Alright, how do I reformat my computer?

[Seb]

Long story short, I fucked up Fallout 3 and I want to play it pretty badly so I put everything worth saving in a few USB drives and plan on reformatting my computer.

Now, do I do this? I don't want to do a system restore, I want a full-fledged reformat. I made a system repair disk but that basically makes your computer boot up to do a system restore. I have a CD with Windows XP SP3, but for some reason my computer refuses to boot from it.

[Supertoaster]

you mean you want to wipe everything? do a destructive recovery.

when your comp boots up there should be like F3 opens up blah blah, tell me what yours says

[Seb]

you mean you want to wipe everything? do a destructive recovery.

when your comp boots up there should be like F3 opens up blah blah, tell me what yours says

but that sounds

i dunno

destructive

Will I still have my operating system?

/derp

[Cable]

Do you have a windows installation disk?

You could just reinstall windows.

Try this:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Put the windows install disk in your disk drive,
Shut your PC off,
Turn it back on,
And press f12 as soon as you see the loading screen.

It will then open a boot menu.
Use your arrow keys and select your CD drive.

It will then boot off your disk drive and it will reinstall windows, reformatting your shit.

[Supertoaster]

but that sounds

i dunno

destructive

Will I still have my operating system?

/derp

It depends. Some hard drives have windows on them already and it cant be wiped off and some are just bare hard drives, in that case windows would need to be installed from a cd.

[Seb]

Do you have a windows installation disk?

You could just reinstall windows.

Try this:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Put the windows install disk in your disk drive,
Shut your PC off,
Turn it back on,
And press f12 as soon as you see the loading screen.

It will then open a boot menu.
Use your arrow keys and select your CD drive.

It will then boot off your disk drive and it will reinstall windows, reformatting your shit.

I don't have a Windows installation disk. I was thinking of torrenting Windows 7 and testing the torrent out on my old computer, but I'd like to hear more of Toaster's idea.

EDIT: Dammit, Toaster. How am I supposed to find out if the hard-drive had Windows on it?

[Peetah]

I would say you leave this to a more experienced person.
The wrong executions will leave your computer useless till you get an expert anyways.

[Tomcat]

During boot hit F8 or esc


then choose boot from disk

[Seb]

During boot hit F8 or esc


then choose boot from disk

System Image disks and system repair disks will only let me restore.

And I said it wasn't letting me boot from the Windows XP disk.

[blαh2355]

How to reformat (XP)

 

[ursus]

If you're going to dual boot, download GParted

If you have CP or something you can get into trouble with the law for, use Darik's boot and nuke

if you only need one partition, use the formatting function that comes with install disk

[Hotgreensoldier]

Destructive recovery makes it reset to factory defaults, meaning, every single little thing that wasn't on there when it was made, is going to go poof.
Don't worry, it won't damage your computer, just be ready to download a shitload of stuff again.


I know this because I've done it before Dx

[Seb]

If you're going to dual boot, download GParted

If you have CP or something you can get into trouble with the law for, use Darik's boot and nuke

if you only need one partition, use the formatting function that comes with install disk

I'm assuming those options save the operating system, so I wouldn't need to reinstall that with the Windows 7 disk I don't have?

[Tomcat]

I would use DBnB

[Seb]

I would use DBnB

exactly

would it save the operating system or not? If unclear, I can always set up my old computer on the kitchen counter and test it out on that.