Windows 7 professional format c drive free. How to Extend C Drive in Windows 7/8/10
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Windows 7 professional format c drive free. 5 Free and Easy Ways to Format Your 'C' Drive |
Windows 7 professional format c drive free -
- Windows 7 professional format c drive free
Insert a Windows 7 install disc or drive. Reboot the PC. Press any key to boot from the disc or drive. Select a language and click Next. Click Install Now.
Accept the terms and click Next. Select the drive and click Format. Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Popular Categories. All Categories.
Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article Steps. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. The Windows 7 installation disc that came with your computer can be used to format your main hard drive. If you don't have a Windows 7 installation disc, you can borrow one or get one from your PC manufacturer.
After formatting your C drive, you'll be able to reinstall Windows 7 or your preferred operating system. Back up and save your files. Formatting the C drive will erase all files, programs, and information saved on the C drive, so you may want to back up any files you want saved. Save your files to an external hard drive or disc, or save your files to another folder on the network, if applicable. Obtain your computer name if connected to a network.
After your C drive has been formatted, you may be prompted for your computer name during the installation process in order to reconnect to the network. Go to your computer's "Start" menu, right-click on "Computer," then select "Properties" from the menu that appears. Your computer name will be shown below "Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings. Insert the Windows 7 installation disc. In some cases, you may have the Windows 7 installation program saved on a Universal Serial Bus USB flash drive, which can also be inserted.
Turn off your computer. Your computer will have to reboot in order to read the Windows 7 installation disc. Open your "Start" menu, then click on "Shut Down. Power on your computer. When your computer powers back on, it will read the installation disc and begin the formatting process. Format your C drive. After the computer has recognized the installation disc, you will be prompted to press any key on your keyboard to continue.
The installation wizard will then appear on your screen. Select your language from the "Install Windows" page, then click on "Next" to proceed.
Read and review the Windows 7 license terms. In order to proceed to the next screen, you will be required to place a check mark in the box next to "I accept the license terms. Select "Drive options advanced " when asked where you want Windows installed. Choosing this option will allow you to select the C drive as the only drive you want to format.
Click on your "C" disk drive when Windows asks which partition you want to "change," or install. Your computer will then begin formatting, or erasing, all the data currently existing on your C drive. Windows will notify you when the formatting procedure has finished. Re-install Windows 7 on your C drive. After your C drive has been formatted, you will be required to re-install Windows 7 to that partition. Click on "Next" after Windows has notified you that the formatting procedure has completed.
The Windows installation wizard will continue to walk you through the installation process. You will be prompted for your computer name if you are connected to a network, and for information such as your user name.
Restore your saved files. After Windows has completed the installation process, you can insert your external hard drive or disc into the computer to restore your files back to the C drive. Formatting removes all data from the drive for a clean install. Before formatting, you will need to back up your data to removable media, a second hard drive, or the cloud.
Not Helpful 7 Helpful Jonathan Hickey. Yes, and it will also remove the entire Windows operating system, so I would not recommend doing this unless absolutely necessary. If you don't have access to Windows installation media, but you do still have access to a working copy of Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7, you can create a System Repair Disc or Recovery Drive depending on your version of Windows and then boot from that and format C from there. You can only format C in one of these two ways if you have access to Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7 to create the media.
If you don't, find someone who does and create the repair disc or flash drive from their computer. The biggest caveat here is that you must also have Windows XP installed on your C drive.
However, if you don't have access to a newer version of Windows, this option may be your best bet. This Recovery Console method to format C also applies to Windows This will be your best option to format C if you don't have access to any kind of Windows install media and can't get access to a newer version of Windows to create a repair disc or recovery drive.
Any of these tools that have formatting capabilities will be able to format C without a problem. At the moment, the link above goes directly to the Ultimate Boot CD site, one of several programs that allow formatting from a bootable disc. We'll update this link to a list of such programs soon. Data destruction software goes a step beyond formatting C. Data destruction software truly destroys the data on a drive, returning it to the essentially the same state it was in after leaving the hard drive factory.
If you're wanting to format C because you want to make sure everything on your primary drive is permanently erased, you should wipe your hard drive using these instructions. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests.
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