Best procedure to reformat my C drive

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Well, basically I want to clean out the C drive before I re-install win-7.
What is the best way to go about this procedure.

I'm guessing i will need to load a boot-able utility off a CD rom or flash drive?

[LA_MERC_FragFood]

Just boot off of your Win7 CD/DVD and pick your C: partition to install to. Then tell it to format it first before installing. Nothin' to it.

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Well, I was wondering just how good a job The Win 7 CD does. One thing I don't want it to do is create a backup of the existing OS before installing the new one. It makes me wonder just how clean of an install Win 7 is doing when its over writing an existing installation of Win 7?

Plus. I have a 100 gb Bitlocker partition on my main hard drive I want to remove. In a nut shell I have a 300GB WD 10,000 RPM drive with 2 partitions on it C and D. I want to get it back to 1 clean drive then install the OS on that drive.

[LA_MERC_DocSparky]

You get the option to do an Upgrade or a Custom Install. Pick the custom and then delete all of the existing partitions. You don't need to create a partition, just select the 300 Gb of Unformated Space and continue. It will do a fresh install.

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

Oky, Dooky.

[LA_MERC_FragFood]

You get the option to do an Upgrade or a Custom Install. Pick the custom and then delete all of the existing partitions. You don't need to create a partition, just select the 300 Gb of Unformated Space and continue. It will do a fresh install.

Geez, Doc. You get the easy ones.

[LA_MERC_Blown68Kamaro]

Well, I was wondering just how good a job The Win 7 CD does. One thing I don't want it to do is create a backup of the existing OS before installing the new one. It makes me wonder just how clean of an install Win 7 is doing when its over writing an existing installation of Win 7?

Plus. I have a 100 gb Bitlocker partition on my main hard drive I want to remove. In a nut shell I have a 300GB WD 10,000 RPM drive with 2 partitions on it C and D. I want to get it back to 1 clean drive then install the OS on that drive.

Dude, Windows 7 Format is great, when you do it, just don't select the "QUICK" option.

Jason

[LA_MERC_Spark]

all quick does is not scan for bad sectors.. if the drive has been working right why not do quick?

[LA_MERC_Blown68Kamaro]

For the reason you said. :P
Why not fix it while your there. Never hurts to wait the extra 2 minutes.
IMO.
Jsc

[LA_MERC_Spark]

yeah but... you never fix what aint broke is all I'm saying =p

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

LOL.. well it sounds like i'm using the Win 7 cd... and just for the hell of it I will skip the quick format... cause if it ain't borked... I will surely bork it!!

[LA_MERC_Blown68Kamaro]

Yeah, good idea. When I reload drives for customers, esp if they have had virus problems, I just do the regular format to make sure everything is wiped clean. A few extra minutes doesn't hurt anything. :) Good luck.

[LA_MERC_th33_r00k]

I can data recover your formated drive. :D Get Data Back FTW!

Before you call bullshit, I just recovered 304Gb of docs, pics, music, and vids post full formatted re-install. Win 7 Home Premium.

[LA_MERC_YellowDog]

LOL... makes you wonder what the hell the point in formating is!

I guess I'm just too simple minded, I mean an erase is an erase is an erase... until some genius comes along and figures out how to put the chalk back on the chalk board.

[LA_MERC_th33_r00k]

No there are utilities out there, acronis being one of them, that will do a multi level erasure of the hdd. Most formats consist of blowing of the mbr, re-writing a new one to nothing and letting new data write over top of the the old data with out knowing it.

[LA_MERC_FragFood]

That why I use DBAN. Get THAT data back, beeyotches. (GDB's a great product, BTW. I use it too.)

DBAN! Ask for it by name!

[LA_MERC_DocSparky]

DBAN! Ask for it by name!

Yea, I used it this week on a computer. Works well, just let it run overnight.

[LA_MERC_Spark]

lol! sales pitch up in the joint!

[LA_MERC_th33_r00k]

hahahaha