Wiping a computer

[Rhino2112000]

Hi, I was wondering how can I wipe my Toshiba windows 7 laptop without getting rid of the windows 7 OS and without getting rid of my Microsoft office 2010. How?

[NameOfNoInterest]

Why not just go through and remove the files you don't need/want

[Coswar]

You can't really, you need to delete everything in order to wipe it

[Sevilla]

2 Ways:

1. Reformat and reinstall Windows (ensure you use the same key/same version of Windows it came with under the laptop), and then reinstall Office 2010 (also assuming you have the license fore this).

 

2. Remove all the bloatware from your machine one by one.

 

A word of precaution: If you're not sure what to uninstall, don't remove anything since it may break something by accidentally removing drivers, and also, ensure you have a paid copy of Office 2010. Most laptops sold come with a trial version for 30 or 60 days. Unless you have an actual license, I'd avoid wiping/reformatting the entire system.

[Rhino2112000]

I have the windows 7 disk but how do i keep my Microsoft office

[NameOfNoInterest]

I have the windows 7 disk but how do i keep my Microsoft office

Upload it to an external USB?

[JJB]

first go to configuration screen ---> programs and parts ----> uinstall everything

 

i don't know if these are the correct names because i don't use windows in english and i don't know what you should further do...

 

option above is pretty reasonable if your laptop didn't come with windows pre-installed about the office i dont know

[Rhino2112000]

How many Gb's does it have to be to hold the windows 7 OS and the almost full Microsoft office 2010?

[Rhino2112000]

Why not just go through and remove the files you don't need/want

Because I don't know what I am doing.

[NameOfNoInterest]

Because I don't know what I am doing.

Have someone you know clean it out or hire a professional servicer

[Rhino2112000]

2 Ways:

1. Reformat and reinstall Windows (ensure you use the same key/same version of Windows it came with under the laptop), and then reinstall Office 2010 (also assuming you have the license fore this).

 

2. Remove all the bloatware from your machine one by one.

 

A word of precaution: If you're not sure what to uninstall, don't remove anything since it may break something by accidentally removing drivers, and also, ensure you have a paid copy of Office 2010. Most laptops sold come with a trial version for 30 or 60 days. Unless you have an actual license, I'd avoid wiping/reformatting the entire system.

the last one is me

[Sevilla]

Upload it to an external USB?

 

You can't just upload an installed copy of Office to a USB...

 

How many Gb's does it have to be to hold the windows 7 OS and the almost full Microsoft office 2010?

 

Windows will take anywhere from 20 to 30GBs alone, Office is 1GB to 2 -depending on the suite version you have.

Regardless, if you don't know how to do this, find someone to do it for you who does. As I said in my post, if you're not sure how to do this, don't, you'll screw up your PC.

Trust me, it's not that we do not want to help, but guiding you on how to uninstall everything you don't need would mean we would need to see what you have installed as well as what specific hardware your machine has. 

[Rhino2112000]

You can't just upload an installed copy of Office to a USB...

 

 

Windows will take anywhere from 20 to 30GBs alone, Office is 1GB to 2 -depending on the suite version you have.

Regardless, if you don't know how to do this, find someone to do it for you who does. As I said in my post, if you're not sure how to do this, don't, you'll screw up your PC.

Trust me, it's not that we do not want to help, but guiding you on how to uninstall everything you don't need would mean we would need to see what you have installed as well as what specific hardware your machine has. 

I think I have home

[FTW_Perverse]

Do you have the original Windows 7 installer disk and MS Office 2010 installer disk?

 

If so, just to a fresh install of both.  Throw the windows 7 disk in and make sure to choose a custom install, then make sure to delete any existing partitions.  Then choose the drive you want to install the OS on...

 

BUT if you do this make sure you have all the drivers you need for your computer.  You'll need to reinstall these after a fresh install of the OS.

 

There really isn't a good way to wipe your hard drive and keep the OS and MS Office '10 in tact apart from a fresh OS install.

[Coswar]

Like I said, it is not possible to save anything, if you are trying to format the HDD. You need to either format and then re-install (if you have the product keys) or just delete what ever it is that you need to delete.

[brob]

I think I have home

 

Do you have the Office license key? (check the bottom of the notebook for a label with the Office key)

[Guest]

Maybe you can use this

 

Soft Key Revealer: https://sites.google.com/site/cakirbey/softkeyrevealer

It displays all keys of your installed Software (including OS and Office)

 

Note those down and whipe + reinstall office

[mk005]

If you're formatting a laptop and you don't know what you're doing it's probably better to get a professional to do it. If you do it yourself you should visit the manufacturer's webpage, search your laptop's model number and download the applicable drivers for your laptop.  Again, if you don't know what you're doing there's a good chance you'll end up installing all the bloatware you wanted to remove or miss a driver or something silly.

To keep Microsoft office you will have to find the product key, save it and then use it when you re-install all your stuff.

 

Personally when I format laptops something quirky is always different from the original install (ie. when i use the function keys to change the volume, it works but there's no onscreen indicator, or it wont make a beep or something dumb).  Ninite is your friend; so is LibreOffice if you want an alternative to Microsoft office.