How do you reformat during Windows 7 install?

OK. I'm a newbie when it comes to installing a new OS, so please bare with me on such an elementary question. All the posts I've found regarding reformatting seems to assume that it's self explanatory. However, when I attempt to install Windows 7, it gives me the option to choose which partition to install but I do not see anywhere that it gives me the option to delete or reformat anything. Am I blind or something? Please help the ignorant newbie!

Btw, my previous OS that I'm trying to get rid of is Vista.

Hello maacu, welcome to Seven Forums!





During the installation you'll be presented with screens like these, this is how to do it, first click the "Delete" to remove all the existing partitions then "New" for as many as you want to create then "Format" and that's it.

You can also use the method in the tutorial at the link below; be advised though, the "clean all" method should not be used on any Hard Disk Drive (HDD) that contains data that you don't want to lose as it WILL over-write everything on the HDD and it will be un-recoverable.


SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation



click an image to enlarge

You will need to click on the text that is in red to bring up the options to delete and format ect. make sure you have the right partition selected each time you apply a command. good luck to you.

If you have NOTHING on the HDD you care about, use the tutorial I posted above.

myzr7 said:

You will need to click on the text that is in red to bring up the options to delete and format ect. make sure you have the right partition selected each time you apply a command. good luck to you.

Thanks Larry, I forgot I had a snip of that one.

No mate, you probably got an OEM version, one that can only be installed to one PC and never moved as it's forever tied to the first motherboard that it's installed to but that should have no impact on the subject at hand.

How are you doing the install? Are you doing it by inserting the upgrade disk while Win 7 is running, or are you booting the CD itself? You need to boot the CD to be able to format the hard drive during the install.