Formatting Windows 7 Questions

The issue with wiping the HD is that it overwrites all of the code (infected or corrupt, for example) with zeroes so that nothing is left to interfere with a new install. It is more of a precaution than anything else.

If you didn't format the partition when you installed Win7, the installer did it for you so don't worry about it.

What's important is how it is running now. I don't understand what your friend is trying to say about saving the backup having something to do with performance but it doesn't sound possible.

Have you saved a backup? Did you follow the other steps I gave you to get a perfect install, and do you have any other questions?

What i asked my friend was and to you is this.

Since i did not format the HD, and just installed windows 7 with the cd, i know that isn't the PURRFECT install like you told me to

Since i didn't, windows 7 backed up my files and this 62gb is stored in the folder windows.old.

My question is assuming i followed all the steps as with the format HDD, would that be faster than it is now for me even though i reinstalled windows 7 but did not format the hard drive. My friend said its the same thing. ONly different is that the files got backed and that has NOTHING to do with speed.

MY question now is should i just do everything over again? Such as format my HDD and then reinstall windows like i did yesterday? Or is that pointless now?

The first thing you should do is decide if you are going to listen to your friend or to members of this forum. As it is now, you have too many chefs stirring the pot. Each is giving you different information and you are understandably confused. Pick one or pick the other.

okay i want to listen to the guys here on the forum. But since i already reinstalled it, should i do it over but FIRST FORMAT THE HD? Or is doing that completely USELESS NOW?>

Do you remember where you told the installer to put Win7? Did you see the Recovery partition and leave it alone? There is likely another Dell OEM partition which now is useless since you clean reinstalled and are not using any Dell utiltiies.

If performance is good on Win7 now, you don't need to worry about formatting since the installer would auto-format the partition if you don't. And you dont' seem to understand we are talking about something entirely different and much more thorough when we say 'wipe" the partition, to write zeroes to overwrite all data which is not the same as formatting.

okay greg. So would you recommend me follow those steps you posted earlier for PURRFECT INSTALL of windows 7 that includes the formatting of the hard drive? Or just leave everything alone now.

Yes I did leave the recovery partition alone. Yes i remembered where i told windows 7 to install. I just clicked on the 3rd partition the biggest one which was 451gb and clicked next so that was the one.

I did not touch the recovery partition at all. Above it was another partitiion i recalled but that was so small that i couldnt have chosed that one. It was less than 40mb i recalled. The recovery partition was less than 12gb from what i remembered.

The smaller partition is likely the Dell OEM partition which houses factory utilities which are no longer available now that you have clean reinstalled. If you ever choose to run Factory Recovery from it's partition following the steps my colleague BareFootKid (aka "the other guy") gave you, then you would have those utilities available again along with the pre-installed factory bloatware.

I would not worry about formatting since the installer will do it for you. Just follow the other steps given to get a perfect install and then backup a Win7 image externally so you never have to reinstall again.

greg, i'm following those steps now. I have few more questions.

You said to download a light AV system like microsoft essentials. Is that better than avast antivirus? I know i cannot have 2 virus systems otherwise there would be problems

Also, i am looking at the startup menu after i type the msconfig. I only see 3 programs at the startup. That is Avast, Aim and some program called Digital Line and the manufacturer is Avanquest Software. Does that mean i don't really have to do much here because i only see these 3 programs on startup? Because i just looked at my laptop, and i see about 25 programs when i click on the startup tab as oppose to 3 on my desktop.

How do i delete the start up item? It seems like all i can do is uncheck it but can't delete it? I just unchecked AIM and it shows in the date disabled the time and date i disabled it.

Is that good?


Oh yea, and it would be absolutely useless to format my hard drive now right and its too late? You mentioned that that method of formatting the hard drive was a precaution method. But if i had done that step before reinstalling windows, would the speed after i reinstall it be faster than it is RIGHT NOW for me? That is the question i asked you about 2-3 times in my last few posts but i think i worded it wrong so you might be confused with what i'm asking.


Also, is the correct way to delete my backup files just go to that windows.old folder and click delete and then delete it off recycle bin? That to me seems like the wrong way because its not like you removing it fully or am i wrong? I should delete the backup files right folder right?

I asked a lot of people on other forums and all of them recommend me to format the hard drive again....

They say things like

By not formatting the hard-drive it does significantly decrease hard-drive speed because of the fact it's like having two operating systems just the difference is one is not in use. If you wipe it clean and install your 7 then it should be pretty smooth.

Is this true greg? I can still do this right?