How to Format a Dell Computer With a Diagnostic Partition
Many computer manufacturers, such as Dell, are building their machines with an included diagnostic partition. A diagnostic partition contains all of the essential factory software on the computer, allowing for an easy reinstall if your main partition contracts a virus or has any other incurable problems. Formatting a PC that has a recovery partition is not that much different than formatting a normal PC, but you must decide whether you want to keep the diagnostic partition intact during the format process.
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Instructions
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Instructions
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Insert the Windows installation CD in your computer and reboot the machine. This is required, as the only place where you can effectively format the entire hard drive is within the Windows setup environment. As the machine loads, press any key where indicated to boot from the CD, bypassing entry into your normal operating system.
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Follow the on-screen instructions for the installation procedure until you come to the screen that involves partitioning the hard drive. There should be two partitions listed--a larger "main" partition, and a smaller partition containing the diagnostic information. Delete both partitions (by highlighting the partition and using the "D" key) if you want to remove the diagnostic partition from your computer, creating one large partition using all of the available disk space in its place. Accomplish the partition creation process by using the "C" key to trigger the "Create Partition Wizard," then enter the desired size of your partition in megabytes. If you want to keep the diagnostic partition intact, simply delete the larger of the two and create another new partition in its place (again by using the "C" key).
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Select the "Format Drive" option on the following screen, then select the partition to be formatted from the on-screen menu. Use the NTFS file system, which is slightly faster than FAT32. Utilize the Quick format method if time is an issue, but either the quick or normal formatting method should take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.
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Install Windows (or another operating system) on your computer following successful completion of the format, as the hard drive will essentially be useless until you get another operating system on your machine.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure to backup and save all of your important data on a USB drive or a blank CD or DVD before beginning this process, including family photos, personal information and financial data.
Do not format your computer during a thunderstorm or at any other time when the power might be interrupted, as this might cause damage to the hard drive.
