How to format hard disk on windows

If you want to format hard disk windows xp follow these steps.

Open My Computer, select the hard disk that you want to format, right click and select format (see picture)

Format Hard Disk Windows XP

Now to continue with format hard disk windows xp, you can leave all the settings to default, and click format ( see picture )

Confirm Format Hard Disk Windows XP

You should be aware that when you format your hard disk in windows xp all of the data stored in the disk will be deleted!

Congratz, your hard disk is formatted.

How to format Windows 7

Windows 7 is far better than previous windows versions (XP and Vista). The install process is plain simple and easy to follow. Big Bravo! for Microsoft for this. Now, just follow these steps and you will install windows 7 in no time

You can Install Windows 7 via DVD Disk you’ve purchased or with bootable USB.

This post explains installing windows 7 with dvd disk.

- 31 steps total, every step is screen-captured

First, insert your Windows 7 Boot Disk into your dvd drive and reboot your PC

• While the PC is rebooting, you will be prompted ” Press any key to boot from CD…” Just press any key here
  
  
  


• After you press a key, windows will load installation files.


• Windows 7 setup will start


• Select your language, time and currency format and keyboard input (US)


• Click Install Now to proceed


• Setup will load for a min or two


• If you do, select I accept the license terms and click Next


• If you are upgrading from Windows Vista select Upgrade, if you had Windows XP you have to select Custom (Advanced). Upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 is not available. Click Custom (Advanced)


• Select the Partition where you want to install Windows 7 and click Next. You will need at least 5716mb free space.


• If you don’t have enough free space to Install Windows 7, you will receive the following warning


• If that’s the case, you will need to format the partition where you previously had Operating System installed. WARNING: Formatting a partition will erase all existing data on the partition, proceed only if you have backed up all your files!


• If you want to format the partition, go to Drive optionsand format the partition where you want to install windows 7. Again, do this only if you have backed up your documents/files!
  
  click format and then yes


• After you press Next, Windows 7 Installation will begin. Approximately takes about 30 min to 1 hour to finish, depending on your computer speed.


• After half an hour, setup is complete and windows 7 installation is almost finished. Few more minutes


• Now your computer will reboot, since the Windows 7 DVD boot disk is still in the drive, the message press any key to boot from DVD will appear. We already did that, so this time DO NOT press anything. Just wait 5 sec and your PC will continue booting and finish installing your operating system.


• Windows will continue booting and installing, almost there!

• Finally!Insert your name (this will be your windows username)


• If you want to, insert password for your computer. ( Hey….you won’t forget it, right? :) )


• Insert your Windows 7 product key and press Next


• Do you want Microsoft Updates for your new operating system? It is highly recommend you know…! Select use recommended settings


• It’s time for Time zone, select yours from the drop down menu


• Depending on your location, select the appropriate network location.


• If you have more than 1 computer, type homegroup password for sharing files. Make sure to remember it


• Windows is finalizing your settings


• Can you see the finish line ? Yup, we’re there


• That’s it. Now insert your computer manufacturer drivers CD and install drivers. Also FYI, Windows 7 has great driver support, go to Start –> Control Panel –> Select View By = Small Icons –> Click Windows Update


• Check for updates and click on optional updates, to see which drivers windows 7 found for your computer automatically.

Install Windows 7 - Welcome screen

How to format Windows XP

This explains step-by-step how to format hard drive partition using the Windows XP installation CD.

Before you continue, make sure you have backup of all documents you may need that are saved in C:, My Documents folder or your desktop.

Tip: Click the images to enlarge.

• Step 1- Installation CD Insert your Windows XP installation disc into your CD or DVD drive.

 

• Step 2 – Restart your computer and start Windows setup using Microsoft Windows bootable XP disk


• Restart your computer. As you computer boots, a screen with message “Press any key to boot from CD..” will show up counting from 9 to 0, here you need to press any key to start the setup. Note: If your computer doesn’t display the “Press any key to boot from CD..” message (by default it should), check your motherboard manual for info where to enable the “Boot from CD” setting, after you enable “Boot from CD” option from your BIOS, the message will show.


• Step 3 – System LoadingAfter you enter the setup, the CD will load up a blue screen and will start loading operating system files (this make take few minutes). When it finishes, it will list a few options, “Press ENTER to set up Windows XP now” is the one we need. Click it.


• Step 4 – Accept Windows usage agreementSecond screen is “The windows usage agreement”. It should be displayed now, showing that you need to press F8 to accept the agreement. Press F8 to accept. How to format a computer


• Step 5 – Setup startIf an existing Windows XP installation is detected by the system, you are prompted to repair it. We will bypass this step


• Step 6 – Delete old partition and formatAt this point you need to select the partition where you prefer to install Windows Xp. This is where you will delete your partition and format drive C. The box in the lower half of the screen shows all your drives and the partitions that currently exist on your hard disk. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to highlight/select your “C:” partition and press the “D” key (pic 6.1). On the next screen press the ‘L’ key (pic 6.2) to confirm that you want to delete partition “C:”, and finalize the deleting of the partition. (if you have only “Unpartitioned space” and you have no C: or D: partitions, skip this step) How to format a computer


• Step 7 – Create installation partitionNow you should be back on the screen prompted to choose where to install Windows. The box on the lower half of the screen should no longer show a partition, instead of “C:” you should see “Unpartitioned space xxxxxMB”. Select/highlight this with the arrow keys and press the “C” key to create a partition on the drive (this is where you will install windows). Now setup tells you the minimum and maximum sizes the partition can use and lets you pick the size. The default size is the maximum available, leave the default value and press Enter.


