How to properly wipe the system?

Dankiedoge · 04 Aug 2020

Okay so i'm having the black screen /w cursor and don't bother suggesting me any solutions as i've probably done them all. I've been working on this for 5 days and I just want to give up and reformat/wipe the pc. So first things first, this pc has a lot of important work data and i'm not really an expert into handling them during format. So how do I backup them all? Should I use my flash drive(14 gb) to store them all one by one? Because the important data can reach up to 100gb and my flash drive can only carry 14. Should I backup 14gb at a time then store them in google drive on another pc then repeat? Does anyone have a better method? I'm posting this to see if anyone has a more smooth method to backup all imporant stuff then wipe the system clean. Thank you.

samuria · 04 Aug 2020

To be clear you can't load Windows? If you can't load your options are boot to dvd or USB you could use a live Linux system then if you have another pc on the network copy files via the network or you could copy files to external hard drive

TechnoMage2016 · 04 Aug 2020

As a retired Computer Tech, I've been called on a b'zillion times to do exactly what you say you want to do.

So, I'm given a HD where Windows will no longer boot up the PC, and it's important to save the data files off of the drive.

I connect that HD to my own PC using a SATA Data cable and power cable. Then I access the drive through my own Windows, and copy all the data files that I can find, to my own 8TB backup drive.

Then using EaseUS Hard drive Master, I remove the old partitions on the external HD, and create new ones, and format the drive.
Then that HD can have Windows reinstalled and all the data files can be copied back to it.

For an old tech, it's all pretty simple, and I'm sure that's not so for the average home user.

So since you're too far away for me to help you directly, I'll just wish you, Good Luck.

TechnoMage

Megahertz07 · 04 Aug 2020

The first thing you must find out is if you have a disk failure (hardware failure) or a windows that can't boot (logical failure).

As you don't have a backup drive and has important data you cant loose, it is time to buy another drive to replace the current (if it is failing) or to backup your data.

For now, download Kyhi Recovery tools. It is based on Win10PE and will work on a Win 7, Win 8.x and win10 computer. Very good. A must have.
Install Kyhi Recovery tools on a USB flash drive (2G min).
To do so, open a CMD window as administrator and type:
diskpart
list disk (it will list all drives. Identify the USB drive number)
select disk n (replace n by the USB drive number obtained with list disk)
clean
convert mbr
create part primary
select part 1
format fs=fat32 quick
assign
active
exit (to exit diskpart)

If you're working on a Win 10 computer, mount the Kyhi Recovery tools iso and copy all files and folders to the root of the USB flash drive.
If you using a Win 7 computer use 7zip to extract Kyhi Recovery tools iso to the USB flash drive.

Boot from the Kyhi Recovery tools USB drive and with it you can test your disk and copy your files to another disk.

If your disk is good, you can install win 7 on same partition that you have win 7 now and all your data will be on a Windows.old folder.

For now, make the Kyhi Recovery tools USB drive and test your disk.

file3456 · 05 Aug 2020

If you read my post in your original thread, I could have swore I said how to do this. Go back and read it verbatim.

Dankiedoge · 14 Aug 2020

Okay everyone sorry for the late replies, i've been busy and another website I posted got me through. Well you see right now i'm not planning to buy anything, i'm now doing a fresh install over my current windows via bootable usb. The problem i'm having right now is that the Upgrade option during windows 7 installation has a compatibility report message saying "The computer has started using the windows installation media, etc." In other posts on website they had to boot in windows which I can't do, what others did was do the Custom option and did the install there. Wiping the chosen partition and moving previous files to a folder called windows.old. Should I proceed with that solution?