homepage Forums Technology Hardware & Software - PC Format...

A while back, I wanted to erase my WinXP and install my new Win7Pro disc.
I tried to "Format..." and my System wouldn't allow it.
I called my IT guy and he said I would need a "Special" disc, which he had.

I took the notebook to him, and had him also install a bit more HD and RAM while he was installing my Win7Pro disc.
It cost me.

So now.....I'm looking ahead.

In the unlikely event, Win10 somehow gets past me, and installs on my HDD, I would want to reinstall Win7Pro, and to do that I would want to format the drive.

So I'm looking around and found this;

http://www.killdisk.com/

Would that be a possibility, a good choice?

I DLed it, but put it on a CD, in the event I need it.
It's not on my present HDD.

Any advice?

I've always hated re-formatting or fixing notebooks or laptops simply because of the "specialized software" they need. Sure, they could probably operate without the bloatware, but as I didn't know what the owner needed/wanted, well, I just made do with best-guesses as to what he/she would want installed.

I've never encountered such problems with PCs though.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that important fact.
It was, and probably still is, a Dell Notebook.

It must still be "Dell" as it has the original MoBo.

I'm sure that is what happened.

So....I wonder if I could 'format' the HDD, being a Dell MoBo?
Even with the KillDisc....as a matter of fact, it might screw up my entire system.

Anyone have any ideas?

The IT guy did reinstall Win7Pro and wiped off the WinXP OS. But it's still using some Dell drivers. The Tech asked me for the Dell driver CD's that came with the system.

Maybe It would take a real Tech to do this.
I hate to be 'beholding' to anyone, but I also wouldn't want to lose my Win7Pro system.
The wife will NOT accept Win8 or Win10.
I hate to think of her taking over my gaming box!!!.....lol.....

So how do you format a Dell MoBo?
Is it different from any other MoBo, other than the drivers?
Maybe it needs a KillDisc, to clean the drive...?
My gaming box does have 2 drives, one for backup.
But the laptop does NOT. Just a 'C' drive.
And it wouldn't format. I am the Administrator. But XP didn't have that option.
???

That's the thing about "branded" laptops/netbooks or even pre-built PCs. As you're not really sure what specific brand of motherboard they are using, you can't go to that manufacturer's website and get the drivers from there. You'll have to load up the drivers that come from the "brand" and most of the time, it includes bloatware.

You could probably research your particular model and see if people have found drivers for it; a friend of mine wiped his laptop and used different drivers and so far it's working. As it is his personal laptop and he's the one doing the work, then he's in the best position to judge whether a specific set of drivers/programs works for the laptop or not.

To be clear: you can definitely format your notebook, that's not the problem. It's getting the drivers to be able to do this and have a working notebook at the end of the process that's the challenge.

Thanks Ice

Yeah, that's the fly in the ointment.

I know it CAN be done, cause an IT guy did it with XP to Win7Pro.
He used the old DELL drivers from a CD I have.

Now to find out 'how' he did it, and which drivers he used....I dunno.
Maybe it'd be best to take it back to him.
But I'm not sure he's still around.
I have a different ISP, and I think he quite the old one.

Not too 'high tech', here in the Northern Michigan forest.....lol.....

I know I tried to upgrade a Lenova a couple of years ago and every time I tried to format the hard drive, it would fail. Turns out there is a setting in the BIOS that keeps you from doing that. I found the setting and then it worked.

What model Dell is it? Maybe I can assist locating the .cab file to simplify the driver install.

Formatting a HDD on on a Dell Laptop is no different from any other PC out there. The only real thing to consider is if using the original drive if you wish to retain the OEM restore partition.


Assuming your not dealing with an issue like Speedbump mentions, which shouldn't be the case unless you last tech set it, all you need is the Windows 7 install disc. After you blow out the partitions you can reformat the drive, all done from the installer.

Make a Acronis True Image Bootable CD/USB, and then make a backup of your Win7 Partition.

If you get goofed to Windows 10, Boot the Acronis Image, Wipe Partition, restore from backup image.

