I have a computer that I built myself, and I just upgraded the hard drive and just my old data onto the new one and would now like to delete everything except for the OS. Normally I would just nuke it and reinstall the OS but I recently moved and my CD is lost somewhere in the heaps of boxes so is there a way for me to delete everything except the OS on my comp?
How to wipe everything except the OS without Windows CD
- Thread starter dimnet
- Start date
Solution
- Mar 16, 2013
- 171,802
- 18,140
- 184,590
"Delete everything except the OS"
No, not really. You could go through and try to uninstall everything, but some remnants will be left behind.
Do you have the license key written down?
If not, try Magical Jellybean or Belarc Advisor to retrieve it.
Then go here and see if you can download the relevant ISO file to create your own install media.
Win 7: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery
Win 8.1: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media
No, not really. You could go through and try to uninstall everything, but some remnants will be left behind.
Do you have the license key written down?
If not, try Magical Jellybean or Belarc Advisor to retrieve it.
Then go here and see if you can download the relevant ISO file to create your own install media.
Win 7: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery
Win 8.1: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media
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