reformatting

[Apollo]

Well I want to reformat, but Vista makes it impossible, I can't find it.

So I searched online, and I was wondering. Once I reformat, do I have to have the OS CD to reinstall my OS or will it still be there?

And how do I reformat Vista?

I dont want to revert back to XP, I just want to reformat the drive if that helps?

 

[thermodynamics]

You WILL need the original disc to reload the OS, unless you have a PC that has a protected section of the drive that keeps a copy of the OS as it appeared the day you bought it. Most IBM/Lenovo's have this. I don't know about others.

How do you reformat? After you have religiously BACKED EVERYTHING UP, you put in the OS disc, and boot from it. There will be some options available, and you simply select the "reformat" option when you come to it.

 

[Apollo]

i backed up everything important to me. and i am ready to reformat. sadly my computer didn't come with a OS CD and I don't know if I have the product key.

I have an Acer, so I wouldn't know if they save my OS somewhere. I will have to google that.

 

[mike_n_herrin]

Since you have vista, I'm assuming this is a new computer. you should have a book somewhere and may or may not tell you how to reformat. Vista isn't going to tell you how to reformat it, because the OS doesn't do that once it's installed (correct me if i'm wrong guys). you will have to do it from the installation media (whether that's a special partition on your hard drive somewhere or on a DVD).

what model of acer do you have?

 

[BiMike]

I have an Acer which came pre-loaded with Vista. The Product Key is on a sticker at the back of my PC. When my previous PC, which was loaded with XP, packed up due to a faulty HD I had to get an XP disc from one of the guys here and then used my Product Code to get it working again.

 

[Apollo]

Wow thank you so much for the information. I was in disk management for a long time trying to figure it out. Seem I have to go it with he f10 command.

and i do have the EISA configuration in there.

 

[Apollo]

I hold down f10 and nothing happens.

 

[Apollo]

ok it worked, and it is restoring to factory settings.

crazy thing is it started loading windows XP immediately to get to the format page. funny ha. hopefully it goes back to Vista though.

 

[mike_n_herrin]

Um...crap...i think most of us misunderstood your very first post. If you machine came pre-loaded with XP that's what will be put back on your computer and NOT Vista. If you upgraded to Vista you'll have to do that again.

 

[Apollo]

No it came pre-loaded with Vista. But when I did the alt-f10, the XP load screen came up than it went to Acer eRecovery which reformatted my computer.

 

[mike_n_herrin]

oh good. i was worried for ya for a sec i thought you were gonna end up with XP. lol although i think XP sp3 is pretty decent.