By restoring Windows to its factory default configuration, resetting will erase all the personal data and applications on the system partition.
To get it done, go to “Settings” > “Update & Security” > “Reset this PC” > “Get started” and choose “Remove everything” or “Restore factory settings” option.
How do you delete everything off Windows 7?
Press the Windows key plus the “C” key to open the Charms menu. Select the Search option and type reinstall in the Search text field (do not press Enter). On the left side of the screen, select Remove everything and reinstall Windows. On the “Reset your PC” screen, click Next.
Can you wipe a hard drive but keep the OS?
Completely Wipe Your Hard Drive, then Re-install Windows: Use a tool like DBAN (short for Darik’s Boot and Nuke) to wipe your computer’s hard drive, eliminating everything — including its operating system.
How do I wipe my hard drive without deleting Windows 10?
Windows 10 has a built-in method for wiping your PC and restoring it to an ‘as new’ state. You can choose to preserve just your personal files or to erase everything, depending on what you need. Go to Start > Settings > Update & security > Recovery, click Get started and select the appropriate option.
How do you wipe a Windows 7 laptop?
The steps are:
- Start the computer.
- Press and hold the F8 key.
- At Advanced Boot Options, choose Repair Your Computer.
- Press Enter.
- Select a keyboard language and click Next.
- If prompted, login with an administrative account.
- At the System Recovery Options, choose System Restore or Startup Repair (if this is available)
How do you wipe a computer clean to sell it?
Reset your Windows 8.1 PC
- Open PC Settings.
- Click on Update and recovery.
- Click on Recovery.
- Under “Remove everything and reinstall Windows 10,” click the Get started button.
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Fully clean the drive option to erase everything on your device and start fresh with a copy of Windows 8.1.
Does factory reset delete everything laptop?
Back up any data which you wish to keep before performing a factory reset. You will probably want to copy everything from your user folders, including documents, photos, music and videos. The factory reset will delete all these along with any programs you’ve installed since you got your laptop.
Does wiping a hard drive remove the operating system?
To wipe a hard drive means to completely erase the drive of all its information. Deleting everything does not wipe a hard drive and formatting does not [always] wipe a hard drive. A file recovery program or special hardware can easily recover the information.
How do I wipe my hard drive but keep windows?
By restoring Windows to its factory default configuration, resetting will erase all the personal data and applications on the system partition. To get it done, go to “Settings” > “Update & Security” > “Reset this PC” > “Get started” and choose “Remove everything” or “Restore factory settings” option.
Will formatting hard drive erase Windows?
A quick format doesn’t delete the data but instead erases only the pointers to the files. Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 10 have a built-in Disk Management tool (see below), but the fastest way to format a hard drive is to click the Start button, then Computer and right-click on the hard drive you want to wipe.
How do you delete everything off your hard drive?
5 steps to wipe a computer hard drive
- Step 1: Back up your hard-drive data.
- Step 2: Don’t just delete files from your computer.
- Step 3: Use a program to wipe your drive.
- Step 4: Physically wipe your hard drive.
- Step 5: Do a fresh installation of the operating system.
What is the best program to wipe a hard drive?
Completely free disk wipe and hard drive eraser software utilities
- of 40. DBAN (Darik’s Boot and Nuke) Darik’s Boot and Nuke.
- of 40. CBL Data Shredder. CBL Data Shredder (Bootable Disc).
- of 40. MHDD. MHDD.
- of 40. PCDiskEraser.
- of 40. KillDisk.
- of 40. Format Command With Write Zero Option.
- of 40. Macrorit Data Wiper.
- of 40. Eraser.
Can I format hard drive without losing windows?
First, you may mention Windows snap-in Disk Management. However, with this manager, you are just allowed to format or delete the selected partition or volume instead of erasing all data on it. Therefore, anyone can restore these formatted or deleted data with a piece of data recovery software.
How do I wipe my laptop clean Windows 7?
Go to Control Panel, type in ‘reinstall Windows’ and, in the Recovery menu, choose Advanced recovery methods, then click on the Reinstall Windows option. You’ll be prompted to back up your PC first.
How do I reset my HP computer to factory settings windows 7?
The first step is to turn your HP laptop on. You can also restart it if it is already on. Once it begins the booting process, keep clicking the F11 key until the computer boots to Recovery Manager. That is the software you will use to reset your laptop.
How do I restore laptop to factory settings?
To reset your PC
- Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings.
- Tap or click Update and recovery, and then tap or click Recovery.
- Under Remove everything and reinstall Windows, tap or click Get started.
- Follow the instructions on the screen.
Photo in the article by “Pixabay” https://pixabay.com/images/search/delete/