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- #REFORMATTING EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ON PC HOW TO#
- #REFORMATTING EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ON PC INSTALL#
- #REFORMATTING EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ON PC SOFTWARE#
- #REFORMATTING EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ON PC PC#
- #REFORMATTING EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ON PC WINDOWS 7#
Reboot your PC and make sure the USB is plugged in or the DVD is inserted.
#REFORMATTING EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ON PC WINDOWS 7#
Note: Windows 7 users need to download the Windows OS first, which you can get from here. Plug in the drive and reboot your PC or laptop. Follow the instructions to create a bootable USB drive.
#REFORMATTING EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ON PC INSTALL#
Follow these next steps to create one (skip to step 2 if you’ve got a DVD already): Download the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (to format the hard disk now and install Windows 7 later) or the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool (to format the hard drive now and install Windows 10 later). If you don’t have the DVD handy, you need to create a bootable Windows USB drive. Insert the Windows 7 or Windows 10 DVD into the DVD drive and boot the PC. That’s why we’re using a bootable Windows 7/10 Installation DVD or USB drive which allows us to format the hard disk. You can’t format the hard disk on which Windows is stored while Windows is running, for the same reasons that you can’t work on a car’s engine while you’re driving it. To format the primary drive - the hard disk where the operating system resides, also called C drive or C: - you need to boot into the setup program on Windows 7 or Windows 10 and use it to format your drive.
#REFORMATTING EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ON PC HOW TO#
The following steps show you how to format your primary drive when all applications and your files are gone. Then you can use the Windows setup program or macOS Recovery Environment to format primary hard drives. You may need to reinstall the operating system, but you don‘t want to lose your data! If it’s at all possible, begin by backing up and rescuing everything of importance, or clone your hard drive by using one of our guides: How to clone a hard drive. This means you will need to employ a different method.How to Format a Hard Drive on Windows or Mac | Avast Logo Ameba Icon Security Icon Security White Icon Privacy Icon Performance Icon Privacy Icon Security Icon Performance Icons/45/01 Security/Other-Threats Icons / 32 / Bloatware removal Icons / 32 / Registry Cleaner Icons / 32 / CleanUp Icons / Feature / 32 / Mac Icons / 32 / Browser cleanup Icons/32/01 Security/Malware Icons/32/01 Security/Viruses Icons/32/01 Security/Other-Threats Icons/32/01 Security/Passwords Icons/32/01 Security/Ransomware Icons/32/01 Security/Business Icons/32/02 Privacy/Browser Icons/32/02 Privacy/IP adress Icons/32/02 Privacy/VPN Icons/32/02 Privacy/Proxy Icons/32/02 Privacy/Streaming Icons/32/03 Performance/Celaning Icons/32/03 Performance/Drivers Icons/32/03 Performance/Gaming Icons/32/03 Performance/Hardware Icons/32/03 Performance/Speed Icons / 32 / Bloatware removal Icons / 32 / Registry Cleaner Win Icons / 32 / CleanUp Icons / Feature / 32 / Mac Icons / 32 / Browser cleanup Icons/60/02 Privacy/02_Privacy Icons/60/01 Security/01_Security Icons/60/03 Performance/03_Performance Icons/80/01 Security/IoT Icons/80/01 Security/Malware Icons/80/01 Security/Passwords Icons/80/01 Security/Ransomware Icons/80/01 Security/Viruses Icons/80/01 Security/Other-Threats Icons/80/03 Security/Business Icons/80/02 Privacy/Browser Icons/80/02 Privacy/IP adress Icons/80/02 Privacy/VPN Icons/80/02 Privacy/Proxy Icons/80/02 Privacy/Streaming Icons/80/03 Performance/Celaning Icons/80/03 Performance/Drivers Icons/80/03 Performance/Gaming Icons/80/03 Performance/Hardware Icons/80/03 Performance/Speed Icons/80/03 Performance/03_Performance Icons/80/02 Privacy/02_Privacy If you did not, your computer may have a restore partition set up.
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If you received a set of installation CDs with your machine, then use this.
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Reformatting your laptop will cause you to lose all of your information so it is recommended that you backup your hard drive on an external hard drive, CDs, or DVDs if you wish to keep it.
#REFORMATTING EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ON PC SOFTWARE#
First, you need to confirm that you have all of the software needed to restore your computer, and then use your recovery disc or Windows installation disc to format the hard drive. If you have become frustrated with the performance of your laptop because of too many installed programs, an overgrown system registry or malicious software, you need to reformat your laptop. Before you begin the process of reformatting your computer, you need to backup all of your information on an external hard drive or CDs and external hard drive or you will lose them. This will completely erase the hard drive and is the most effective way to clean your computer.Īnyone can reformat their own laptop easily. Has your computer recently been attacked by a virus that you can’t seem to get rid of? The only solution might be to reformat your laptop.