Destroy the hard drive and replace it.
Destroy the hard drive and replace it.
I’ve experienced this before, though it was a long time ago. I remember a goldfish, so now I’m facing a similar situation with Windows 7. My installation is ruined, and I need to reset everything. I have a DBA ISO and a Windows 7 copy on disk. I’m confused about how to make the DBA ISO work. Also, do I need to update my graphics card drivers so the monitor stays connected before installing? If I’m not clear, that’s okay—I’m just trying to figure it out.
You don’t need DBA for this. Just ensure your system has only one drive and you’re ready to erase everything. Power off the Windows 7 installation media, then clear all partitions on the drive and choose to proceed. It should be complete, though you’ll need to reinstall graphics drivers later once the setup finishes.
Irrelevant. The method doesn’t affect virus transfer chances. A deep clean won’t help recover data for forensic use, especially if the drive once held personal information. However, a simple re-formatting via the Windows installer is sufficient if you’re managing the drive yourself and want a clean slate. Performing just one pass to erase data is essentially pointless in your situation.
Windows disk cleanup removes the partition table. Although technically all data remains and might be recoverable via services, it won’t be usable by the system. No virus spread is possible. Clean isn’t recommended for secure data erasure, but it’s sufficient to get ready for a fresh installation.
Just insert the disk, choose to erase the data on that drive, and then reinstall it.
The installer provides choices for repair or installation. Pick install. Decide whether to partition or delete/format partitions; format them as needed. Proceed to select and install. No further actions required.