Formatting Windows 7 Questions

Bare Foot Kid · 11 Mar 2011

I just had a cursory look at the link you posted and a
couple of the recovery methods they list are incorrect.

Here are the newer instructions for a Dell, this will over-write the data on the machine so back-up anything you do not want to lose first.

Information

New Dell
Turn on the computer.

2 As the computer starts, press <F8> on the keyboard until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears on the screen.

Note:
You must press <F8> before the Windows logo appears on the screen. If you press <F8> after the Windows logo appears on the screen, the Advanced Boot Options menu will not appear on the screen. If you do not see the Advanced Boot Options menu, restart the computer, and then repeat this step until you see the menu on the screen.

3 Press the <Down Arrow> on the keyboard to select Repair Your Computer on the Advanced Boot Options menu, and then press <Enter>.

4 Specify the language settings that you want, and then click Next.

5 Log in as a user who has administrative credentials, and then click OK.

6 Click Dell Factory Image Restore.

7 In the Dell Factory Image Restore window, click Next.

8 Click to select the Yes, reformat hard drive and restore system software to factory condition check box.

9 Click Next.
The computer is restored to the default factory configuration.

10 When the restore operation is completed, click Finish to restart the computer.
The software is now installed as it was when the computer was first received.

dynamite140 · 11 Mar 2011

hey. So after i do all this, it will take about 1 hour or so and then everything should be good to go? Is there going to be some options that will confuse me a bit like which partitioin drive to choose?

dynamite140 · 13 Mar 2011

Hey guys.

I haven't tried this yet because it sounds too simple. I asked my friend who knows computers and he said he didn't think it was possible to reformat a computer without a CD. Do you know if this is true or not? I also don't want to risk doing all this and then my computer not working. Can someone else confirm that doing those 10 steps would work?

Thanks!

gregrocker · 13 Mar 2011

Dell Factory Recovery is a stable way to reinstall your OS, although along with it will come the preinstalled bloatware and useless factory utilities which have better versions built into Win7. If you're going to run Recovery, it's most stable to run it from the partition as the Recovery Disks can fail and should be used only to reinstall to a new HD.

If you're not confident in Factory Recovery you can always save a Win7 backup image so you can easily reimage the HD exactly to where it is now from the Win7 Repair CD which you should have on hands to repair the OS if it doesn't boot anyway: System Repair Disc - Create
Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

Many tech enthusiasts find a clean copy Installation DVD for their Win7 version to get a cleaner reinstall of just Win7. Here are tips for getting a purrfect install based on hundreds done here: re-install windows 7

Other options are to troubleshoot the problems you're having now with these steps.

If you decide to run Factory Recovery, here are tips to clean up factory bloatware.

dynamite140 · 14 Mar 2011

okay i burned the system repair disc. It only took about 5 minutes. Is that the back up cd?

I'm confused. Should i just do the dell factory restore now or plug this cd to restore it? also, i'm confused. If i do the factory restore, it would have the bloatware but if i use the cd, it won't?

Bare Foot Kid · 14 Mar 2011

If you're going to follow your friend's advice, why are you asking us?

Have you even tried the steps in my post#11 above to see if it will work for you?

Golden · 14 Mar 2011

dynamite140 said:

Can someone else confirm that doing those 10 steps would work?

Hi Dynamite,

If BFK says the 10 steps will work, then it will work.

My suggestions is to follow his advice - he doesn't have 20,000 odd posts and a huge reputation for nothing.

Have a go at that and post back here if you need more help :)

Regards,
Golden

dynamite140 · 14 Mar 2011

bare foot kid, my friend is okay with computers. He isn't really smart. I didn't want to try that method yet because he said if somehow it screws up and i don't have a recovery cd, i'm screwed. Is that true?

I just burned the recovery disc folllowing the steps in gregrocker's system repair disc he posted.. However, it only took 5 minutes. But i hear online that people say its suppose to take 3 hours?? I am confused because when i check the recovery disc info, it shows 3 folders and just shows my desktop but that is ONLY 1KB. Did that mean i burned the recovery cd wrong?

Does this mean right now i have the option of doing the 10 steps you posted and or just booting the cd i burned?

Thanks!

theog · 14 Mar 2011

System Repair Disc - Create
Is only Startup Repair Disk would only take 5 minutes to burn.

Dell Recovery Disks, may take 3 hours to burn.

You can do the the 10 steps from F8, if you have not made the Dell Recovery Disks.

gregrocker · 14 Mar 2011

I gave you the link to burn a Repair CD which is used to Repair or reimage Win7. You need to have one in case Win7 becomes unbootable, and to make a Win7 Backup Image so that you have a path back if Recovery fails and you have no Recovery Disks as a backup, or they fail also.

Here is how to save a Win7 backup image: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup
Here is how to reimage the HD from the saved image by booting the Repair CD: System Image Recovery

Now make your Recovery Disk set so you have a backup method to Factory Recover, then run Recovery using the steps which were given.

If you have any questions, ask back so that you fully understand the difference between Repair CD, Recovery Disks, or finding a Win7 Installation DVD to clean re-install windows 7.