Prep For New User

[Forleb]

I'm about to sell my current PC now that I've acquired a GPU for a new build. The full system is intact.

 

What would be the best way to safely format my entire drive to have it ready for a clean Windows install? The last time I tried this, I was on the brink of messing it up beyond repair - bad enough that I can't recall the full process. I do not have any extra drives on hand, unless there's a trick with flash drives I don't know about.

[Oshino Shinobu]

If you boot into the windows installer on a USB drive, you can delete all the partitions and format the drive when it asks where to install windows. 

 

[SorryBella]

1 minute ago, Forleb said:

I'm about to sell my current PC now that I've acquired a GPU for a new build. The full system is intact.

 

What would be the best way to safely format my entire drive to have it ready for a clean Windows install? The last time I tried this, I was on the brink of messing it up beyond repair - bad enough that I can't recall the full process. I do not have any extra drives on hand, unless there's a trick with flash drives I don't know about.

I dont know how you manage this long without knowing about Microsoft Media Creation Tool. Thatll be a good way to create a bootable flash disk as long as its around 8GB or larger (so basically, anything that isnt those ewaste instruction drive)

 

For full format, Paragon is a pretty straightforward one for paid option, with DBAN being the 0$ alternative. Disk manager should be able to wipe too but that has been a long time ago and i know for a fact that windows wipe is about as safe as gas station toilet door.

[Forleb]

1 minute ago, SorryClaire said:

I dont know how you manage this long without knowing about Microsoft Media Creation Tool. 

 

2 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

If you boot into the windows installer on a USB drive, you can delete all the partitions and format the drive when it asks where to install windows. 

 

I have been using the tool... the problem is that the last time I tried the process Oshino describes, it left me with no usable space, and I don't remember how I corrected it.

[Oshino Shinobu]

1 minute ago, Forleb said:

 

I have been using the tool... the problem is that the last time I tried the process Oshino describes, it left me with no usable space, and I don't remember how I corrected it.

If you just delete all the partitions, you're basically done. It will put all available space into unallocated space which can then be used for the install or be partitioned as needed. 

[Forleb]

2 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

If you just delete all the partitions, you're basically done. It will put all available space into unallocated space which can then be used for the install or be partitioned as needed. 

I think my last attempt was just formatting all the partitions, not deleting them.

 

So, if I'm following: After straight up removing all the space initially, I would then boot a second time and the drive will show up like it's new? Or will the unallocated space show up as each one is deleted?

[Oshino Shinobu]

1 minute ago, Forleb said:

I think my last attempt was just formatting all the partitions, not deleting them.

 

So, if I'm following: After straight up removing all the space initially, I would then boot a second time and the drive will show up like it's new? Or will the unallocated space show up as each one is deleted?

No need to boot a second time. Once they've all been deleted, it will appear just like a brand new, empty drive with all of the space of the drive as unallocated. 

[GoodBytes]

It must be noted that Windows Setup only performs a quick format. That means the drive journal is erased, but the data is still there.

In other words, it is like you throw away your phone book (assuming you still had them), and assume that the addresses of home and businesses no longer exists, but they are still physically there. In the end result, is that someone can run any simple free data recovery software and be able to recover a sizeable portion of your data with relative ease.

 

A full format should be your base line. Sadly, Windows Setup doesn't do this (well it does, but not where you are). When you started Windows setup disk/USB flash drive, you had a panel that had a button called "Install", on that same panel, you have a link to repair Windows. Pick that, and go to the command prompt.

 

From there, you can use diskpart to perform a full format.

They are many guides online on doing this.

But essentially:

1. type/execute: diskpart
2. type/execute: list disk
3. Look at all your drives listed, and identify by size of your main drive, and type: select disk #
   where "#" is the number of the disk listed from the commend "list disk" that you execute just before.
4. type/execute: clean all
5. type/execute: create partition primary
6. type/execute: select partition 1
7. type/execute: active
8. type/execute: format fs=ntfs

Here is the doc of Disk Part tool:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-vista/cc766465(v=ws.10)

 

Now you do have better tools that can perform multi pass format available. All depending on how secure you want the format to be.

 

[Forleb]

4 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

It must be noted that Windows Setup only performs a quick format. That means the drive journal is erased, but the data is still there.

In other words, it is like you throw away your phone book (assuming you still had them), and assume that the addresses of home and businesses no longer exists, but they are still physically there. In the end result, is that someone can run any simple free data recovery software and be able to recover a sizeable portion of your data with relative ease.

 

A full format should be your base line. Sadly, Windows Setup doesn't do this (well it does, but not where you are). When you started Windows setup disk/USB flash drive, you had a panel that had a button called "Install", on that same panel, you have a link to repair Windows. Pick that, and go to the command prompt.

 

From there, you can use diskpart to perform a full format.

They are many guides online on doing this.

But essentially:

1. type/execute: diskpart
2. type/execute: list disk
3. Look at all your drives listed, and identify by size of your main drive, and type: select disk #
   where "#" is the number of the disk listed from the commend "list disk" that you execute just before

I'm familiar with diskpart, and I was wondering just about what you explained here. I have just one question: Wouldn't the format be slightly incomplete if the drive being formatted is the only drive in the system, or does diskpart run independent of allocated space?

[GoodBytes]

7 minutes ago, Forleb said:

I'm familiar with diskpart, and I was wondering just about what you explained here. I have just one question: Wouldn't the format be slightly incomplete if the drive being formatted is the only drive in the system, or does diskpart run independent of allocated space?

My post got updated. I accidentally hit "submit" button white typing.

It should be complete as you are out of the system and booted off your USB flash drive (or Windows install disk).

Again, it depends on how far you want to go with things.