Why should you format a computer and what does it mean?

To format a computer means that all your data will be lost. Your operating system,
programs, emails, drivers, pictures, everything! All of the updates on your programs will
be gone, infarct the every entire program will be gone. Formatting your computer makes
your computer clean and new just like the day you bought it.
But be warned! Your computer may have even less than it did when you bought it
because the salesperson may have loaded it with extra software to make the sale.

When you format a computer you are actually formatting the hard drive. This is the main
storage component of your computer. It is usually labeled as C drive on your computer.

I have had people ring me up after they have formatted their computer to ask me where
all their files have gone? And don’t laugh because it is very common.

Reasons why you might need to format a computer:

 You have built a computer and you must format the hard drive so you can put an operating
system on it.
 You have replaced your main hard drive and the new one needs to be formatted.
 Your computer has a black screen on startup. Sometimes formatting can wipe a problem
away.
 You have a software problem that is too detailed to fix.
 You have a major virus that you cannot get rid of.

Things you will need before you format a computer:

 You will need to backup your computer files. This can be the hardest part of formatting your
computer because if you forget something important it could be a disaster. Here is A list of
the most important computer system files and folders to Backup
 You will need your original system discs. This will include a drivers disc and the Windows
operating system disc. What are Device Drivers and why do I need them for my computer?
 You will need to know everything about formatting a computer. How to Format a Computer

Programs and data you need to restore after formatting your

computer:
1. After you have installed your operating system you must install your antivirus software.
2. Install your drivers to your computer. They are usually the sound, network adapter, display
or graphics, and maybe more if you have add ons.
3. Set up your internet connection. You must have a network adapter driver installed for the
Ethernet cord or the wireless signal to be recognized.
4. Download updates for your anti-virus software and your Windows operating system.
5. Setup your email account. How to set up an Email Account in Outlook Express
6. Import settings you have saved. Restore files that you backed up before formatting your
computer. Backup and restore your Email Account Settings
7. Install all other programs.

How much does a computer IT person charge to format a

computer?
 Just a simple format with you supplying the original operating system disc and drivers it may
cast from $100 to $400.
 If you require your computers data to be backed up it could cost extra.
 Sometimes you can get a friend to format your computer for a small fee, or even free.
 An older computer that requires more attention can also cost extra.
 If you don’t have a copy of your discs the IT persons will have to search for your computer
drivers and you may have to pay for a new operating system. Anywhere from $100 and up.
Notes:
 You can also format a spare hard drive or a portable device and not affect your main
operating system and data. How to format an external hard drive.
 Keeping your computer neat and tidy helps you with the backup process. This way you
know where everything is and can copy it easily. Here’s how to Organize your Computer
Files

As you can see, formatting a computer can be a huge and sometimes daunting task to
the newbie. However the majority of the work is in the backup and restore stage. If you
are organized, you can backup your files every week to a safe place. This way when
you do format your computer it will be a lot easier.
See more articles on how to format windows.
 How to get into your BIOS and change settings

Sooner or later you will have to go into your computers bios and change certain settings
and especially if you want to format your computer. The bios is the first piece of
software on your computer before the operating system is installed. Without the BIOS
you would not have a working computer. The BIOS (basic input operating system) is a
set of programs, which controls the PC hardware and is stored in a memory chip on the
motherboard. The chip is a Read Only Memory (ROM) chip, which keeps its contents
even when the power is off. When a computer is turned on, the CPU will execute all of
the instructions in the BIOS, which are stored in the ROM. These instructions will then
load the Operating System.

What is the main reason you would enter the BIOS?

The main reason I go in there is to set the boot sequence or boot order of the
computer. This means that you tell the computer to boot up to C: drive (windows on the
computer) or to a cd or dvd drive. For example you might want to boot to an operating
system CD when you format your computer with Windows XP. Different computer
makes and models have different version and types of bios however they all have the
common basics, but may call them different things. I do not know why they could not
follow the same menu and features but don’t panic because they are similar.

How to access my computer BIOS?

To access any bios on any computer you must watch the startup screen on the
computer. It will usually say “To enter setup press…….” Some common keys you may
have to press are F1, F2, F10, or maybe the delete key. You must press this key when
the startup screen is showing. There will be a message on the bottom of the screen
flashing by saying “press ??? to enter setup.” If you miss this you have to restart
again.

