How to format C: before reinstall Windows 7?

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• Thursday, November 05, 2009 7:28 PM

   

   
  

  1
  Boot from the DVD, you'll want to perform a custom install. Drive options (advanced) will give you the option to format your drive.
  
  See for below for a guide
  http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html
  
  or the very poor Microsoft instructions
  
  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Installing-and-reinstalling-Windows
  

  • Proposed As Answer by Techwrighter Friday, November 06, 2009 2:41 AM
  • Marked As Answer by maoxmao91 Saturday, November 07, 2009 6:02 PM
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• Thursday, November 05, 2009 9:29 PM

   

   
  

  3
  Rather than use the 'Format' command, it would be best to instead first DELETE the relevent partition, and then to CREATE a new partition of the same size, in the resulting free drive space.  A format will be performed as part of the install procedure, without the need to actually issue a 'Format' command.
  
  Format by itself can potentially leave residual problems in the drives MBR.  Delete/recreate partition doesn't have such potential problems.  (that's as I understand it all, anyways.)
  
  Regardless, the notion of 'formatting' a drive to clean it up is a notion which belongs back in the Windows 9x era!  Delete/recreate partition is a far preferable approach to take.  The relevent 'buttons' are found same place as the 'Format' button, during the Windows install routine.
  
  Cheers

  • Proposed As Answer by Techwrighter Friday, November 06, 2009 2:41 AM
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• Saturday, November 07, 2009 6:03 PM

   

   
  

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  Thanks, it really helped.
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