View Full Version : Reformat
Roc-a-fella
10-09-04, 03:08
Do i needto back up core files like graphics card files and files my comp had when i just bought it?
only stuff you want to keep. its a good idea to have 2 partitions of you have a single hd and transfer all the things you want ontoone of them and format the other. losing your music collection and pics n stuff is kinda annoying.
actualy it just occured to me you may have to. ive only ever used computers i formatted myself. if it came with windows you might but i doubt it. can someone who knows somthin bout this post? i dont want to screw you up.
Roc-a-fella
10-09-04, 03:30
when i reformat will i have all the programs my computer started with?
when u format u remove EVERY thing on ur HDD, u need to reinstall windows and all the other stuff u got
I'm not a computer wiz, I would have thought that if you are re-formatting your hard drive you would wipe it clen.
You would then have to start re-installing what you want on it.
Hopefully when you bought it they supplied the disc's
Roc-a-fella
10-09-04, 03:34
Damn. they didnt. I have no disks
i just assumed you knew it would whipe your HD :) if you have another partition you can choose to format one and not the other. and there is a way you can reinstail just windows and not anything else, but i dont bother becouse its annoying to setup like that.
oh and roc i heard someone with your problem and they phoned the guy who made their computer (dell i think) and aparently the computer has an image of windows on it somewhere that it installs off of. phone dell or hp or gateway or whatever company made your computer and ask them about reformating.
Roc-a-fella
10-09-04, 03:40
is there any way to wipe my comp like i just bought it again and all my core windows files are there for all the stuff my comp came with?
NS_CHROME54
10-09-04, 03:41
when i reformat will i have all the programs my computer started with?
nope. it won't have anything. you have to reinstall windows, and all the other software/drivers that came with your computer to return to that state.
Like I said before check the screens when you very first turn the computer on, like seconds afterwards. There should be some info on the bottom of the screen to change boot order, or similar. If you didn't get recovery disks with it, you definitely have a locked drive that has the reformat stuff on it that will make your comp factory fresh with no fiddling.
Jesterthegreat
10-09-04, 15:59
i reformatted my PC yesterday and im all back up and running again now. customising a aston theme as we speak :p
Supposedly i heard there's something you can do with pre-made pc's with windows installed on them so you can burn it to CD and on the back on your case or inside the computer it _should_ have a window's CD key. Just another reason not to buy Dell's :p or whatever you got.
If all comes to worst just get windows from *cough* somewhere else *cough* ;)
nope. it won't have anything. you have to reinstall windows, and all the other software/drivers that came with your computer to return to that state.
Also bare in mind that most virgin machines are not secure to put on the web. Average uptime before infected is 12 minutes.
If you don't know what you are doing I strongly suggest you don't format your machine. Make backups and find a local geek friend to help you set up the machine.
Supposedly i heard there's something you can do with pre-made pc's with windows installed on them so you can burn it to CD and on the back on your case or inside the computer it _should_ have a window's CD key. Just another reason not to buy Dell's :p or whatever you got.
If all comes to worst just get windows from *cough* somewhere else *cough* ;)
ghosting it ;)
Jesterthegreat
10-09-04, 17:23
ghosting it ;)
yeah... shame i didnt steal the copy orf Norton Ghost (was t norton?) when i was fired :p
but my Operating System mega disk has every version of XP on it with no CD key needed, a CD key gen (which isnt needed... but its nice to have anyway) and a couple of linux versions...
gotta love havin a mate workin in a dodgy computer shop :)
Roc-a-fella
11-09-04, 18:36
Like I said before check the screens when you very first turn the computer on, like seconds afterwards. There should be some info on the bottom of the screen to change boot order, or similar. If you didn't get recovery disks with it, you definitely have a locked drive that has the reformat stuff on it that will make your comp factory fresh with no fiddling.
Factory fresh with no fiddling means with nothing on it? Not even windows?
No everything that was on it when you got it will be there again.
Roc-a-fella
11-09-04, 18:47
Sweet! I think i am going to try that because ive backed up all the files that i want (EG:Music,screenshot,files)
hmm, I think your computer vendor should supply you with instalation disks of every legal software you bought that comp with.
Jesterthegreat
12-09-04, 15:24
No everything that was on it when you got it will be there again.
since when does formatting install windows / office etc?
last time i checked there wasnt a major leap in the format proccess that included installing programs...
the factory setting is blank.
the store setting is with an O/S and whatever else
No Jester, it's not a format, it's a disk image stored on a locked drive that replaces whatever he has on his C: drive. My brother has an HP and that's how it works.
Jesterthegreat
12-09-04, 15:33
No Jester, it's not a format, it's a disk image stored on a locked drive that replaces whatever he has on his C: drive. My brother has an HP and that's how it works.
given that the thread title is "reformat" i assume he is actually formatting the PC. not everyone knows about features like the one you mentioned, if he said he is formatting it assume thats what he is doing.
Thus why he asked. I provided information that will do what he wants. :wtf:
Jesterthegreat
12-09-04, 15:45
Thus why he asked. I provided information that will do what he wants. :wtf:
did you tell him how to do this?
he was asking about reformatting and you said it will give him all the software it came with... you dont see that that could have given him the wrong impression? (it did to me and im a qualified computer techie lol)
He may have 'Reformat' in the title, but what he wanted was this:
when i reformat will i have all the programs my computer started with?and this:
is there any way to wipe my comp like i just bought it again and all my core windows files are there for all the stuff my comp came with?
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