Tips to getting in your BIOS:

1. Watch the screen when you are starting the computer. Be calm and don’t worry if
the computer starts before you get to press the right key and the keyboard.
2. Restart the computer and now that you know the key to press, have your finger on it
ready to push when you see the details screen.

Formatting a Hard Drive Using the Windows Operating System

Formatting a hard drive using the Windows operating system is quite an easy task
now days. Over the years technology has granted us easy ways to take care of our own
computers, without having to always employee and IT repair guy. I personally
love formatting a hard drive regularly to keep my computer running to its optimum
performance. I guess you might say I have a problem as I find that it is the only way that
I can really keep my computer in order.
My friends and family cringe when I mention the F Word and it is not what you think, as I
am speaking about the word format. Formatting a hard drive is the ultimate computer
maintenance task. It cuts out all the hard work of either maintaining your computer or
trying to fix it when errors occur.
Getting prepared for formatting a hard drive
When formatting a hard drive you will need certain things to perform this task correctly.
Here is a list of things you will need when you want to format your computer.

 You will need a Windows operating system CD. Hopefully you will have the original CD
hanging around somewhere. it is also okay to use a copy of your exact disk that you had as
long as you have your Windows COA sticker attached to your computer. This is also known
as the COA sticker and holds the serial number for your copy of Windows.
 You will definitely need to have your files backed up to either an external hard driveor
maybe even an online backup service.
 When formatting a hard drive you will obviously need a computer that needs a format. This
might be a computer with so many errors that it is not worth fixing. It may also be a
computer that just hasn’t had a good format in a long time.
 If you are formatting using Windows XP or even Windows Vista you will need to have either
a backup of your device drivers or a system disk that holds your drivers. If you do not have a
disk that hold your device drivers then you might have to search for them on the Internet.
 before formatting a hard drive I seriously recommend making sure that you have a driver for
your network adapter so you can connect to the Internet. This will allow you to download the
other drivers if needed.

Backing up your files before formatting a hard drive

This is one of the most important things that you can do. People do not understand that
when you are formatting a hard drive, this means that you will wipe every piece of darter
from that hard drive. If you had saved photos and files or even e-mail addresses, they
will all be gone after formatting the hard drive. I hope you understand what I am saying
here. Absolutely everything will be gone from your computer and you will only have a
fresh new copy of Windows is installed on your computer. This also means that any
programs that you have installed, such as photo editing programs, games, and so on,
will be absolutely gone. When you have finished formatting your computer, the usual
procedure is to reinstall all of your necessary programs and drivers to enable you to
start using your computer again.

The difference between formatting a hard drive with Windows

XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7?
Obviously Windows XP was released approximately 10 years ago and along the way
we have had Windows Vista and now Windows 7. Technology has changed over the
years but the basic knowledge on how to format a hard drive stays the same. You still
have to partition the hard drive before formatting and installing Windows on. If you want
toreformat windows you will also still have to delete the old partition where the original
version of Windows existed. There are many things that are exactly the same when
formatting a hard drive with Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. Of course,
Windows 7 looks a lot prettier, but the essence of formatting a hard drive is still there.
If I was talking about formatting a hard drive with Windows millennium or Windows 95,
that would be a totally different story. Back in those days most computers still had a
floppy drive and this was used as a start-up disk. However now the modern Windows
operating system CD’s are bootable without having to use a floppy disk.

Another major difference between formatting a hard drive with Windows XP and the
later versions of Windows is that the newer versions are on a DVD disc and not a CD.
Common factors when formatting a hard drive with any
Windows operating system
 When formatting a hard drive with any version of Windows you must insert the operating
system CD and boot from it. This means that you will see a message on the screen saying
“press any key to boot from CD or DVD..”. If you do not see this message when you start
your computer with the Windows operating system CD in the CD drive, then you must enter
your computer BIOS and change the boot settings. Here is a brief tutorial on how to change
settings in your BIOS.
 It is always recommended that you delete the previous partition that Windows was installed
on an create a new partition for the new installation.
 In all versions of Windows you will have the chance to divide or partition your hard drive into
any size you require.
 All of the recent versions of Windows use the NTFS file system. It is not recommended that
you use the old FAT32 file system.
 When formatting a hard drive in any version of Windows you will see an option to choose a
quick format or a slow format. A slow format is always better when you have had major
errors on your computer. This can also be known as a low level format.

