Installing and reinstalling the operating system is the primary skill that every self-respecting laptop or computer user should have. This process is very interesting, and it requires certain knowledge in the field of working with disk partitions. There are situations when you need to remove the operating system from the hard drive. For example, if you bought a second hard drive and decided to make it a system one, then you definitely need to properly clean up your old hard drive.
Necessary
- Windows installation disc
- Second computer or laptop
- Second hard drive
Instructions
Step 1
One of the easiest ways to clear a hard drive from an installed operating system is to connect it as a secondary hard drive. Find a second computer and connect your hard drive to it. Start the operating system installed on the second computer or laptop. Open "My Computer", right-click on your hard drive and select "format". It is preferable to perform a full formatting of all partitions on the disk. To do this, before pressing the "start" button, uncheck the "Quick (clear the table of contents)" item. This operation can be performed not only with the system partition.
Step 2
If you are unable to connect your hard drive to another stationary PC or laptop, but you have a second hard drive, then install a new OS on it. Start the operating system you just installed and repeat the steps in the previous step.
Step 3
If the first two options are not suitable for you, then proceed differently. Insert an installation disc with any Windows operating system. Start the installation process. Wait for the moment when you will be presented with the choice of the hard disk partition on which you want to install the OS. In the case of Windows XP, select the partition on which the operating system is already installed, which should be removed. In the next window, select "Formatting (full)". After formatting is complete, interrupt the OS installation process.
Step 4
If we are talking about the Windows Seven installation disk, then after the disk selection window appears, select the partition with the installed OS and click "format". Most likely, for this item to appear in the menu, you will need to click "Disk Setup". Similar to the previous step, turn off your computer after the formatting process is complete.
