How to Reinstall Erased Hard Drives

Microsoft Windows 7 on a retail shelf.

When the primary hard drive in a computer system has been erased, it is necessary to reinstall the operating system from the original installation media. Drivers, updates, and patches can be loaded onto the computer once the operating system has been reinstalled, and then application software can be reinstalled from the original discs. Many system restore disks automatically install the operating system and various applications and drivers to bring the computer back to the original factory state.

Things You'll Need

• Operating system disk or system restore disk
• Key code for operating system
• Internet connection

Instructions

1. Power on the computer and immediately insert the operating system disc into the optical drive. Press the space bar when prompted to boot from the CD/DVD drive. If the boot option does not present itself the first time, power off the computer with the operating system disc in the drive and power it back on.

2. Click "Install Now" from the menu that appears when the operating system setup program loads.

3. Click "Full Installation" from the menu.

4. Click on the "C" drive as the destination for the installation when prompted. If the choice is not available, click "Advanced" and delete any existing partitions on the hard drive and then select the "C" drive as the destination.

5. Select the default choice at each prompt unless another option is obvious, such as time zone. Enter the key code information when prompted and allow the installation to complete. Remove the installation disc and restart the computer when prompted.

6. Install individual hardware drivers by inserting the manufacturer's driver CD or DVD into the optical drive and following the prompts on the screen to install the drivers. Alternately visit the website of the manufacturer of the particular component being installed for updated drivers.

7. Click "Start" (Windows Orb), "All Programs," and "Windows Update" to begin the installation of operating system updates, security patches, service packs, and updated hardware device drivers.

8. Install application software by inserting the CD or DVD into the optical drive and following the prompts.

Tips & Warnings

• System restore discs vary slightly in the steps by manufacturer. See the manufacturer's website or the owner's manual for specific instructions for particular brands and models.

• Windows Update requires multiple attempts to completely update a computer, as some updates do not become available until other updates have been installed and the system has been restarted. Run Windows Update, restart the computer when prompted and run Windows Update again until no further updates are available after a restart. Install all available updates for best results.

• If files were lost when the drive was erased a data recovery professional should be contacted to evaluate the drive prior to reinstalling the operating system. Installing an operating system on an erased drive will reduce or eliminate the ability of data recovery for any files lost on the hard drive.

References

• Microsoft: Installing and Reinstalling Windows 7
• Microsoft: Update a Driver for Hardware that Isn't Working Properly

Resources

• Microsoft TechNet: Building a Standard Image of Windows 7: Step by Step Guide
• Microsoft: Windows 7 System Requirements
• Microsoft: Install, Reinstall, or Uninstall Windows
• Microsoft: Windows Update