How to Reformat Your Harddrive

Reformat Your Harddrive

When you come to a point where your computer has been so messed up you can’t get its programs to run properly, maybe it’s time that you reformat it. Bear in mind that this should always be the last resort. You don’t reformat your PC when the problem is only some minor application meltdown or virus infiltration that can be removed by a powerful antivirus program.

Different operating systems require different ways on how to reformat your harddrive. If you are looking to reformat a Windows-based computer, then read on and follow carefully the steps provided.

Reformatting a computer entails losing all existing files, applications, and programs on the drive. It’s basically as good as new. You must back up everything that you might need later or you lose them for good. Also, you need the appropriate hardware and software for all the applications and programs that you are planning to reinstall.

Check your My Documents folder as well as your bookmarks and favorites to ensure that everything is accounted for. You can save them on a CD or DVD or on a computer drive that won’t be part of the reformatting operation.

To format and install from a Windows CD, insert the installation CD into the drive and reboot your computer. You will be prompted by the screen to “Press any key to boot from the CD.” You can simply press any key to proceed.

It will take a little while for the CD to load all the files needed. You will then see a list of options. Simply select the option that says “Press ENTER to set up Windows XP.”

The next step involves installing Windows to the appropriate drive and formatting it. You will need to partition all the drives depending on their category. To do this, use the arrow keys to select between the drives in the bottom half of the window. You will only need to partition them between C and D drive. If there is an unpartitioned space, simply skip that step. To delete all partitions, press L.

Now you will decide on what location to install the Windows screen. Go to the “C: Partition (New Raw) and hit Enter. This will lead you to a screen where you will select what system to format your harddrive with. NTFS is the preferred system as it has high security and faster capabilities. Upon pressing Enter, the CD will now begin installing windows and formatting your computer.