore any lost information. Back up whatever files yous do not want to lose earlier proceeding with the restore process.

  • How to format a hard drive, SSD, or USB flash drive.
  • How to brand sure all data is erased on a computer hard bulldoze.
  • 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 proper noun or password isn't needed.

Windows 11

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

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

Tip

If you don't see the Settings app in the Beginning bill of fare, click the magnifying glass icon on the taskbar. In the text field at the tiptop of the search window, blazon settings and press Enter.

  1. In the Settings window, click the Organization option in the left navigation card.

Windows 11 Settings - System option

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

Windows 11 Settings - Recovery options

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

Windows is reset, keeping your files intact or erasing everything, depending on the pick you selected higher up in step half dozen.

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 option.

Update & Security icon.

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

Starting the recovery process Windows 10.

  1. Choose the Keep my files or Remove everything pick, depending on if yous want to preserve your files or delete everything and start 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 cardinal+C to open the Charms carte du jour.
  2. Select the Search option and type reinstall in the Search text field (do non 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 Side by side.
  6. On the Do you want to fully clean your bulldoze screen, select Just remove my files to do a quick deletion or select Fully make 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 difficult bulldoze are removed, depending on the choice you selected in step half dozen, and and so Windows 8 is reinstalled.

Windows seven and Vista

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

Note

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

  • How to kicking from a CD or DVD in a reckoner.
  1. Insert the Windows vii or Vista installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the computer.
  2. When you see the message "Printing any key to boot from CD," press a central on the keyboard.
  3. Printing Enter at the Windows Setup welcome screen.
  4. When prompted, printing any fundamental on your keyboard.
  5. On the Install Windows screen, select your preferred linguistic communication and other preferences, and so click Next.
  6. On the License Agreement screen, accept the terms and agreements, so click Side by side.
  7. On the Installation Blazon screen, choose the Custom option.
  8. Select the Bulldoze Options (avant-garde) 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 Adjacent.

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

Windows XP and 2000

To restore a Windows XP or 2000 estimator, y'all must have a set of restore discs for the computer or an original Windows XP or 2000 installation disc. If yous do not take a set of restore discs, contact the reckoner manufacturer to gild a new prepare or restore discs.

Notation

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

  • How to kick 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 yous come across the bulletin "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, and so 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 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 iii.ten, 95, 98, ME, or NT 4.0.

Formatting the drive

  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 kick the estimator with CD-ROM support or press a key to boot from the deejay.
  2. At the MS-DOS prompt, type format c: /due south and press Enter.

Notation

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

  1. The reckoner asks "Are you certain y'all want to erase everything on drive c:?" If you lot are ok with doing this, enter "Y" for yes and press Enter.
  2. The computer begins the formatting process. While the estimator is formatting, brand certain no errors are encountered.
  • I'm getting bad sectors, clusters, or missing allocations.
  1. One time the format procedure is completed successfully, at the MS-DOS prompt, type fdisk /mbr and press Enter. Subsequently entering this command, information technology should return you to the MS-DOS prompt with no message. This step is non required, just recommended.
  • Practice y'all take additional data 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 difficult drive.

Windows NT iv.0

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

First, we 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, still, recommend the user create the emergency recover diskettes if they have not already been created after the installation of Windows NT.

Finally, earlier 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. Type 10: (where X is the CD-ROM drive, oftentimes the D:).
  3. Once at the advisable drive, blazon cd winnt and press Enter to get 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. Blazon X: (where Ten is the CD-ROM drive, frequently the D:).
  3. Once at the appropriate drive, type cd win95 and press Enter to get to the Windows 95 directory.
  4. In one case at the X:\WIN95> prompt, blazon setup to begin the installation.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

If you are encountering issues during the setup process, yous 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 computer.
  2. At the A:\> prompt, type setup and press Enter to brainstorm the installation.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to consummate the installation.

Windows 3.x

  1. Identify the offset diskette of Windows 3.x 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.

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 consummate the installation.