Common problems people have when formatting a hard drive

with Windows
1. The first step is probably the hardest. As previously mentioned above, you will need to insert
the original Windows operating system disk and then start your computer so it boots to that
CD. People do not realize that you need to enter the BIOS to change the settings to make
the computer boot to the CD first. Some people think there is a problem when the CD does
not start.
2. People often get confused when deleting the partition and creating a new one. Please pay
particular attention to this area as it is not as hard as you think.
3. When you have had your Windows disc for a long time it can become worn. Often I will
make a copy of my original disks to use as the original would not transfer the system files to
my computer correctly. If you find that when formatting a hard drive, the process stalls a
number of times, then it could be your CD is worn out.
4. One of the common problems that people have when formatting a hard drive is that they
accidentally interrupted the process. It is not okay to stop the process of formatting a hard
 drive half way through. This is a definite way to cause major errors or even the
dreaded black screen on your computer.

Formatting your hard drive with Windows

Below I am going to list step-by-step instructions to follow when formatting a hard drive
in various versions of Windows. They are all very similar with only a few minor
differences. Therefore if you are experienced in formatting a hard drive using Windows
XP, you will definitely have no problem formatting with Windows Vista or Windows 7.

The following steps below presume that you have entered your BIOS and change the
settings for your computer to boot to your CD or DVD drive. Therefore you will see the
message on the screen saying “press any key to boot from CD or DVD…” If you have
not this far and press a key on your keyboard, this means that you are booting into the
CD to start formatting your hard drive.

Formatting a hard drive using Windows XP

1. The first screen you will see will be blue and it will look like files are being loaded
onto your computer. You will be prompted to press the F8 key to agree to
the Windows terms and conditions.
2. The next screen you will see after booting from the CD will be a blue screen. On the
screen you will need to read it carefully and then press enter. If you press enter on your
keyboard, this means that you want to install Windows XP. See the screen shot below.
3. Now you will see a screen showing the previous installation of Windows.
4. Select that version of Windows so we know which partition we are going to delete.
If you have not got a previous version of Windows on your computer you will see an un-
partitioned space.

5. As you can see in the screenshot above I have selected the previous version of
Windows.
6. Now I will press the escape key to install a fresh copy of Windows XP.
7. On the next screen I will select the partition with Windows on it and press D on the
keyboard to delete it.
8. Then I will press the letter L to confirm that I want to delete that partition.
9. To recreate a petition we will need to press the C on the keyboard. Your computer
will estimate the size for the partition and all you have to do is press enter.
10. To see more instructions please see this detailed tutorial on how to format
Windows XP.

Formatting a hard drive using Windows 7

Formatting a hard drive with Windows Seven is identical to Windows Vista. All you need
to do is follow the instructions above. Every step is the same.

Formatting a spare hard drive

It is even easier to format an external hard drive if it is attached to your computer as a
second hard drive or even if it is in an old hard drive in an external hard drive case. All
you have to do is access that particular hard drive in Windows Explorer, right click on it
to access a menu, and then choose to format. That is the easiest way I know of
formatting a hard drive. This only works on hard drives that do not contain Windows
system files.
See more helpful articles on how to format windows.
You can also download a free PDF report on How to Format Windows
Just remember, that when formatting a hard drive with any version of Windows, practice
makes perfect.

What is the difference between a partition and a hard drive?

People often get confused when it comes to distinguishing between a partition and a
hard drive because on the actual computer, viewing them through the Windows
Operating system, they look exactly the same. You might have one hard drive that is
partitioned into four sections, however in my computer it will appear as four hard drives
all labeled with their own drive letter. This is quite deceiving to the unsuspecting newbie
as it may appear that there are more hard drives that there actually is.

As you can see from the screen shot below, my main hard drive has been partitioned
into 3 sections. C: drive, D: drive, and E: drive. This was a 500GB hard drive that now
looks like three separate hard drives which are in fact partitions. If there were no
partitions C: drive would be 500GB. But C: drive is only using 116GB of the 500GB that
was available.

You can also see J: drive and H: drive look like more hard drives or partitions but are
infact an external 250GB hard drive connected to my computer. It has two partitions.

