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I'm sure you've heard a computer technician tell you, format your computer, and it will be as good as new. A friend or acquaintance will have told you that your computer needs a Format, to make it like new. So let's go over what a Format is, and how you can do it yourself without having to go to a technician and pay a pretty hefty sum of money.

What is Format?

Format is the formatting of a partition or the entire disc. In the simplest terms and as we call it in the village, Format is the permanent deletion of all files from the computer and reinstallation of the operating system. At this point and before we proceed to Format, it is advisable to keep a backup of all the files and programs we need. After the Format all files and programs will have been permanently deleted. Let's get started doing the Format.

Step 1

First we find the My Computer icon (usually on the desktop).

Then we right click and find the properties option, and from there we see what architecture our Pc is on. Once we have found the architecture of our PC (32 or 64 bit) we continue with step 2.

Step 2

We go to the Microsoft page to download the file we will need to do the Format. I am adding the link for your convenience https://www.microsoft.com/el-gr/software-download/windows10ISO

From the options that Microsoft will show you don't forget to select the correct computer architecture as we saw in step 1.

Step 3

Once you have downloaded the file, run it.

It will bring up 2 options at first. We will choose the 2nd one where it says create installation media for another PC.

We click next and then select language, version and architecture.

And finally and very importantly it will ask us to choose the flash drive where we will install the operating system. Attention here we choose the first option which says USB flash drive. Make sure we have a flash drive of at least 8GB and have it connected to our computer. We press Next.

Step 4

After we have installed the Installation on our flash drive, we reboot our computer.

Here, as soon as the computer opens, we will need to hold down one of the following keys .ESC,F8,F9,F10,F11,F12 Depending on the motherboard we have. Attention each motherboard has its own key to show us the BIOS Menu. Which key we will need to press is usually written down as soon as the computer opens.

Having entered the BIOS MENU we find the BOOT tab

We then choose to have our computer start reading the USB flash drive rather than the hard drive.

After we have selected the media our computer will BOOT to, we press F10 to save our choices.

Step 5

We will be presented with a Windows 10 Setup window. Select the language you want and click Next

The next step will ask us to enter the activation code. Press Skip

Then we accept all the terms.

After we have done all the above actions correctly, we go to the most important step. It will show us 2 options. We to do formatting we will choose the 2nd option where it says Custom Install Windows only.

Next action we will need to do is to delete all the data from the hard drive partitions. We select the partitions one by one and press Delete.

Once we have deleted all the partitions. We will select the hard drive where we want to install Windows 10, and click Next.

That's it, now Windows will do the installation on its own and we'll have to wait a few minutes for it to complete.

Step 6

Now all that remains is to configure Windows as we want. E.g. give it a username, set a password, etc.

ATTENTION!!!! Don't forget after installing Windows 10 to go to BIOS MENU and again select the Hard Disk as the boot media.

You just formatted your computer.

What is format?

In computer science, formatting refers to the process of preparing a storage device, such as a hard drive or USB drive, for use by a computer system. The process of formatting typically involves creating a file system on the device, which organizes the storage space into a structure that the operating system can understand and use to store and retrieve files.

There are different types of file system which can be used for formatting a storage device, such as NTFS, FAT32, exFAT and ext4. Each file system has its own set of advantages and disadvantages and is suited for different types of usage.

When you format a storage device, all existing data on the device will be erased. So, it's important to back up any important files before formatting.

Formatting a drive can also refer to the process of cleaning up the data on the drive or partition and preparing it for new data to be written. This process can also be used to fix errors on a drive or partition.

How to format Windows 11

To format a Windows 11 system, you will need to boot your computer from a Windows 11 installation media, such as a USB drive or DVD. Here are the general steps to format a Windows 11 system:

1. Insert the Windows 11 installation media into your computer and restart it.

2. Press the appropriate key to enter the boot menu or BIOS settings. The key may vary depending on the computer, but it is typically F2, F10, or Del.

3. Change the boot order to boot from the installation media, then save the changes and exit.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to begin the Windows 11 installation process.

5. When prompted, select the "Custom" installation option.

6. Select the drive where you want to install Windows 11, and then click on "Format" button.

7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

Link to download Windows 11--> https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

Once the process is complete, your Windows 11 system will be formatted and you will need to perform a clean installation. Be sure to backup all your important files and data before formatting, as all data on the drive will be erased during the process.