How to erase my hard drive and start over

Updated: 12/30/2021 by Computer Hope

Computer hard drive

Most computers have a arrangement restore disc or built-in restore process on the hard bulldoze 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 corrupt plan files and virus infections. Instructions on how to restore your computer back to the original software are provided below.

Warning

Restoring your computer erases all the information on the hard drive and makes it like new. Once the steps beneath are completed, yous cannot restore any lost data. Back up whatsoever files you do not desire to lose earlier proceeding with the restore process.

  • How to format a difficult drive, SSD, or USB flash drive.
  • How to brand sure all data is erased on a computer difficult 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 hard drive and reinstall Windows, select a link below for your version of Windows and follow the steps.

Tip

If yous'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 xi.

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

Tip

If you don't run across the Settings app in the Outset menu, click the magnifying drinking glass icon on the taskbar. In the text field at the height of the search window, type settings and press Enter.

  1. In the Settings window, click the System pick in the left navigation menu.

Windows 11 Settings - System option

  1. Scroll 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. Choose the Proceed my files or Remove everything option, depending on if you want to preserve your files or delete everything and kickoff 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 above in step six.

Windows x

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

  1. Press the Windows key, type Settings, and so 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 then click the Go started push button (B).

Starting the recovery process Windows 10.

  1. Cull the Keep my files or Remove everything option, depending on if you 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 key+C to open the Charms menu.
  2. Select the Search option and type reinstall in the Search text field (exercise not printing 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 Adjacent.
  6. On the Do you want to fully clean your drive screen, select Just remove my files to do a quick deletion or select Fully clean the bulldoze to take all files erased.
  7. On the Gear up to reset your PC screen, click Reset.

Your files or all files on the hard bulldoze are removed, depending on the option you lot selected in step half-dozen, and then Windows 8 is reinstalled.

Windows seven and Vista

To restore a Windows 7 or Vista computer, y'all must have a set of restore discs for the computer or an original Windows vii or Vista installation disc. If you exercise non have a ready of restore discs, contact the computer manufacturer to order a new set or restore discs.

Note

Before post-obit the steps below, make sure the computer is set to boot from the CD-ROM bulldoze.

  • 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 y'all see the bulletin "Press whatsoever key to boot from CD," printing a key on the keyboard.
  3. Press Enter at the Windows Setup welcome screen.
  4. When prompted, press whatsoever fundamental on your keyboard.
  5. On the Install Windows screen, select your preferred language and other preferences, then click Next.
  6. On the License Understanding screen, take the terms and agreements, and and then click Next.
  7. On the Installation Type screen, cull the Custom option.
  8. Select the Drive Options (advanced) pick.
  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 by creating a new sectionalisation, formatting the partition, and installing Windows on the hard drive. The formatting process erases the difficult drive before installing Windows.

Windows XP and 2000

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

Annotation

Earlier post-obit the steps beneath, make sure the reckoner is set to boot 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 lot meet the message "Printing any key to boot from CD," press a key on the keyboard.
  3. Printing the Enter fundamental at the Windows XP Setup welcome screen, then press F8 to accept 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 information, see our steps for reinstalling Windows.
  • How to install the Microsoft Windows operating organisation.

Before versions of Windows and DOS

Follow these instructions to erase and reinstall MS-DOS five.0+, Windows 3.x, 95, 98, ME, or NT iv.0.

Formatting the drive

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

Notation

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

  1. The computer asks "Are you sure you desire to erase everything on drive c:?" If you lot are ok with doing this, enter "Y" for yes and press Enter.
  2. The reckoner begins the formatting process. While the estimator is formatting, brand sure no errors are encountered.
  • I'1000 getting bad sectors, clusters, or missing allocations.
  1. In one case 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.
  • Exercise you lot have additional information on fdisk /mbr?
  1. Once back 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 drive.

Windows NT iv.0

Windows NT tin can exist installed in unlike ways. We recommend Windows NT be installed using the steps beneath as nosotros experience that these steps past far are the easiest way to install Windows NT iv.0.

First, we recommend all users wanting to install Windows NT utilise 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 accept not already been created after the installation of Windows NT.

Finally, earlier the installation of Windows NT, nosotros recommend you 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, oft 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 10:\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 figurer.
  2. Type X: (where X is the CD-ROM bulldoze, often the D:).
  3. In one case at the appropriate drive, type cd win95 and press Enter to go to the Windows 95 directory.
  4. Once at the X:\WIN95> prompt, type setup to begin the installation.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

If you are encountering issues during the setup process, you lot tin 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 computer.
  2. At the A:\> prompt, blazon setup and press Enter to begin the installation.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Windows three.x

  1. Place the first 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 consummate the installation.

MS-DOS

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