• Step 8 – Format the computer (the hard disk)This screen lets you choose the file system you prefer the drive to be formatted with. Choose NTFS “Quick” (recommended because NTFS is faster and more secure). Use the arrow keys to select and hit Enter. How to format a computer


• Step 9 – Start Windows XP Setup Setup will start to and will auto-format the “C:” partition, and start with Windows XP installation. From here you are all set and the installation of Windows will proceed. This will take a while. The computer will reboot several times, and will continue with installation. Don’t remove the Windows XP setup CD, and don’t press a key when prompted (we already did that).

How to format Windows Vista

In this tutorial we will be installing clean version of Windows Vista.

Usually people format windows vista in try to fix their system, repair some functionality or upgrade from windows XP.

Recommended: If you are not sure about your computer hardware compatibility with Windows Vista, get this Upgrade Advisor and check your system compatibility. Next make sure that you have the Drivers CD (that came when you’ve purchased your PC), or if you don’t have them, download the latest Vista drivers for your hardware (you can find them at the support section of your hardware manufacturer, remember to save them to different partition than “C:” (don’t save them in MyDocuments folder, it will get deleted with the formatting), safest way is to store them in other partition than C: (ex. D: , E: , removable drive like USB or burn them on a CD/DVD)

Now after you are sure that your PC is compatible with Vista, and you have all the drivers saved, you can proceed with Formatting Windows Vista.

• Step 1. Insert your Windows Vista DVD. The DVD is bootable so after you restart your PC (with the DVD inside) the Windows Vista Setup will begin loading ( if the setup doesn’t start automatically, make another restart and press F2, or F8 after the boot screen and select boot from DVD ).


• Step 2. The first screen of the Format Windows Vista sequence will show up. At this point you need to select your Language and Time and currency format (click the image to enlarge). Press Next.


• Step 3. Press Install Now

• Step 4. After a min you will be asked for your Product Key.Scenario 1: If you don’t have your product key, you can skip this step and at the next step you will be asked to pick Vista Package that you want to install : Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate. If you install windows vista without providing product key, after 14 days you will have to enter a valid product key, or if you don’t, you’ll be forced to format windows vista again. This is good if you want to test which windows vista version is best for you, before your purchase.
  
  Scenario 2: You enter your product key (keep it handy!), and at the next screen your purchased version will be auto-recognized.


• Step 5. Accept the Microsoft Windows User License Terms and press Next


• Step 6. Dialog – “Which type of installation do you want ?”Scenario 1: If you already have another operating system installed (ex. Windows XP) you will have the Upgrade option enabled. It’s up to you to decide if you prefer “clean” install or upgrading from previous Windows Installation. Clean install is recommended for improving system performance, and Upgrade Setup is recommended if you have some files in your C: , My Documents, or Desktop folders that you don’t want deleted.
  
  Scenario 2: You already have operating system installed but you want to format your drive, deleting the old system and installing fresh Windows Vista copy. In that case select the C: drive and press Format ( don’t format all drives! only the primary where we are installing Windows Vista – ” C: “. The setup will do the rest.


• Step 7. Select Disk 0 and click Next


• Step 8. The copy process will begin. This process can take some time, so relax a bit, make a coffee or something :D . Your input won’t be required here for some time.


• Step 9. After Windows Vista Setup finishes, the computer will reboot.


• Step 10. Windows Vista files are copied , and now setup will configure Windows Vista for your PC. This step will take some really good time.


• Step 11. Installing Windows Vista finishes, insert your User Name and Password here.


• Step 12. Give your PC a name! and select one of the colorful backgrounds


• Step 13. Select your preferred security settings. If this computer is not behind a firewall, the best option is the ” Use Recommended settings”. If you are using firewall then you can select “Install important updates only” (Windows Update). If you want to be protected and your Windows Vista to have the latest updates from Microsoft , select the first option.


• Step 14. Select your time zone and location.


• Step 15. Network Configuration – Select your computer location. This settings sets your network permissions.


• Step 15. This is self explanatory :) Welcome to your new Windows Vista Operating System


• Step 16. After you press Start, some Windows Vista settings will be upgraded automatically.


• Step 17. You now need to install some drivers that the system will not install automatically.

You’ve finished installing Windows Vista.

