I need help formatting a hard drive ?

Question

OK so i bought a computer a few months ago with windows 7 but decided i wanted ubuntu instead. So after a while of using ubuntu i want to install windows 7 back to the hard drive but in the installation menu it says that the hard drive is in the wrong format. I understand what this means but i need help formatting the drive to FAT32. The only other computer i have in the house is a laptop therefore i cant stick the computers hard drive inside of it.I've tried to boot ubuntu from a usb drive but it says i do not have permission to access the main drive. Does anyone know how i could possibly format the hard drive?

Answer 1

Windows 7 should install on NTFS filesystems. FAT32 has no journal and has too small of maximum sizes for total filesystem and file size.

Answer 2

You're going to end up with a clean installation of the factory image - but if you have the recovery disks in the optical driver and reboot - then select whatever you need to select (F10, F11, Control + F#, or whatever the instructions say for your computer in the manual) and it asks if you want to restore the factory image - part of the process is formatting the hard drive. The computer may think that you are trying to "save" your personal information and do only a repair instead of a complete re-install.



I've done that so many times - whether someone messed up the computer with downloads, buying a used computer that had no operating system installed, or just getting fed up with a series of Blue Screens of Death and I had a recent back up of the personal information.

Answer 3

What disc are you using to install the OS ??



A windows installation disc has an option to format (Wipe) the drive and start a fresh...

Are you " booting" from the installation disc ?



PS....

It's a nonsense to say the drive needs to be fat32 , NTFS is the requirement for windows installation ..