Windows xp format.com

If your Windows installation came with the computer i. If you want to format drive C:, just install Windows 7 or XP on another drive eg D: then boot into Windows 7, go to 'My Computer' and right click on drive where XP is installed, then click on 'Format' and click 'Start'.

Drive will be formatted! If you want to just format it but don't want to reinstall another Windows, you can do the following there are other ways :. That is, the files for format, and probably fdisk. If not possible, copy them to some device you will be able to read from console. You have a list of console commands in Windows here. If you have a sort of not totally devastated installation, you yet might have the ability to hit F8 key when starting the machine hit it several times once you here the "bip" of your machine when booting.

There you can choose to boot in console mode can't remember exactly how it calls it. If you had copied the format etc files to some device ie, floppy, usb stick if booted that way and have it available at your bios you can type that unit ie, a: , intro , then type format c: and follow instructions.

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Learn more. Ask Question. Asked 10 years, 10 months ago. The first is you want to sell or give away your system hard drive to others just like the scenario. And it is necessary to erase all data on the disk to protect your personal files from being stolen or copied. And some people wipe their Windows hard disk for reinstalling system. Wiping the Windows disk and having a fresh reinstallation is a good way to deal with those issues and to speed up your computer. When it comes to wiping a Windows XP hard drive, people may want to reset their computers to default settings or insert the system disk into another computer to format it.

Default resetting will delete programs, data and restore settings, system back to the original condition. And formatting just hides data from the operation system and rebuilds its file system.

It is a professional data destruction tool to erase data on a disk clean by overwriting data. And thanks to its intuitive interface, all operation can be done in a few steps. You can download it and follow the steps below to see how it works. Place your backup in the appropriate drive to restore the documents you backed up before starting this procedure and re-install your applications.

Click on the "Start" menu. This is located in the lower left hand corner of the screen. To restore your backup, choose "All programs" and "Accessories. Select "Restore Files and Settings.

Click "Browse" to find your backup in either the CD or the thumb drive and then "Next" to continue. Click "Finish" to mount your backup. It may take some time to restore completely if it was a large backup. Click "Close" when the restoration is complete. The files from your backup should appear on your newly formatted computer.

Method 5. If the CD won't complete reformatting then try running a memory test on the PC. You may need to replace one or both of the memory sticks if there are many errors. Try replacing the optical drive and data cables. Some cables may wear over time, so these may need to be replace if damaged or defective.

Check your CD drive. Try putting in another CD and see if your computer can read the CD. If it cannot, then you may need to replace your CD drive. Ensure that the CD is not scratched. Flip the CD over in your hand and look at it in the light.

If the CD is scratched then your CD drive may have difficulty reading it. Try using a different CD or try repairing the scratched CD. Yes No. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 1. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

A keyboard and mouse. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. NOTE: When following this procedure, all user data will be erased, please back up data. You Might Also Like How to. How to. Computer Repair Specialist. Expert Interview. About This Article. Co-authored by:. Co-authors: Updated: May 24, Categories: XP Instructions. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read , times. Is this article up to date?

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