Solve : Format Help - Vista - No Disc?

1.	Solve : Format Help - Vista - No Disc?
Answer» I've been trying to do this for about a week now with no helpful results, so I figured I'd make my own thread here to ask. I'm trying to format my Vista to return the entire computer back to the default setting when I first bought it. There's so many different programs, games, and no telling what all else on here that the computer is running incredibly slow and I can't get rid of them all. I can't even find half of them. And some refuse to even UNINSTALL or be removed for whatever reason. So I just want to restore the whole thing to factory settings. I bought this computer, an HP Pavillion, from Wal-Mart a few years ago with Vista pre-installed. It had no disc with the computer at all. Just the tower itself. So I can't format with any kind of disc unless I order one. I also tried hitting F11 at start up and nothing happened. Hitting F10 at the start up for Setup didn't get me anywhere either. There were no options for tests or recoveries. Just a list of drivers with no options for any but the 3rd driver (WDC WD5000AAKS) for SMART Status Check, SMART Short Self-Test, and SMART Extended Self-Test. I don't assume those will do me any good, will they? I also tried going through Control Panel > Admin Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management only to find my hard drive, to right click it, and to have Format as an option that's grayed out and non-selectabe. Aside from all of that, I have no idea how to get this done. I don't want to do any tests or anything like that. I just want it formatted. Completely factory default. I know it'll delete every program I have and all that. But that's exactly what I want. There were no important files on my computer. So everything on it being lost means nothing to me. Any help is greatly appreciated.Good afternoon Atemisc and welcome to CH Just in case you are not aware of it you can't format a hard drive that you are currently using / logged in with. If you are able to boot the PC normal and then you are at the desktop click on start > all programs and scroll down through the list and look for HP recovery manager or something very similar and in there you can make recovery disc set or start the recovery manager from the hidden partition. You should also be able to reboot the PC and start it in safe mode by tapping F8 while you are booting the PC and in there it will have a option for Advanced Boot Options & Select Repair Your Computer and press Enter the options will look like this and just pick complete pc restore. This is a destructive restore mean no personal data will be saved mack sure you save all you personal information first (pic, documents, music etc) you may be prompt 2 more times just to confirm that that is what you want to do & if it is just keep on going. It will take many HOURS to complete do not interrupt the process when you are back at the desktop then you can remove what programs you do not want. Don't forget to update windows and your anti virus etc. Good luck and if you need anything else just let us know, Mike Apparently I don't have it in my list. Might have been deleted from the list at some point to clear space without REALIZING it. I dunno'. Doing a search for HP doesn't show it as a result either.Quote from: Atemisc on August 22, 2012, 12:58:15 PM So I can't format with any kind of disc unless I order one. Is there a reason why you can't do this? Such a disk is a really handy thing to have; I would hate to run a PC without having one. I can, but I hate to have to order one if I can do it without one, especially since I just can't stand waiting for mail. This is a once in every few years kind of thing for me. So I'm just seeing if there's a way to do it without having to order one. Getting the disc is basically just a last resort is all.Good evening Atemisc and welcome back to CH If you can read the COA / Key sticker (25 digit long 5 groups or 5 letters & numbers) and will be similar to this if so you can borrow the DVD from someone that has the same version of windows and same bit version (32 or 64 bit). So lets say the PC came from the factory with Vista Home Premium 32 bit the disc that you would need is a OEM version of Vista Home Premium 32 bit disc and use your legal key on your laptop to install and activate. But you will need to go to HP and download the drivers for your PC's model and windows version. Hope this helps, Mike Actually, I don't have a laptop. Just a normal desktop. And I'm not sure what the code in the image is from. However, I've been given another option, although more expensive. But it works well in the end anyways. I'm gonna' get a brand new hard drive and operating system. Though they'll be better than what I currently have, so I guess that'll be nice. I suppose that'll give me what I want and make it more OPEN for more possibilities.Quote from: Atemisc on August 22, 2012, 06:28:46 PM I'm gonna' get a brand new hard drive and operating system. If you mean a new hard drive and a new operating system install disk, then just the OS disk alone can be used to blank your existing hard drive. I know how data deleted from your recycle bin can still be on the hard drive. So just the OS disc can make all that data disappear as well? I don't want anything left over in the hard drive after this.Good evening Atemisc and welcome back to CH If you are going to give the OLD hard drive away or throw it out or if you decide to REUSE it as a slave drive? you can use a utility like this http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/ just scroll down the page and look for Download Windows Installer (most people will want this option) Download Windows Executable (works without installation) just pick the one you want. If you don't like this one there are a bunch of UT like this. That image I put in the past post I was just showing you what your COA looks like that is on your PC and if you were going to reinstall your factory OS you would need that number to finish the installation of windows. But if you are getting a new hard drive & Operating system you will just use that new COA to install the operating system. Hope this helps if you have any questions please just let us know, Mike Quote from: Atemisc on August 23, 2012, 12:19:28 PM I know how data deleted from your recycle bin can still be on the hard drive. So just the OS disc can make all that data disappear as well? I don't want anything left over in the hard drive after this. When you format the HDD and do a clean install noone outside of the FBI or NCIS can see your data...what are you concerned about data wise ? ?

