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How To Wipe Out Vista Laptop For New Install

#1 Ronnn

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Posted 31 December 2011 - 07:47 AM

I have a dell laptop, about 5 years old, vista. I want to completely wipe it out and reinstall vista. How can i do a format on the hard drive or what is the way to do this?
thanks,

Ron

#2 compnovo

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Posted 31 December 2011 - 08:26 AM

Ronnn, on 31 December 2011 - 07:47 AM, said:

I have a dell laptop, about 5 years old, vista. I want to completely wipe it out and reinstall vista. How can i do a format on the hard drive or what is the way to do this?
thanks,

Ron

Hi Ron,
If you have the Vista disc all you need to do is boot to the disc and perform a "Custom" install. That will wipe the drive and do a clean install.
If your laptop has a recovery partition (which I don't think a five-year-old Dell has, but I'm not sure), you can boot to it when the computer is starting and it will be taken back to factory fresh condition, just follow the prompts.

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#3 Ronnn

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Posted 31 December 2011 - 12:55 PM

thank you, i have the disk so it should go fine

#4 orlbuckeye

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Posted 11 January 2012 - 11:45 AM

Ronnn, on 31 December 2011 - 07:47 AM, said:

I have a dell laptop, about 5 years old, vista. I want to completely wipe it out and reinstall vista. How can i do a format on the hard drive or what is the way to do this?
thanks,

Ron

Do you have a system restore disk from Dell or a MS Windows Vista disk?

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#5 aaparsan

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Posted 14 January 2012 - 08:14 AM

You don't need to format your hard drive!
Just boot from the disc and select custom install.

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#6 MLStrand56

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Posted 21 January 2012 - 09:38 AM

Ronnn, on 31 December 2011 - 07:47 AM, said:

I have a dell laptop, about 5 years old, vista. I want to completely wipe it out and reinstall vista.

Boot & Nuke!!! You put the CD in the optical drive & boot from it. It will complete wipe your HD. As I recall, there are various methods. All you need is a basic wipe. If you do a Military Grade wipe, it will take Hours!

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#7 LiveBrianD

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Posted 21 January 2012 - 11:13 AM

The only reason to use DBAN is if you're getting rid of the hard drive. Otherwise, it's a waste of time.

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#8 alishathomaz

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Posted 08 March 2012 - 03:50 AM

If you have the Vista disc just reinstall windows. That will wipe the drive and do a clean install.

#9 Kathi201

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Posted 29 March 2012 - 10:39 PM

Yes you should try to get partition

#10 henrywilliams

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Posted 12 April 2012 - 01:26 AM

You can re-install Windows. Insert the windows disc and start booting it and format your windows drive.

#11 alishathomaz

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Posted 19 April 2012 - 12:36 AM

You can o it by using Vista installation disc::
Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.
Press a key when you are prompted.
Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next.
Click Custom Install