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- #How to reformat hard drive windows 7 how to#
- #How to reformat hard drive windows 7 install#
- #How to reformat hard drive windows 7 full#
- #How to reformat hard drive windows 7 windows 10#
#How to reformat hard drive windows 7 install#
Select your desired language and time, and click Next.Ĭlick Install now and wait while Windows completes the setup procedures. Do so - you may see a message that says Windows is loading files. If not, you’ll see a message that says Press any key to boot. The Windows startup app should launch automatically.
#How to reformat hard drive windows 7 windows 10#
Insert the Windows 10 or Windows 7 startup DVD or make sure your bootable USB drive is plugged in.
#How to reformat hard drive windows 7 how to#
Here’s how to format your primary hard drive on Windows 10 or 7: Now that you have either the startup DVD or the USB, you’re ready to format your drive. Windows 7: Download the Windows 7 OS and then the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool here.įor either Windows 10 or 7, follow the instructions to create the bootable USB drive. Windows 10: Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool here. Make sure you have an external USB (also called a thumb drive or flash drive) ready. If not, you’ll need to create a bootable Windows USB drive. If you have a Windows 10 or Windows 7 startup DVD, you can skip the next paragraph. Note that this process will delete the OS and all files, but it won’t permanently erase them. That means your primary drive won’t be in use, so we’re able to work on it.
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To get around that, we’ll run Windows from an installation DVD or a USB drive. You can’t format the primary drive while it’s running, for the same reason that you can’t repair a car engine while driving. Your C drive (C:) is your primary drive where the operating system (OS) is located. How to format a primary drive (C:) on Windows But it’s a little different if you’re formatting the primary drive, a secondary internal drive, or an external hard drive. When it’s done, you’ll be able to access your newly formatted drive in Windows.Formatting a hard drive on Windows is largely the same whether you’re using Windows 10 or 7. Windows warns you’ll lose any data on the drive you’re about to format. Remember, this will erase the entire drive, so make sure you have anything you need backed up! When you’ve got all your options set the way you want them, click “Start” to continue. A low-level format is a good option if you’re concerned about the reliability of the drive. Clear this option to perform a low-level format that takes longer, but checks out every sector of the drive.
![how to reformat hard drive windows 7 how to reformat hard drive windows 7](https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/articles/01JvFRQzqzhMkcCSxSLnFly-7..1593446407.png)
#How to reformat hard drive windows 7 full#
RELATED: What is the Difference Between a Quick and Full Format?