Deleting everything and installing Windows 7

CakeSpear · 15 May 2011

Hi
I am helping my girlfriend installing Windows 7 on her Lapptop. What i/ we wanted to do is remove 'everything' from the laptop( os, programms, data ) and install the new OS.

I managed to install W7 but was under the impression that it would delet all other data by doing so.

Now we have a C: drive with all the sensetive data ( program files etc ), and a E: drive which has all the old data( not programms ) from before the new OS installation.

We have allready made backup of the data we need.

I want to remove 'everything' from the E: so that all the space will be available.
How can i do this? Can i just Ctrl+A and delete eveything or is there some other way to clear out the disc?

huffman · 15 May 2011

As long as E drive is just data, why not just format it. That will give you a clean start.

TheReaper · 15 May 2011

You should have formatted during/before the OS install, but it's never too late. It's better to start with a clean slate anyway.

theog · 15 May 2011

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

CakeSpear · 15 May 2011

So if i want to format 'everything'( OS, data, progs ) now, and run the install cd from BIOS at startup after everything is cleared...
How do i do this?

TheReaper · 15 May 2011

You can just do it from the Windows 7 install disc, when you boot from it. Then you delete all partitions on a disk/disks and it's cleaned. Although I reccomend you do a full format, not a quick one.
1~ Boot from the DVD.
2~ Go to the steps until you get to the "Where do you want to install Windows" screen.
3~ Erase all existing partitions and create a new one.
4~ Click format - this will perform quick format

Here are some useful tutorials:
clean-install-windows-7
partition-hard-drive-windows-7-install

kfitzenreiter · 15 May 2011

If you boot from the dvd and click install now then when you get to the hard drive list section simply delete ALL the partitions. THIS WILL DELETE ALL DATA CURRENTLY ON THE PC. Don't mean to shout, but that part is really important to grasp beforehand. Then create an appropriately sized partition. Windows will also create a first partition about 100 MB or so in size for the system disk containing boot files. It sort of hides this partition to protect it from malware.

Then proceed with the install. One note, be sure to download the motherboard drivers (VGA, LAN, Wireless, Chipset and so on) BEFORE you do this and save to a usb stick or burn to a cd. Make sure it is readable before you delete partitions. Windows 7 may or may not have all the necessary drivers on hand.

gregrocker · 16 May 2011

Did you perchance install Win7 to the Recovery Partition?

Hopefully she made the Recovery Disks beforehand so there's a path back to factory condition in case you want to get rid of the laptop but keep your Win7.

If you'll post back a screenshot of your maximized full Disk Mgmt drive map with listings, we can advise you better. Tell us what you think is on each partition.

Bare Foot Kid · 16 May 2011

Simply deleting the partitions does not remove any data at all, it just removes the format configuration data, everything that was there, is still there, the only way to make data non-recoverable is to use a tool like the one outlined in these tutorials at the link below to over-write it.

theog said:

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command

I'm totally amazed that so many people believe doing a format 'removes' data.

Note

Contrary to popular belief, doing a full format with Windows 7 does not remove any data at all, it just checks for sector errors and marks the space to be over-written as needed, all the data is still there including all the code from previous, failed installation attempts.