FORMATTING A COMPUTER

What is Format?

- is also a command that prepares a blank diskette,

hard drive, or other drive to hold data. If the disk or drive already contains information,
all information on it would be erased. For example, if you wanted to wipe everything on
your hard drive, typing “format C:” would effectively erase all data on your computer.

Have you ever think why do we format computers?

- Formatting of the drive prepares the storage medium for writing information and
this mainly involved establishing a blank file system for new data that would be written
later. Formatting a computer involves erasing all of the data on the computer's hard
drive, and then reinstalling the operating system so that the computer is restored to
factory defaults. This can be useful if your computer is malfunctioning, or you are
planning on selling or ding it.

STEPS IN FORMATTING A COMPUTER:

1 Backup your
data. When you
format a computer,
you will lose all of your files and
data. The programs can’t be
backed up; they will need to be
reinstalled. Any files—including
documents, music, pictures, and
videos—that you want to save
need to be copied to a backup
location.You can use DVDs, CDs,
external hard drives, flash drives,
or the cloud, depending on how
much data you have to backup.
 2 Set your BIOS to boot from
CD. To do this, restart the
computer and enter the setup
screen when the manufacturer
logo appears. The key to do this
will be displayed, and varies by
manufacturer. The most common
keys are F2, F10, F12, and Del.

 Once in the BIOS menu, select the

Boot menu. Change the order of
devices so that your computer boots from CD before booting from the hard drive. Save
your changes and exit. Your computer will restart.
 If you are installing from a flash drive, then you will need to set the BIOS to boot from
removable storage

3 Begin Setup. If the CD

has been inserted and the
BIOS is set correctly, you will
see a message telling you to
“Press any key to boot from
CD…” Press a key on the
keyboard and the setup
process for Windows 7 will
launch.
 Your system may
automatically launch the
setup program without
asking you to press any key.
4 Watch the Windows
files load. After completion, the
Windows 7 logo will appear. No
files have been altered on your
computer yet. Your data will be
deleted in later steps.

5 Choose your
preferences. You will be
prompted to confirm your
Language, Time &
Currency format, and
Keyboard or input
method. Select the
appropriate options for
you and click Next.

6 Click Install Now. Do not

click Repair Computer, even if
you are repairing a computer
by reinstalling Windows. Once
clicked, Setup will begin
loading the files it needs to
continue.
 7 Read and accept
the terms. In order to
advance, you must
indicate that you have
read and agree to
Microsoft’s terms of use.
Be sure to read through
it so that you know your
rights and limitations as
a user.

8 Choose Custom
install. This will allow
you to perform a clean
installation. Formatting
the computer means
wiping it of all the data
that is on it, so you will
be performing a clean
installation, so that you
will be given the option
to erase the disk.
 9 Delete the
partition. A window will
open asking where you
would like to install
Windows. In order to
perform a clean install,
you need to delete the
old partition and start
with a clean slate. Click
“Drive options
(advanced).” This will
give you the ability to
delete and create
partitions.

 Select the partition of your existing operating system and click the Delete button.
 If your hard drive has multiple partitions, be sure to delete the correct one. Any data on
a deleted partition is lost for good.
 Confirm the deletion process.

10 Select the
Unallocated Space
and click
Next. There is no
need to create a
partition before you
install Windows 7,
this is done
automatically.
 11 Wait while Windows

installs files. The percentage

next to Expanding Windows files
will steadily increase. This part
of the process can take up to 30
minutes.
 Windows will automatically
restart your computer when
finished.
 Setup will launch again, and a message will tell you that Setup is updating registry
settings.
 Setup will then configure your computer’s services. This happens every time you start
Windows, but will happen in the background next time.
 A window will open letting you know that Windows is completing the installation. Your
computer will restart again when this is complete.

12 Enter your user name

and computer name. Your
username will be used to log in to
the computer and personalize your
account. Your computer name is
the name that your computer will
display on the network.
 You can add more users later
through the Windows 7 control
panel.
 Windows will ask you for a
password. This is optional but
highly recommended, especially if
the computer will be accessible by
users other than yourself. If you’d rather not have a password, leave the fields blank
and click Next.

 Setup will now load drivers and check video settings. This part does not require any
input from you.
 13 Enter your product
key. This is the 25-
character key that came
with your copy of Windows.
Check the “Automatically
activate Windows when I’m
online” to have Windows
automatically verify your key
the next time it is connected
to the internet.

14 Select your
Windows Update
option. To make sure that
your copy of Windows runs
securely and stably, it is
highly recommended that
you choose one of the first
two options. The first option
will install all updates
automatically, the second
option will prompt you when
important updates are
available.
 15 Select your date and
time. These should be correct
already as they are linked to your
BIOS, but you can change them
now if they are not. Check the
box if your area observes
Daylight Savings.

16 Select network
preferences. If your computer is
connected to a network, you will be
given an option to identify that
network. Most users will select
Home or Work network. If your
computer is being used in a public
place, select Public network.
Mobile broadband users should
always select Public network.
 Windows will now attempt to
connect your computer to the
network. This process is
completely automated.

17 Explore your
desktop. After one final loading
screen, your new Windows 7 desktop
will appear. Installation is now
complete.