How to reformat computer?

Question

how do u completely reformat a computer so all virus' spyware and everything is gone

do you just put in the windows disk and follow the steps...or what do you do

please step by step instructions would be nice

and i dont care if i lose everything..thats the whole point lol.

Answer 1

The windows boot disk will give you options to format/delete/partition your hard drive before install.

But what makes you so sure you've got a virus?  Try running adaware, pc tools antivirus, and spyware terminator.  All free programs from download.com

If none of these solve the problem, it's probably not a virus, try reinstalling without formatting first, just reinstall windows over the old version unless you have all your important files/documents/settings backed up...Then you can format and start completely fresh.

It's important you have all of your device drivers/CD's before formatting. At least your MODEM DRIVER or CD.  With that you can access the net to download what's missing. (sound card drivers etc...).

Answer 2

making a new user will not do that.. anyways, formatting is not that hard. like what you said  popin you windows cd and follow the instructions. just dont forget to delete the old operating system before installing it on the new one. dont overwrite on it, because the files will remain. just choose your old windows (diver C:) normally then press D (as far as i remember). after deletion install it.

Answer 3

deleting the user with the virus would not work, because a virus will install itself beyond the documents and settings folder, where users are made.

Answer 4

Go to the command prompt in accessories and type in format c:

Answer 5

First of all, you need the windows disk. Whether its XP or Vista.

Put the CD in the drive and restart the computer.

Start pressing the Delete key to go into the BIOS

Go into the boot order and make the machine boot from CD

Save the changes and restart.

The computer should now boot from the CD or it might say

press a key to boot from CD

Then you just wait, windows will load some stuff.

Then you are going to come to the agreement page and you press the F8 key

Then you will see the option that says you already have windows, do you want to fix it...you press ESC key to say no.

Then you will see the partitions in your hard drive. Look at the options at the bottom and delete the partition. Then the hard drive space will be totally cleared. You will now remake a partition and install windows.

Thats for XP

For vista, make it boot from the CD then w glossy looking window will come up. Just follow the steps on it.

WARNING

If you have a computer from like Dell or HP

you might have a restore option. It might get activated by

pressing F10 or F11 when you first turn on the computer.

DO NOT just reformat the drive without verifying if you have a recovery partition. This might save you a lot of time.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

No, deleting the account would not remove the virus. I wish it would though.

What you need to do is..

1. put in your recovery disk.

2. Go to the boot menu before the windows screen comes up

3. Select boot from drive.

4. Follow the on screen steps, which at some point will ask repair or format. Click format, or it won't remove the virus.

5. After that the re installation and format will start.

6. when that is complete, It should start up like brand new, with no viruses.

7. BEFORE YOU OPEN ANY INTERNET CONNECTIONS INSTALL YOUR ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAM or you could get another virus.

When you have all of that done, you can start using your computer like normal again. you might want to check for updates for your operating system though.

Hope I helped,

-hoot- ;)

Answer 7

do what john said then do what kyle said and it will be right

Answer 8

put in windows disk. then let it re instal windows and itll format the hard drive

Answer 9

This is the best site that I have found so far.

http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/windows/in...

Good luck

Answer 10

This will give you step by step answers for Windows 95 through Vista;

http://www.cyberwalker.com/topic/36

That reinstall and delete user won't work.

Have you tried smit fraud fix to kill the virus yet?http://siri.geekstogo.com/SmitfraudFix.p...

Answer 11

You can try doing a system restore.

Go to Start> All Program> Accesories> System Tools> system restore and choose an earlier time before you got the virus. This usually work with getting rid of viruses.

If that doesn't work, you have to reinstall windows and you have to buy a CD for that unless your computer came with it.