October 09, 2011
How do I reset my computer without an operating system disk?
Posted by: kk : Category: Computer Question Answers
Question by The Flying Spaghetti Monster: How do I reset my computer without an operating system disk?
I want to sell my laptop of which I bought about a year and a half ago, but I want to reset the hard drive, or just put everything on the computer back to what it was like when I first got it. My computer didn’t come with a disk, just Windows Vista installed on it. What can I do?
Best answer:
Answer by Hanyuu
If your computer has a recovery partition, you can boot from that and reinstall Windows.
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2 Responses to “How do I reset my computer without an operating system disk?”
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October 9th, 2011 at 1:13 am
Check for a recovery partition. If you don’t know how, you’ll need to go to your manufacturer’s website and search for the user manual for your computer model. It’ll be listed under “Recover Windows”, “Restore Windows/Computer” or “Reformat hard drive”.
Otherwise, on that same site, you should be able to order a new set of discs. The cost for these is usually $ 10-20.
October 9th, 2011 at 1:16 am
Depends on if you want to be nice to the guy you’re selling it to.
There’s a program called Derek’s Boot-And-Nuke (commonly referred to by its initials, DBAN) that will totally annihilate everything on your hard drive, making sure nobody sneaky could ever get hold of your personal data. It’s great for when you’re selling a computer, but unfortunately it leaves the machine with a blank drive which may be troublesome if the buyer doesn’t know how to install an operating system on their own.
If you feel like being nice, then look up the machine’s documentation on the manufacturer’s website. On newer computers they will often put the restore programs on a special partition on the hard drive, instead of giving you a physical disc. If this is the case, it will say somewhere in the documentation how to boot to that hidden partition.
If there is no recovery partition, then you are perfectly within your rights to download/burn a windows disc for yourself. Just be sure to use the product key on the bottom of your computer to prove you legally paid for windows.