Formatting your computer should be a regular part of your system maintenance. Formatting is useful if your computer is infected with viruses or spyware. It is also a useful tool for basic maintenance as your hard drive will perform more efficiently if it is formatted regularly. Although most manufacturers recommend using recovery disks when formatting, they are not required. By following these simple instructions, you will be able to reformat your Sony hard disk.
Step 1
Enter your Windows OS installation CD into your CD tray, then restart your computer.
Step 2
When you see a Windows "Welcome" screen, press Enter to continue. At the next screen, press F8 to accept the Windows licensing agreement.
Step 3
When you see a screen listing all of your hardware partitions, tab down to your Sony hard drive and press "D" to delete it.
Step 4
You should now see a hard drive labeled "unpartitioned space." Press Enter to continue on to installing Windows. If you do not wish to install Windows onto this drive, your formatting process is complete.
Step 5
There will now be several options for Windows installation. Select the option labeled: "Format the partition using the NTFS file system." NTFS is the type of file system used by Windows. It is highly recommended to not select the "quick" options as they are more prone to errors.
Step 6
When you see the Windows installation screen, follow the instructions and enter your product key. Windows will begin automatic installation. Wait until the process completes and your computer restarts. You have now successfully formatted and reinstalled Windows on your hard drive.
