How To Format My Windows Xp Computer

In many of your answers you talk about "reformat and reinstalling Windows". What is that? How exercise I practise that, exactly?

(Click here for a newer version of this commodity covering Windows 10.)

"Reformat and reinstall" is the reckoner's equivalent of erasing the chalkboard and starting over.

And I do desire to emphasize the "erasing" role.

It's conceptually very easy, but also somewhat fourth dimension consuming.

And if not washed with the proper preparation, you could lose admittedly everything on your computer.

Reformatting and reinstalling is pretty much exactly what it sounds like:

• Reformatting is the process of initializing a hd to an empty state. This pace deletes everything on your difficult drive. Everything .
• Reinstalling is the process of copying Windows back on to your hard drive and reconfiguring information technology to your needs. Information technology too encompasses the fact that you'll also need to reinstall all the awarding software you apply, as well every bit restoring all the information you might want to continue to have available.

If you have an existing calculator that you're about to reformat and reinstall, there's a very important first footstep:

Dorsum Up

I don't care how – exist information technology an image fill-in of the entire machine (my preference), or a conscientious backup of all the files and whatsoever other data that yous desire to continue – but yous must exercise this before you begin. The process we're near to embark on will erase everything from your difficult drive.

Y'all'll also demand all the installation media for everything you plan to install, including your original Windows installation disk and its product fundamental.

•

There are two basic approaches:

• Reformat or erase the disk, and and so run Windows setup
• Just run Windows Setup, and let it reformat the disk

I'll spend most of my time on the second option, since it's all that most people need.

The first option gets complicated since you can't reformat or completely erase a hard disk that's in utilize – i.due east. if y'all've booted from it. If you lot want to accept this ii-step approach so my tool of choice to erase a difficult disk that'south been in use is DBAN. Kicking from that, erase the deejay, and then boot from your Windows installation media to reinstall Windows from scratch.

As it turns out, the Windows setup program tin can be used to erase or format the hard disk drive equally well; it's simply not obvious where in the setup process you can do and then. We'll examine it both for Windows Vista, and Windows XP, since they're quite different.

•

Window Vista

Footstep ane is to simply kick from the Windows installation DVD and eventually the Windows Vista Setup program will begin:

Yous'll then walk through a series of configuration pages:

• choose language and keyboard
• Install Now
• enter the product key
• accept the EULA

You'll finally come to this page:

Regardless of whether or not "Upgrade" is available to you, choose Custom.

Afterwards a few minutes of examining your system, Windows Vista Setup will so display this page:

This is where y'all tell Windows Setup on which drive you want Windows installed. Note that the listing of drives on your arrangement volition probable be different than seen here.

Click on Bulldoze options (advanced):

Notation that several additional options are now visible.

First: Make sure to click on the bulldoze or partition you want to erase and on which you desire to install windows.

2d: click on Format.

Mind the alarm: "If you format this segmentation, all data stored on it volition be permanently deleted."

Press OK, and Windows Setup will format the hd partition that you've selected.

After the format is done, you're returned to the drive selection page, where you can click on Next to go along the installation.

•

Window XP

Pace one is to simply kicking from the Windows installation CD and somewhen the Windows XP Setup program will begin:

Later accepting the EULA you'll be presented with a list of prior Windows installations:

We want to install a fresh copy of Windows XP, and then printing the Escape key (ESC).

The next screen shows us the available drives and partitions:

In lodge to force a reformat, we're going to delete the destination segmentation and recreate it.

Click on the drive that you lot desire to install to, and printing "D":

Press Enter to confirm that you want to delete the partition. Since this is a destructive operation (all information on the partition will exist erased), Windows XP Setup asks again, but to be certain:

Printing "L" to delete the sectionalisation.

Now you lot've got an unpartitioned hard disk. Windows XP Setup now presents you with the list of drives and partitions once more:

Select the unpartitioned infinite, and type "C" to create a partition. You'll and so be asked to enter the size of the new segmentation:

The default value should exist the maximum appropriate for that partition, so simply printing ENTER to continue.

Setup returns you to the partition pick screen:

This time what was the unpartitioned space is now "Partition1 [New (Raw)]". Select that and press ENTER.

Windows XP Setup notices that your destination partition is not formatted:

The default is to format using NTFS, which is only fine for more situations. Press ENTER to let the format begin.

Once the formatting is consummate, Windows Setup then automatically begins copying files to the newly formatted partitioning and continues with additional options and selections related to how yous would like your new installation to exist configured.

Source: https://askleo.com/how_do_i_reformat_and_reinstall_windows-xp-vista/

Posted by: trujillowito2001.blogspot.com

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