2026 Version
Perhaps you have an old work computer. Or someone has given you an old computer. You want to wipe everything off of it and start over. This is how.
This will wipe everything from the hard drive. This includes the installed OS and any utilites installed by the manufacturer. \]]

Before You Begin
You will need the following:

• One or two USB sticks. 16Gb or larger.
• Another computer.
• Possibly Hiren's BootCD PE and Rufus
• Possibly hard drive drivers for your computer. They can be downloaded from the manufacture's website. Save them to one of the USB drives.
• Installation Media for Windows and any other programs you will want after installation

Dell Inspiron series computers are designed for business use. They have security features to prevent unauthorized users from accessing your information. The only way to completely erase the data and any software already installed is to wipe the hard drive. That is going to be the first step.
You need to access the BIOS settings and then use the Secure Wipe to wipe the hard drive. This will take about two hours. Here are the instructions from Dell. https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ca/000146892/dell-data-wipe. To get to the BIOS settings, press F2 when you see the Dell logo come on on the startup screen. To get to the Boot menu, press F12 when the logo comes up. For other computers, look up how to get to the Boot menu. The Boot menu might be a little cryptic. Find an entry with USB in the description.
If you don't have a Dell, or the computer doesn't have a built in wipe, you will need to use Hiren's BootCD to wipe the hard drive.

Hirens contains some powerful tools. Use with care. For this application, you want to use the disk formatter or eraser to erase EVERYTHING. It may take an hour or more, be patient. There are over 100 programs. It can be a very useful tool. the Password tools will scare you. Boot to the Hirens USB and select a password tool. Set the Admin user password to anything. Reboot. Now you are the admin,
Use at your own risk.

Rufus creates bootable USB drives. Download Rufus and the .iso file for your operating system and create a bootable installer disk. Distributing Microsoft Windows installers without authorization is a no no, Get your installation from a reputable source.

Boot the computer to the new USB installer disk. It should start the process to install Windows. You want Windows 11. It will take about 30 minutes depending on your Internet connection and the age of the computer. Reboot your computer and start installing software.

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