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**Compton** · (This post was last modified: 10-09-2016, 03:58 AM by Compton.)

very interesting let's look at this objectively you just can't format a hard drive.
first off, let's say this is a customer system with many partitions you would have to ask if its ok to delete all partitions if any important data is on the partitions if the data is already backup

let's say you have a dual boot you would not want to delete all partitions most importantly you would not want to delete the system reserved
partition because that would hole boot configuration for the dual boot

wiping the drive with CCleaner or Active Killdisk is a bit of a over kill

**LarryTheComputerGuy** · 10-09-2016, 05:06 AM

Very true Compton... But I suggested wiping only the Windows Partition, and nothing in this thread discusses dual boot systems..."You can wipe individual partitions." As far as asking the customer about "backed up data" This should already be discussed with the customer from the get go and covered in your intake paperwork and TOS.

If you use FAB's, there are no worries about backing up data and dumping it back onto a new install. (Brian did a video on this a while back.)

**Compton** · (This post was last modified: 10-09-2016, 01:00 PM by Compton.)

the dual boot was just to show one of the many reasons as to why you would not want to format the hard drive

just to pick your brain a little here why you would wipe the drive with with CCleaner or Active Killdisk first?
I mean when it comes to malware a low level format would work

**Double clutch** · (This post was last modified: 10-09-2016, 05:45 PM by Double clutch.)

Yes, Compton. In my mind, the wiping of the drive is an unnecessary step. The reason you get a warning before formatting a drive is to inform you that the drive will be wiped clean. Making sure you are formatting what you need to format That's speaking the obvious don't you think. Now if you want to sell the drive or system I would run clean disk through the CMD but if you are just reinstalling Windows I would delete the partition (or all the partition on the drive depending on the situation) that you want to install the OS on and then format and then install Windows this is how I do.

**LarryTheComputerGuy** · 10-09-2016, 05:46 PM

#1. If installing Windows on a brand new hard drive, wiping is irrelevant...
#2. When a system is so corrupt from a malware infection, I wipe the Windows partition and then reinstall Windows to insure that the system is clean. Formatting does not over write everything "If deleting and formatting partitions did over write everything, us technicians could not recover data from formatted partitions"... This is just how I do it, It's not gospel...
#3. When refurbishing PC's... In accordance with the MRR system preparation requirements, all systems to be refurbished must be wiped and a sanitation certificate generated.

**Partha** · (This post was last modified: 10-10-2016, 06:08 AM by Partha.)

Larry is correct. It's always better to start afresh before an operating system is installed

Just a normal format won't get rid of the data but just the references

**RichTech** · 10-09-2016, 08:43 PM

(10-09-2016, 04:49 PM)Double clutch Wrote: Yes, Compton. In my mind, the wiping of the drive is an unnecessary step. The reason you get a warning before formatting a drive is to inform you that the drive will be wiped clean. Making sure you are formatting what you need to format That's speaking the obvious don't you think. Now if you want to sell the drive or system I would run clean disk through the CMD but if you are just reinstalling Windows I would delete the partition (or all the partition on the drive depending on the situation) that you want to install the OS on and then format and then install Windows this is how I do.

So you mean, delete all the partitions, select the unallocated space, select new and Create partitions then format the Windows partition and then click next to install Windows.
Correct me if I am wrong double clutch!

**Double clutch** · (This post was last modified: 10-10-2016, 12:18 AM by Double clutch.)

In your case by looking at your screen shot delete partition 1 and 2 of drive 0 (the SSD)because you have two drives one is your storage (HDD) and one is your OS (SSD) this will give you one large partition(Drive 0) And then format Drive 0 And Windows will do the rest. You will have a good fresh install. Correct me if I'm wrong about having two drives. Yes select new.

**Compton** · (This post was last modified: 10-10-2016, 02:53 AM by Compton.)

well I would have to agree if you are selling a computer then I would Secure format the hard drive or partitions
but if you just reinstall windows or because of malware normal format would work

I am yet to see Malware come back from a normal format on a system

**RichTech** · (This post was last modified: 10-10-2016, 03:44 PM by RichTech.)

(10-10-2016, 12:00 AM)Double clutch Wrote: In your case by looking at your screen shot delete partition 1 and 2 of drive 0 (the SSD)because you have two drives one is your storage (HDD) and one is your OS (SSD) this will give you one large partition(Drive 0) And then format Drive 0 And Windows will do the rest. You will have a good fresh install. Correct me if I'm wrong about having two drives. Yes select new.

Thanks Double Clutch for that, will keep this in mind for the future.

Another thing guys, when I did a clean install of windows 10 with anniversary update no problems. installed drivers, updates, no problems. Installed applications, Bitdefender and others, no problems. Next thing troubleshooting doesn't, found out that I had a corrupt user account, created new account, windows search indexing doesn't work. Error message. 'These results may be incomplete'. Every time I do a clean install, I get a corrupt user account and other user accounts get the 'these results may be incomplete' when searching something. The corrupt account doesn't have the error message when searching something.
What do you think? any solutions?