I hate Laptops, but the lockouts from formatting are usually software/bootloader initiated, baking a Bootable USB/CD will bypass them, unless they put a BIOS Lock on them.


My brother's laptop, as much as he messes it up, We Wiped all the Bloatware that came with it (Alienware).

Installed a fresh Windows 7 Premium, the Alienware Software, Drivers, Updates, then made a Image of that Partition and saved it to a USB Drive.

Every year or so when it gets congested, we backup his documents and stuff, and restore the fresh image.

You dont need their Rescue disks and OEM Bloatware, Get your Windows License off the sticker, or retrieve it from Windows using whatever utility, then save it.

We had to do the same when my other brother's HDD failed in his toshiba, in order to re-install his one time use free Office, we had to hook up his HDD to my system and scan his registry for the License Key then download the ISO from the Web.

+1

Belarc Advisor http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html is a great freebie utility for retrieving license keys (not only for the Windows OS) as well as for numerous other things.

Since he had XP on it I'm going to assume the OEM Windows sticker is for XP.

Bloatware only comes from OEM partition's and any restore disc sets. In Dell's case they generally only supply the Dell OEM Windows disc, which indecently will work on any OEM (HP, Acer, etc.) using the same version of windows.

All Windows 7 OEM licensed laptops or desktops use SLIC 2.1 which contain the license key. You don't even need to write it down as its embedded into the BIOS. If you get prompted for a key during install you click the "add later" and after install and a reboot you will find it activated. Again, I don't think any of this will apply to Murphy since it sounds like his laptop came with XP.

Now if your dealing with a retail key or trying to recover some bit of the original OEM software package like Skatezilla mentioned then you will need to jump through those kinds of hoops.

Acronis or even windows image backup is always a good idea too.


Whoa, got off topic there sorry.

In short Murphy, you have everything you need with the exception of the driver package which we can probably locate once we know the model.

No, my mistake.
It's not an XP.
I wanted one, but the salesman told me I could up the RAM and video card, and it would be almost the same, but much cheaper, so I went with that.

Then last year, I had the local IT guy install some RAM and a new HD with Win7Pro disc I bought.

It's a 1500 Dell Inspiron.

Specs;

Inspiron 1520, Intel Core 2 Duo T7500
2.2GHz, 800Mhz, 4M L2 Cache
2GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm Now 5GB of RAM
15.4 inch Wide Screen WXGA LCDTrueLife
256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
160G 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive Now 465GB HD
Microsoft Windows XP Now Win7Pro
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive
Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card
85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery, for Inspiron 1520

My screen blew out a couple weeks ago, so I ordered, and have a new one, but haven't installed it.
The wife likes the temporary monitor we bought, 20", and just plugged it in.
Now she doesn't want to use the old laptop screen.
So....I'm in no rush to install the new screen now.

I have the new Win7Pro disc I bought, with the new numbers sticker and all.
It had WinXP on it initially. But was updated to Win7Pro by the tech, along with the HDD and RAM.
I still have the Dell driver disc's. And he used some of them. And it's a new HDD. But he used some of the Dell drivers, why I don't know.
I have all the stuff that came with the notebook when I got it from Dell.
It's run fine for the last 9 years! I bought it in 2007.
Nothing is wrong with it right now, except the screen .....I was just concerned that when I tried to 'format' it, and I couldn't.
Also, I have a backup copy of the Notebook, and my gaming computer, on a portable HDD I keep up to date, just in-case. But I've never had to use it. And if I did, I'd probably have to 'format' the thing.
So I wanted to know why I couldn't re-format the laptop when I tried.
Appreciate the answers.

I appreciate the time Skate, I know your time is valuable, and everyone else who helped out here, sorry I didn't reply sooner. Haven't checked here for a couple days.
Very bad manors. I apologize.

The help I get here, is much better than the help I paid for.

BTW......I looked it up, I paid $1,350.00 for that laptop, back in 2007.

I won't be doing that again......
First off, I ran out of money....lol....