Formatting a hard drive

[jpk]

Formatting a new hard drive is fairly easy. What I need to know is how do I format an entire drive with partitions on it that I can't access through disc management. I can format the C: drive but there are 4 partitions that I am unable to just right click and remove the partition. What's the secret to removing them.

The hard drive is from a laptop and I'm installing a fresh copy of 10 on it so I want to be able to utilize the full HD space. Plus get rid of the bloatware.

 

[Norton]

You don't say if the new HD is a spinner or an SSD.

 

[Tim Locke]

Probably 3 of those partitions are generated by Windows installation and one of them is from the manufacturer with bloatware, drivers etc.

So a full re-install of windows by booting from media will let you get rid of all 4 but Windows will put 3 of them back! If you do the full reinstall you may have to source drivers for touchpad, screen and network.

 

[jpk]

You don't say if the new HD is a spinner or an SSD.

It is a disc not SSD.

 

[jpk]

Probably 3 of those partitions are generated by Windows installation and one of them is from the manufacturer with bloatware, drivers etc.

So a full re-install of windows by booting from media will let you get rid of all 4 but Windows will put 3 of them back! If you do the full reinstall you may have to source drivers for touchpad, screen and network.

I am installing from an aftermarket OEM copy of W10, not a rescue disc. So you are saying the OEM copy will ignore the partitions and just install W10 in the original OS partition without disturbing the bloatware? The OEM copy is not the original W10 installation. The original became inoperable after mistakenly trying to move the HD to another laptop. W10 recognized it was a different computer so required a new activation when I installed it back in the original laptop.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi jpk,

if you select "Custom" (2nd option) at the following window during a clean install, you can delete all partitions if you use the on-board tools!.. (I know the red box is pointing to the top option but I don't have a different picture!).

 

[jpk]

Sorry for not getting back. My copy of 10 arrives the 21st. I will be back then with some questions. Thanks.

 

[jpk]

Ok, I got my copy of 10 a day early. So here's the situation. My hard drive has a copy of 10 on it but it wants me to activate it through MS. The drive has all the Dell wares on it as well. My question is do I just boot up the laptop with the 10 disc and choose upgrade to keep all the data on the HD? Will the new copy of windows over write the extant copy on the drive? Thanks.

 

[Wolfie]

If you choose the upgrade option Windows will update the system files and keep your old data intact per the guide posted above!.

As long as the copy you are installing is the same version as what you have currently installed, you won't need a Windows licence key!. For example, if you have W10 Home now, select that at the version options window when it pops up, if you choose a different version like W10 Pro, you will need a new Windows key!..

 

[Alesa]

Try create Win PE boot media and format the drive in Win PE mode.