How do i wipe out everything on my computer and reinstall?


  1. drewfish1
    Posts : 5
    Windows 7 64 Bit
       New #1

    How do i wipe out everything on my computer and reinstall?


    I will first list my computer specs.


    Asus U45JC Laptop
    Windows 7 Home 64 Bit
    Intel Core I3 M370 2.4Ghz.


    I have the 2 CDs for my Asus Laptop. The Reinstall CD and the CD from Asus to reinstall the programs. I have many times reinstalled my laptop by just installing the CD and following the instructions here

    Complete Walk-through For Doing A Clean Windows 7 Install


    It works. The problem though is everytime I do this... I still see the old program files that was left on my computer before i reinstalled it. So i basically want to wipe my laptop completely clean... and then install windows 7 again and the programs.


    Can someone tell me the easiest way to do this? I have tried previously before but it was very complicated and I couldn't get it to work. I think i followed some instructions from another guy in a forum where the steps were either complicated or one of the steps didn't work for me. I don't recall but it had something to do with the command prompt but i could not get it to work.
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  3. drewfish1
    Posts : 5
    Windows 7 64 Bit
    Thread Starter
       New #2

    I saw this link posted

    SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation


    Is this what i should do? Because i tried this many times and it never works when i type CLEAN OR CLEAN ALL... it always say Virtual disk service error: clean is not allowed on the disk containing the current boot.


    Does anyone know the reason for this? Okay i think i made the mistake here as its mentioned i have to do this while restarting or starting windows?


    So i restart.... then press F8 and i see a screen that shows this

    Advanced Boot Options


    What am i suppose to click now? I tried the start windows with command prompt in safe mode and still when i type CLEAN OR CLEAN ALL... it still error
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  4. bigmck
    Posts : 4,751
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32-Bit - Build 7600 SP1
       New #3

    If you want to start with a clean disk, nothing on it and install Win 7 as a Clean Install, do this. Go to this site Dell Community and download the Win 7 ISO file that fits what you have, Home Premium, Professional or whatever it might be and also 32 or 64 bit. This site says Dell, but it is the same for all. Burn the file onto a DVD at no faster than 4x speed. This will give you a good disk to install Windows 7 from. You can then use your Product Key sticker (25 character) that is on your PC to activate the Win 7 after it is installed. Here is a tutorial to guide you in the installation. Clean Install Windows 7 Let us know how it goes. == Just remember to backup your data, if you don't want to lose it. The Clean Install will wipe your C: drive.
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  6. Pauly
    Posts : 2,573
    Win7 Ultimate X64
       New #4

    From your first post it sounds like you were running diskpart from inside the windows environment in which case windows will not let you play with a partition it is installed on to do this you need to run from a command prompt before loading windows.
    During the clean install process (as above) windows will let you delete/create partitions on your HDD which will blank the disk but this process will not permanently overwrite all data on the drive
    If you specifically want to run diskpart to truly erase all data then press shift + F10 when you get to first installer screen when you are installing windows as per bigmck post then when you get to command prompt type
    diskpart
    list disk
    select disk X (where x is the drive you wish to install to)
    clean or clean all (depending on which function you are trying to carry out)
    create primary partition
    format fs=ntfs
    active
    exit
    exit

    be aware that doing this will erase everything and is unrecoverable so make sure you get it right, if you do do this you are strongly advised to backup all your data and UNPLUG ALL OTHER DRIVES except the one you want to put windows on
    One bonus of doing it this way is that you will not get the small 100MB boot partition that W7 automatically creates when you do a standard install
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  7. drewfish1
    Posts : 5
    Windows 7 64 Bit
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    Hi at what part do i press the f10 and shift? I done this and it didnt work. I pressed it multiple times at the same time...
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  8. Pauly
    Posts : 2,573
    Win7 Ultimate X64
       New #6

    When you get to the window where you select where you want to install to, after you choose region/language settings i think
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  10. gregrocker
    Posts : 50,642
       New #7

    Everything you need is here to get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

    During install use the Custom install Drive Options to delete all partiitions and create new as you wish, install Win7 to the first large partition - ignoring the 100mb boot partition it creates.
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  11. drewfish1
    Posts : 5
    Windows 7 64 Bit
    Thread Starter
       New #8

    Pauly said:
    When you get to the window where you select where you want to install to, after you choose region/language settings i think

    You mean the part where it ask if you want to do 1 partition, whole hd partition or 2 partition???
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