Yes, it is possible to erase or reset an OS drive without installing Windows afterward.
Yes, it is possible to erase or reset an OS drive without installing Windows afterward.
The flash drive designed for installing Windows will definitely have the ability to erase the device.
After starting it, you can access a command-line interface to remove every partition and format the drive.
However... what operating system is this drive running?
If the system has its own software, you can perform these actions directly from that platform.
As mentioned, I don't have another drive to set up Windows on. I don't have a system that supports NVMe M.2. I do have a Windows USB flash drive. Could I erase my drive using the installation flash? What would be the steps? The only choice when booting from the installation drive is to install Windows. Thank you
The straightforward method is to boot from the flash drive, initiate the Windows installation. When prompted for the location, you'll notice the NVMe drive. Simply remove all current partitions on that drive. Completed. What happens next to the drive and system after this process?
Yes, this system runs its own OS, but it's installed on the same drive I'm trying to erase... That's the main problem. If it were a different drive, I wouldn't be here at all.
Where exactly would I locate the command-line interface to remove all partitions? From the installation drive, where would I find that option? Because after startup I only see the Windows installation window. Do you have a clear method?
Thanks a lot.
The operating system continues to function on this NVMe storage device. If it is erased, what happens next? How does the drive and its associated system fare?
Sorry, I was using my phone and mistakenly thought I was speaking to two different people. We both ended up saying the same thing twice. What will happen with the drive? I plan to give it to the person I mentioned earlier, who will clone my old system on it. As I mentioned, I can't bring him the drive while it's still running Windows. That's all.
Well, yes, it's possible.
The clone operation will also erase the data.
As mentioned earlier, boot from the Windows installation media you possess and begin the process.
When prompted for the location, just remove all existing partitions on that drive.
Stop.
Drive is now blank.
Yes, it's completed, thank you. I'm not sure about the clone process. The person mentioned an empty drive, which is what I'm aiming for.
It seems your clone might not understand much. The contents of the target drive don't matter; they'll disappear during the cloning process. Even if there was a prior operating system, it won't affect the outcome. Good luck.
He's not ignorant, he's a true genius. He specializes in data recovery, works in a lab, not as an IT professional. He rarely provides cloning services. He managed to recover 100% of a severely damaged nvme m.2, which is quite impressive given how difficult it usually is. He isn't clueless at all—just Russian, doesn't speak French (my first language), and his English is very basic. If he mentions an empty disk, I bring an empty one, that's the deal.