How To Install An OS Off Of A Flash Drive

After a lot of experimentation, disastrous mistakes, slow download speeds and finally, success, I have written this guide to educate the common user, DIY, and IT in installing Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and many major Linux distributions from a USB flash drive. Please note that all techniques described in this guide do have risks, most of the time due to human mistake. We do not claim any liability for these mistakes unless they can be proved to be directly due to this guide, and a kind PM sent to the author will help improve this guide if the user does come across any mistakes on my part.

Installing Windows:
This section will describe how to make a bootable flash drive for use of installing Windows. Support in this guide includes Windows Vista and Windows 7, basically all Windows NT 6.x systems are supported. Regrettably, Windows NT 5.x systems (Windows XP, etc) are yet to be added, due to some software complications that have yet to be sorted out.
What you need is:

An empty 2 GB USB 2.0 or 3.0 compliant flash drive.
A USB 2.0 or 3.0 compliant USB port, this will include most computers manufactured in the last 5-6 years.
A Windows Vista, Windows 7, or other Windows NT 6.x family OS install disc. It can be either x86 or x64.
A computer with Windows Vista or above installed.

Ok, now that you’ve ascertained that you have all the requirements, let’s get started.
First, open an elevated command prompt by typing cmd into the search box and pressing enter, and then hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
Type the following commands, pressing enter after each one:
Code:

DISKPART
LIST DISK

In the list, you will see a list of disks, each with a number. The disk whose size corresponds to the size of your flash drive should be your flash drive. It is very important that you select the right one, as data could be lost. Remember the number next to your flash drive.
Now, type the following commands (pressing enter after each one):
Code:

SELECT DISK x (replace x with the flash drive number you memorized earlier)
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 1
ACTIVE
FORMAT FS=NTFS QUICK
ASSIGN
EXIT

Don’t close the prompt window.
Place your Windows DVD into your DVD drive, and remember the drive letter of the DVD drive and your flash drive. Then go back to the prompt and type the following commands, pressing enter after each one:
Code:

X: CD BOOT (where x is your DVD drive)
CD BOOT
BOOTSECT.EXE /NT60 Y: (where y is your flash drive letter)

Then copy the entire contents of your Windows DVD to your flash drive, and restart. It should boot.
For those familiar with the bootsect command, the nt52 switch has not proven successful for me while trying to get XP on the flash drive, before you ask. If you have a way to put the Windows XP installation files on a flash drive and make it bootable, please let me know.

Installing Mac OS X:
This section will describe how to make a bootable flash drive for use of installing Mac OS X. Support in this guide includes all versions of Mac OS X.
What you need is:

An empty 5-8 GB USB 2.0 or 3.0 compliant flash drive
A USB 2.0 or 3.0 compliant USB port, this will include most Macs manufactured in the last 5-6 years.
A Mac OS X 10.x.x install disc.
A Mac running OS X.

Ok, now that you've ascertained that you have all the requirements, let's get started.
First, open the Utilities folder by pressing Shift + Command + U, and open Disk Utility.



Insert your Mac OS X Install disc. Select it in the list in the Disk Utility, and click Restore.
Drag the Mac OS X Install disc from the list to the Source box.
Then plug in your USB drive, and drag it from the list to the Destination box.


Check the Erase Destination box and click Restore. After a few minutes, you will have a bootable USB drive with Mac OS X on it.
To test your drive, open System Preferences>Startup Disk, enter your administrator’s password if necessary, and then select the disk you restored to with Disk Utility, and then click Restart. You can also hold down the Option key after the startup chime, and select the disk.

Installing Linux:
This section will describe how to make a bootable flash drive for use of installing some Linux distributions. Support in this guide includes the Ubuntu family, version 10.10 and lower, with experiments performed on 10.04 and 9.10, and a few other distributions I have not experimented with but should work.
What you need is:

An empty 1-8 GB USB 2.0 or 3.0 compliant flash drive.
A USB 2.0 or 3.0 compliant USB port, this will include most computers manufactured in the last 5-6 years.
A distribution’s ISO image or disc.
A computer with preferably Ubuntu 10.10 or Windows XP, Vista, or 7 (yes Windows )

The following files/utilities:

Unetbootin for either Windows or Linux (http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/)
Or, if you prefer a wizard interface, Pendrive Linux (www.pendrivelinux.com)

The Unetbootin and Pendrive Linux interface is pretty intuitive, I doubt it's necessary to write instructions on how to use them.
Also, you can put Ubuntu on a flash drive through Ubuntu by navigating System>Preferences>Startup Disk Creator and going from there.

Conclusion:
If you followed this short guide correctly, you should now have a USB drive containing the Windows, MacOS X, or Linux setup files. Congratulations!
Notes on Future Improvement:
If you (the reader) think it necessary to include more documentation on the Linux utilities, Unetbootin and Pendrive Linux, please comment.
If any more screenshots are needed, I'll be happy to provide them.
As for advanced configuration of the setup files before copying them to the USB drive, I'm still having a little trouble with that and may just go and write a whole new guide on how to patch the setup files when I'm done with my research.

(By lucasbytegenius)

I feel this post is very good and helpful. So, I try to do and get totally successful. Enjoy it if you want to get convenient! Let's action...