Answer»

I've been trying to do this for about a week now with no helpful results, so I figured I'd make my own thread here to ask.

I'm trying to format my Vista to return the entire computer back to the default setting when I first bought it. There's so many different programs, games, and no telling what all else on here that the computer is running incredibly slow and I can't get rid of them all. I can't even find half of them. And some refuse to even UNINSTALL or be removed for whatever reason. So I just want to restore the whole thing to factory settings.

I bought this computer, an HP Pavillion, from Wal-Mart a few years ago with Vista pre-installed. It had no disc with the computer at all. Just the tower itself. So I can't format with any kind of disc unless I order one. I also tried hitting F11 at start up and nothing happened.

Hitting F10 at the start up for Setup didn't get me anywhere either. There were no options for tests or recoveries. Just a list of drivers with no options for any but the 3rd driver (WDC WD5000AAKS) for SMART Status Check, SMART Short Self-Test, and SMART Extended Self-Test. I don't assume those will do me any good, will they?

I also tried going through Control Panel > Admin Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management only to find my hard drive, to right click it, and to have Format as an option that's grayed out and non-selectabe.

Aside from all of that, I have no idea how to get this done. I don't want to do any tests or anything like that. I just want it formatted. Completely factory default. I know it'll delete every program I have and all that. But that's exactly what I want. There were no important files on my computer. So everything on it being lost means nothing to me.

Any help is greatly appreciated.Good afternoon Atemisc and welcome to CH

Just in case you are not aware of it you can't format a hard drive that you are currently using / logged in with.

If you are able to boot the PC normal and then you are at the desktop click on start > all programs and scroll down through the list and look for HP recovery manager or something very similar and in there you can make recovery disc set or start the recovery manager from the hidden partition.

You should also be able to reboot the PC and start it in safe mode by tapping F8 while you are booting the PC and in there it will have a option for Advanced Boot Options & Select Repair Your Computer and press Enter the options will look like this and just pick complete pc restore. This is a destructive restore mean no personal data will be saved mack sure you save all you personal information first (pic, documents, music etc) you may be prompt 2 more times just to confirm that that is what you want to do & if it is just keep on going.

It will take many HOURS to complete do not interrupt the process when you are back at the desktop then you can remove what programs you do not want. Don't forget to update windows and your anti virus etc.

Good luck and if you need anything else just let us know, Mike

Apparently I don't have it in my list. Might have been deleted from the list at some point to clear space without REALIZING it. I dunno'. Doing a search for HP doesn't show it as a result either.Quote from: Atemisc on August 22, 2012, 12:58:15 PM

So I can't format with any kind of disc unless I order one.

Is there a reason why you can't do this? Such a disk is a really handy thing to have; I would hate to run a PC without having one.

I can, but I hate to have to order one if I can do it without one, especially since I just can't stand waiting for mail. This is a once in every few years kind of thing for me. So I'm just seeing if there's a way to do it without having to order one. Getting the disc is basically just a last resort is all.Good evening Atemisc and welcome back to CH

If you can read the COA / Key sticker (25 digit long 5 groups or 5 letters & numbers) and will be similar to this if so you can borrow the DVD from someone that has the same version of windows and same bit version (32 or 64 bit). So lets say the PC came from the factory with Vista Home Premium 32 bit the disc that you would need is a OEM version of Vista Home Premium 32 bit disc and use your legal key on your laptop to install and activate.

But you will need to go to HP and download the drivers for your PC's model and windows version.

Hope this helps, Mike Actually, I don't have a laptop. Just a normal desktop. And I'm not sure what the code in the image is from.
However, I've been given another option, although more expensive. But it works well in the end anyways. I'm gonna' get a brand new hard drive and operating system. Though they'll be better than what I currently have, so I guess that'll be nice. I suppose that'll give me what I want and make it more OPEN for more possibilities.Quote from: Atemisc on August 22, 2012, 06:28:46 PM

I'm gonna' get a brand new hard drive and operating system.

If you mean a new hard drive and a new operating system install disk, then just the OS disk alone can be used to blank your existing hard drive.
I know how data deleted from your recycle bin can still be on the hard drive. So just the OS disc can make all that data disappear as well? I don't want anything left over in the hard drive after this.Good evening Atemisc and welcome back to CH

If you are going to give the OLD hard drive away or throw it out or if you decide to REUSE it as a slave drive? you can use a utility like this http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/ just scroll down the page and look for Download Windows Installer (most people will want this option) Download Windows Executable (works without installation) just pick the one you want. If you don't like this one there are a bunch of UT like this.

That image I put in the past post I was just showing you what your COA looks like that is on your PC and if you were going to reinstall your factory OS you would need that number to finish the installation of windows. But if you are getting a new hard drive & Operating system you will just use that new COA to install the operating system.

Hope this helps if you have any questions please just let us know, Mike Quote from: Atemisc on August 23, 2012, 12:19:28 PM

I know how data deleted from your recycle bin can still be on the hard drive. So just the OS disc can make all that data disappear as well? I don't want anything left over in the hard drive after this.

When you format the HDD and do a clean install noone outside of the FBI or NCIS can see your data...what are you concerned about data wise ? ?

Solve : Format Help - Vista - No Disc?

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