Vista: Reformat + Reinstall, or just Reinstall?

Will there be any performance increase if I reformat my 1420's hard drive before reinstalling Vista, or should I just reinstall Vista without reformatting?

EDIT: To clarify, I'm reinstalling Vista on a brand-new laptop that just arrived. I just want to remove the bloatware.

 

There would probably be some sort of performance boost because you wouldn't have any programs on it, but when you re-install everything it will probably be the same. (unless you remove a lot of spyware or something)

 

There is no difference. When you insert and reinstall a clean version of Vista, you are erasing the entire hard drive in any case.

There is no difference at all.

 

Reformat it's a no brainer

 

Reformat and then install is always the safer and better way to go for an OS (unless you're doing it on a different partition). It also depends on the vista cd you're using. There's a difference between the "Restore to factory settings" cd and a normal vista cd you'd buy. The first one usually has a bunch a junk on it like aol trials etc. that came with your computer. Not owning a 1420, I wouldn't know though. May I ask why you're reformatting?

 

I just received my laptop in the mail and want to get rid of the bloatware the right way.

By the way, where's a Vista reformat + reinstall guide? I've searched NBR and NBF, to no avail.

 

Did you get a Vista disk with your system? There is nothing on Dell Vista disks but the program.

Insert it in the drive, reboot, F12, boot from disk and clean install...

There is no need to do anything else.

You will then have to go to Dell support/drivers and enter your service tag for the latest required drivers to install. They will also be on a system disk but may be outdated already.

 

I cant remember that but all you have to do is as i wrote above...

put the Vista disk in/F12 on flash screen/boot from disk/clean install....then reinstall drivers from the support site. Theres nothing else.

 

Thanks, flamenko. Only one problem: after I boot from Dell's Vista Reinstall CD, it doesn't give me an option to reformat the hard drive. Instead, it takes me to a Vista reinstallation screen.

Shouldn't I be able to follow SouthernGirl/Amber's "Guide to Reformatting and Installing XP" to reformat and install Vista, even though it was written for XP?

 

You dont need to reformat as it erses the hard drive when you reinstall the clean copy of Vista...

You dont have any reason to reformat...its doing the same thing.

 

Do you have a link that explains this? Thanks.

Because when I bought my 1405 a year ago, I used this guide, which told me that reinstalling Windows by itself wouldn't also reformat the hard drive. I had to do them independently.

 

reformatting you are in essence removing all bits (not bytes) of information completely cleaning the drive of all material. reinstalling you are only rewriting the information making it possible for a talented person to recover information. i always choose reformat.

 

A full format doesn't completely wipe all traces of your data, as there are still magnetic traces. A more talented person can still recover your data even if you do a full (30-60 minute) format, using specialised hardware. It's just a matter of cost. Obviously it'll be enough to prevent someone with cheap data-recovery software from getting anything. Then again, overwriting your hard-drive completely with data (without format) will achieve the same effect.

For most people a default quick format is sufficient. I'd only suggest a full format if you're about to sell your hard-drive, or if you want to format and scan for bad-sectors at the same time.

(Also what do you mean it removes bits and not bytes?)

 

No type of reformatting, including zero-fill reformatting, will wipe all your data beyond recovery with 100% confidence.

There's also a difference between a "clean" install of Windows and an "in-place" installation, sort of like the difference between a clean install and an upgrade install. The latter simply installs Windows over what's already existing and tries its best preserves your files and settings (including your bloatware and data), while the former deletes everything and basically leaves you with nothing but Windows (of course the other stuff is recoverable if you really want, but why would you?).'

If you opt for the clean install method, there's no real reason to go through the trouble of a format.

 

well yea you are right, nothing is 100% effective when it comes to reformatting. it all depends on how much money one has and how bad they wanna see the information that was there. but typically, an average user that may store email and banking info on their computer should reformat and reinstall rather than simply reinstall.

 

Typically yes, if you're not planning to use the drive yourself again.

In the context of the original poster, why should they do this?

1. The laptop is brand new (no sensitive info), they just want to remove bloat.

2. Even if there is sensitive information on there already, the target user after format is the laptop owner again, the owner of said sensitive information.

3. After format they will immediately fill it with sensitive information again.

I know what you're trying to say and indeed I would fully recommend a format if you're selling a hard-drive or lending your machine to someone, but if you're using the computer after format .. completely unnecessary

 

Believe this.... a format doesnt remove data. It simply removes the beginning of the index to make it available space. Even after a format, detailed or quick, any techy can have the time of their life pulling up data.

Even if you overwrite the data, if you would believe it, it can be recovered....and its simple.

The only true format and erase info methods are expensive and most would never conceive of using them. Each day, thousands of Joe Fridays sell there computers thinking they have wiped the hard drive...lets not fool ourselves folks.

Its all a crap shoot and how would I know...

Data encryption and recovery are a hobby I guess.

 

Deadsimple is right -- the laptop is brand new, and I just want to clean the hard drive of Dell's preinstalled bloatware. I'm not looking to sell it anytime soon.

 

What kind of bloatware should we take off??