How to wipe out everything on computer for reinstallation of Windows 7

[dynamite140]

Hi so what do you recommend me do now? I have the product key so there shouldn't be anything to worry about right if i delete the partition and it was mistake?

 

[derekimo]

Everytime i reinstalled windows 7... i did not delete a partition. All i did was select the partition with the most space ... which is number 3. But can i even delete a partition? I don't see the delete thing so i assume i have to highlight it and then delete?

Someone mentioned i could do the disk thing with deleting the disk. But I can't do that either...

Did it ask you for a product key when you installed before?

Nope. Never did.

That's what I thought. If you have that 25 digit product key you can try a clean install using that key in a retail iso.

http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/151566-reinstalling-windows-7-a.html#post1300819

What version do you have (Home Premium, Pro...) 32 or 64 bit?

 

[dynamite140]

Also... to the person who told me about the diskpart... i think i know why it didn't work. In the link... it tells me to type in CLEAN ALL. But i think in my computer... all i have to type is CLEAN. The reason why i say this is b/c it gives me a whole list of options.

So would this be the best thing to do? I read that doing this would put all 0's and thus clear everything.

 

[dynamite140]

I have windows home premium 64 bit...

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Download Windows 7 ISO (Official 32-bit and 64-bit Direct Download Links) « My Digital Life

Scroll down till you see the Home Premium 64 bit English and grab it.

The clean versus clean all thing shouldn't have mattered. Clean works as well as clean all for what you need to do with Diskpart. But you don't need diskpart at all. No harm in using it if you want to.

 

[derekimo]

Also... to the person who told me about the diskpart... i think i know why it didn't work. In the link... it tells me to type in clear all. But i think in my computer... all i have to type is CLEAR. The reason why i say this is b/c it gives me a whole list of options.

So would this be the best thing to do? I read that doing this would put all 0's and thus clear everything.

Who told you that? It's Clean All...

Look at #8 here,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

 

[dynamite140]

hi. So you would recommend me do this then right derkimo? Yes its CLEAN. I kept typing CLEAN ALL and it didn't work.

 

[dynamite140]

Hey guys, i will be back tomorrow to do it. I see that it might take 2 hours or so to delete everything.



Good night.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Clean takes 2 seconds. Clean all takes hours. Use clean if you use diskpart at all.

 

[derekimo]

hi. So you would recommend me do this then right derkimo? Yes its CLEAN. I kept typing CLEAN ALL and it didn't work.

If it doesn't work you can just go back to your Dell discs, read through those links I posted, especially this one,

http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/151566-reinstalling-windows-7-a.html#post1300819

Greg is an expert at installs and reinstalls among other things.

Let us know how it goes, any questions just ask.

 

[dynamite140]

Okay i typed disk #0. That worked.

However, when i typed clean... it says virtual disk service error: Clean is not allowed in the disk containing the current boot, system, pagefile, crashdump or hibernation mode.


What do i do now?

 

[derekimo]

Okay i typed disk #0. That worked.

However, when i typed clean... it says virtual disk service error: Clean is not allowed in the disk containing the current boot, system, pagefile, crashdump or hibernation mode.


What do i do now?

That is correct, you need to do it from a command prompt at boot on a disk that has the OS on it.

You cannot use the clean or clean all diskpart commands on a boot disk (ex: disk Windows 7 is installed on) unless you do it from a command prompt at boot.

From the note here,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

 

[dynamite140]

Hi. So just to make sure. I list disk 0 right? It has 465gb whereas disk 1, 2, 3 and 4 has nothing.

 

[derekimo]

Hi. So just to make sure. I list disk 0 right? It has 465gb whereas disk 1, 2, 3 and 4 has nothing.

Correct. You only have one hard drive listed here,

 

[dynamite140]

Okay i get the same message.

virtual disk service error: Clean is not allowed in the disk containing the current boot, system, pagefile, crashdump or hibernation mode.

 

[dynamite140]

Just to make sure...im not suppose to put the windows cd back again right when im doing this? I followed the steps in the link u gave me and still get this error message.

 

[derekimo]

Okay i get the same message.

virtual disk service error: Clean is not allowed in the disk containing the current boot, system, pagefile, crashdump or hibernation mode.

Are you booting from the disc?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/682-command-prompt-startup.html

 

[dynamite140]

Okay i just booted it from the disc.

Now im at the black box with the cmd.exe

I don't see anymore instructions on the link you gave me. I did it by installing cd and then pressing shift and f10.

 

[dynamite140]

Okay i just typed list disk etc and did that. However... i still get same error message when i click clean...

 

[derekimo]

Okay i just booted it from the disc.

Now im at the black box with the cmd.exe

I don't see anymore instructions on the link you gave me. I did it by installing cd and then pressing shift and f10.

Good.

Now continue with these instructions,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html