Therefore when viewing my hard drives and partitions in my computer, you cannot tell
the difference between a partition and a hard drive.
What is a hard drive or hard disk drive?
A hard drive or hard disk drive is a physical computer component that is used to store
your computers files and data. The hard drive needs to be attached to the motherboard
for a computer to function. You can install more than one hard drive into a computer or
even have an external hard drive connected.
What is a partition?
A partition cannot exist without a hard disk drive. You can divide your hard drive into
sections which are called partitions. A hard drive volume can have as many partitions as
you like, however it can become confusing. I like to have 3 main partitions, one for the
operating system, one for the files, and one for backup.

Why should you partition your hard drive into sections?

Here are some reasons why it is good to partition a hard drive:

 You need to have at least one small partition on a hard drive to install Windows.
 You can save all your files on a separate partition and still format C: drive without
touching the files.
 It helps organize files into sections.

How can you tell the difference between a partition and a hard
drive?
You cannot tell the difference between a partition and a hard drive in my computer but
you can in your computers disk management section.

How to find disk management?

1. Go to the Start Menu, choosecontrol panel.
2. Then Double click on the Administrative Tools.
3. Then click on computer management.
4. Choose Disk Management in the left side menu. Then you see all your drives listed in the
right side.

A quick shortcut to get to disk management:

1. Go to the start menu.
2. Right click on my computer or computer for Windows Vista.
3. Choose manage from the menu.
4. Choose storage.
5. Then click on computer management.
6. Choose Disk Management in the left side menu. Then you see all your drives listed in the
right side.

Once you have opened the disk management window you will see your hard drives
listed as Disk 0, Disk 1, and so on. Any partitions created under Disk 0 will be in the
Disk 0 line. C: drive is usually the default system volume where you will boot into to start
your computer and the Operating system. Disk 0 in the screenshot below is my main
hard drive as explained earlier. The status of the hard drives are listed as healthy and in
brackets it tells us if the drive is merely a partition or a physical hard drive.

Therefore to find out if a drive is actually a hard drive you will be looking for Disk 0 and
Disk 1 and so on. If you only have one hard drive then it would be Disk 0 with the
partitions listed next to it.

A Primary partition is usually the partition with the system files and the boot sector files
on it. A logical drive is a partition of the main hard drive. See the legend at the bottom of
the screenshot. Primary partition = dark blue.

Delete, Merge, Create, and Rename a Hard Drive Partition Without

Formatting Windows

When you format your computer you are asked if you want to create partitions on your
hard drive. I definitely recommend having your hard drive at least halved and made into
two partitions for starters. This is not unreasonable as most hard drives in computers
now days are getting rather large. Therefore you can afford to spare some extra space
to store files away in case of a computer crash. If you have some spare cash I would
definitely buy a second hard drive for your computer as this will keep the data safe on
another separate drive.
Here is a 2TB hard drive that is an absolute bargain for you that is well under $100!
Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop
Hard Drive WD20EARS
Not everyone can afford another hard drive so this tutorial is about splitting your existing
hard drive into two partitions.

To actually change, rename, merge and delete partitions on your hard drive while not
effecting your C: drive you must have partitioned your hard drive in the first instance.

If your hard drive is just one big partition called C: drive then you cannot just chop a bit
off later when you feel like it.

However if your 100GB hard drive is already divided into two partitions of 50GB each,
one being the main C: drive and the other is left for you to play with.

Why is it good to have a hard drive divided into partitions?

There are benefits to having your hard drive divided into separate partitions and the
main one would be to backup important files. If you have files stored on another partition
and C: drive crashes, it is most likely that your files on the other partition will be fine.

Another benefit is that you can format C: drive and leave the other partition intact and
still storing your important files. You still go through the normal steps of installing
Windows XP but you just choose to delete the C: drive partition only and then recreate it
and install Windows on it. This leaves the other partition untouched.

Having partitions on your hard drive also allows you to organize your computer
filesbetter. Some people have a separate partition for different types of files.
How to create a partition on your hard drive without formatting
Windows:
If you have a partition on your computer beside the C: drive, then you can delete,
merge, rename and create more partitions.
1. Go to the start menu and select my computer (just make it blue)
2. Then right click on it and choose manage from the menu
3. Open the storage section by pressing on the plus sign in the left column
4. Then choose disk management
5. All of your partitions will show up here