Vista should not let you format the drive you booted from, so you can’t do that anyway. IF you booted from another drive, you could format the drive, and that would wipe out everything on the drive, including Windows. So it is, in effect, uninstalling Windows.
If the system came with Windows already installed, you should have a recovery disk. That will restore the disk to its original condition. You should not have to format it on your own.
If you installed it on the system, then run the install again, and when it asks you where you want to install, somewhere in there, you should have an option to wipe out the existing install partition. That will wipe it out and start over again. Be sure to tell it to format it, or it will pick up some of the stuff you probably want to get rid of.
If you don’t have the restore disk, or if there is no built in section of the disk drive that performs the same function, the contact the laptop manufacturer and ask for the procedure. I only know of the two I mentioned.
PC BUILDER
Aug 12, 2009 at 11:31 am
fomatting will uninstall everything. You will have a blank hard drive. You have to put in your windows CD or the recovery/restore disc that came with your computer. If you don’t have that, you’ll have to buy a copy of windows.
Vista should not let you format the drive you booted from, so you can’t do that anyway. IF you booted from another drive, you could format the drive, and that would wipe out everything on the drive, including Windows. So it is, in effect, uninstalling Windows.
If the system came with Windows already installed, you should have a recovery disk. That will restore the disk to its original condition. You should not have to format it on your own.
If you installed it on the system, then run the install again, and when it asks you where you want to install, somewhere in there, you should have an option to wipe out the existing install partition. That will wipe it out and start over again. Be sure to tell it to format it, or it will pick up some of the stuff you probably want to get rid of.
If you don’t have the restore disk, or if there is no built in section of the disk drive that performs the same function, the contact the laptop manufacturer and ask for the procedure. I only know of the two I mentioned.
fomatting will uninstall everything. You will have a blank hard drive. You have to put in your windows CD or the recovery/restore disc that came with your computer. If you don’t have that, you’ll have to buy a copy of windows.