hi, I was just given a laptop running on windows 7 but it still has the previous owners files. I was wondering which is the best way about making the computer 'clean' as new. I dont have the Windows 7 installation CD. Can i 'format' the computer and just leave the operating system? and how do i do that?
Thanks for the help
Anti
Hello anti, welcome to Seven Forums!
In the way you're thinking, no you cannot.
Who manufactured the PC and what model is it; also ...
Before we make any specific recommendations will you please post a snip/screen-shot of the entire disk management drive map with a full description as to which drive/partition is which, so we can see what you have going on as there may be a fairly simple way to resolve the situation.
In the Windows start menu right click computer and click manage, in the left pane of the "Computer Management" window that opens click disk management and post a snip of that.
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its a sony vaio VGNNW20EF with a pentium(R) Dual CPU T4300 @2.1Ghz processor
3GB RAM running on 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium. i am trying to get a print screen shot for tha past 30 mins but nothing is working. what i basicly want is to clean the computer from all previous owners files and programs. just leave the pc only with the operating system.
I wanted to see disk management to see if there's still an intact recovery partition.
Did you get any recovery disks?
no recovery disks as much as i am aware. disk manager is likene disk only 3 parts
part 1: 9.43GB Healthy (recovery partition)
part 2: 100MB Healthy System Reserved
part 3: 288.5GB Healthy (C:)
There may be a way to get the PC back to the condition it was in when it left the factory but I think Sony recovery may require a disk to boot to the recovery options screen.
Be advised that this option removes all current data so you would need to make backups of anything you would not want to lose.
I you want to try this, shutdown Windows, with the PC off hit the power button and as soon as you do that start continually tapping the F8 (it may be F10, I'm not sure) hot-key to get to the Sony Recovery screen, if one doesn't do it try the other.
I read that Sony Vaio has a program that allows you to start a system recovery its called "Vaio Recovery Center" or something...I think you can also use that to make recovery CDs. On startup, try also tapping the esc, f2, f11, or f12 keys (if f8 or f10 doesnt work), one of those may bring you to a boot menu that gives you the option to boot into the recovery partition to begin a system recovery.
In this day and age, everyone should have a disc handy. There's really no reason to be without one, and frankly, I couldn't imagine trying to work on a computer, or fix anyone else's computer without having that as an option.
You can do all kinds of clean up, but it will never equal a clean install. That's my suggestion....get a disc and do a clean install.
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