How to Format the Hard Disk by CD
Hard drives are the primary source of storage for computers. Anything that is not in active use is stored on the hard drive for future use. Sometimes a user needs to format a hard drive. Formatting a drive removes the data on the drive, freeing up space and making the deleted information hard to recover. Reasons for formatting a hard drive include removing sensitive or important information before disposing of a computer, or preparing a hard drive for the installation of a new operating system.
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Instructions
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Back up any important information on the drive. After the format process, this information is very difficult or impossible to retrieve. Backup sources include secondary hard drives, network drives, external drives or removable media.
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Open the CD drive and place the Windows installation disk in the drive. Restart the computer.
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Follow the on-screen directions when the system first boots to access the boot list. Most of the time, this involves pressing F11 or another function key.
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Follow the on-screen directions to boot the computer from the drive containing the Windows installation disk. Allow the Windows Setup program to load.
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Select "Install" from the listed options. Click "Custom (Advanced)" from the next set of options.
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Select the drive you wish to format and select the "Format" option. Click the "Next" button to begin the formatting process. Allow the formatting process to finish. Depending on the size of the drive, this takes several minutes.
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Follow the program instructions to install a file system on the formatted drive. Continue installing Windows, if you wish, or power the computer off if your only objective was to format the drive.
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Tips & Warnings
If you format a drive with information you need, it is sometimes still recoverable. Businesses and software exist that can retrieve files from a formatted drive.
References
- Photo Credit hard drive image by BigDog from Fotolia.com
