How to Format a Laptop or Desktop Windows 7 Without a CD (Full Guide)

Microsoft has already launched the Windows 11 OS, which was announced in a grand event recently. However, most of us still prefer using Windows 7 for our daily activities. Since Microsoft discontinued its support for Windows 7 in 2020, using it can pose security issues. Hence, you do need to format your Windows 7. In this article, we will discuss how to format Windows 7 without a CD.

Why should I format Windows 7?

There are several reasons that might require you to format Windows 7. Some of the causes and scenarios that could lead to the need for formatting Windows 7 can be summarized as:

You're getting ready to upgrade your computer.

While it's important to format Windows 7 if you're upgrading to Windows 10 or any other operating system, in most cases you won't need to format the disk, as the new OS will take care of this during installation.

You can simply select which files to keep and which to delete, and the installation medium will take care of the details and the files. The disk is reformatted before the new operating system files are copied.

Do you want to sell your personal computer?

Selling your PC is one major reason you might want to format Windows 7. It's the right way to protect your privacy so you don't have to worry about any files lingering on the device when you sell it.

Note that the computer should be formatted to the point of being irrecoverable. Anyone with powerful data recovery software could easily retrieve your information, compromising your privacy. It's best to ensure that all data is erased and overwritten several times.

Use your PC as a backup or storage device

Another reason you might want to format your Windows 7 computer is to use it as a storage or backup device.

The proper way to do this is to remove your old hard drive and install another operating system. Once that's done, you can reconnect your old hard drive and format it from within Windows. Note that you cannot use Windows 7 to format the drive in this way.

While there are several ways to format Windows 7, this article will discuss three common methods.

# How to Format Windows 7 Without a CD Using Partition Manager

This might be a good option for you to format Windows 7 without CD. We recommend using the Partition Master tool, as it provides a powerful data erasing feature. You can ensure that your data is completely formatted and unrecoverable in the future.

You can use a partitioning tool, such as Partition Master, to first create a bootable USB drive with the tool and then format Windows 7 in a WinPE environment.

Create a bootable USB drive

Step 1. To create a bootable tool disk, you need a storage medium such as a USB drive, a flash drive, or a CD/DVD. Connect the drive to your computer properly.

Step 2. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, and then find the "Create Bootable Media" feature on the left. Click it.

Step 3: If you have a USB or CD/DVD drive, you can select it here. If you don't have a blank drive, you can also save the ISO to your hard disk and burn it to media later. Click the Create button to start the creation process after making your selection.

Review the warning, and then click Yes.

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When it's done, a message will ask you if you want to restart your computer from the bootable USB.

• Restart Now: You want to restart your computer now and boot from the installation media, without repartitioning the operating system drive.
• Finish: You do not want to restart your current computer but instead use the bootable USB device on a new one.

Note: To use the bootable drive on a new computer, you'll need to restart the target computer, enter its BIOS by pressing F2/F8/Del, and set the USB boot drive as the first boot disk.

Wait patiently, your computer will automatically boot from the USB boot media and enter the WinPE tool desktop.

When it's done, your bootable USB drive will be ready to use for formatting your device.

Use Partition Master Bootable USB Tool to Format Windows 7 without CD

With the bootable drive created, formatting the Windows 7 installation is straightforward, using the disk-partitioning software Partition Master, as described below.

1. Plug the USB drive into your computer and format and erase it as needed.
2. You'll need to boot from the USB drive in order to boot into Windows 7. To do this, enter your computer's BIOS settings and select to boot from a "removable device." Save your changes and restart your computer to boot from the USB drive.
3. When the bootable drive loads, select an option as needed. You can choose to completely wipe the hard drive, or you can use the Disk Management tool to format the drive.

Run Partition Assistant, right-click the hard drive partition you want to format, and select "Format".

Step 2: In the new window, set the "Volume label," "File system" (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT) and "Cluster size" of the partition to format, then click "OK".

Step 3: A warning will appear; click “Yes” to proceed.

Click the “Perform 1 Task” button to check for changes, and then click “Apply” to begin formatting the hard drive partition.

2. Upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 with No CD, Using the Media Creation Tool

If you plan to upgrade to Windows 10 – or even the upcoming Windows 11 – you don't need to format your Windows 7 drive first. You can simply use the Windows installation media to install the new operating system right over the top of the old one. The previous system files will be handled automatically.

Download the Windows 10 installation media and insert it into your system. You can create your installation media on a USB flash drive or any other external media.

Change the boot options in your BIOS. You can do this by entering your computer's BIOS settings and changing the boot order. Depending on how you created the bootable drive, select either the CD/DVD-ROM drive or USB as the proper boot order.

Insert the media into your computer and turn it on. The drive should begin to boot up automatically. Follow the on-screen prompts to install Windows 10. You can choose to keep certain files or wipe everything clean.

3. How to Format Windows 7 Without a CD and Use It as a Storage Drive

If you want to use an old hard drive as the storage medium, this is probably the easiest way. In fact, if you've upgraded to an SSD and your operating system is installed on it, you can do this easily.

Such an effort might include:

Step 1: Disconnect the old hard drive from your computer.

Step 2: Connect the new drive to your computer.

Step 3: Install Windows 10 or another operating system on the new drive.

Step 4: Reconnect your old hard drive to your computer.

Step 5: Boot your device from the Windows 10 drive, and use the Windows Disk Management tool to format the old drive.

Right-click the Windows logo, and select “Disk Management.” Right-click the drive you want to format, then click “Format.”

Format hard drive in Disk Management

Conclusions

Formatting a Windows 7 device should be quite a straightforward option. The variety of choices provided ideally helps you understand the concept better. We assume that the three main or popular methods outlined here should help you get the best out of it.

If you are going to sell your computer, we recommend using Partition Master as one of the main options. It provides high levels of safety to protect your privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions on Formatting Windows 7 without CD in UTF-8 Encoding

For more questions about formatting Windows 7, see the ones listed below and find their answers here instantly.

1. How can I format my computer without a CD?

Back up all important files on your computer to an external hard drive ahead of time.

To format the system drive on your PC, use the tool Partition Master:

< li > Launch Partition Master, right-click on the system drive, and select "Format". < li > Set the new file system format, then click "OK". < li > Click the "Execute * Tasks" button.

To format a non-system drive on your computer, use Disk Management:

• Open Disk Management, right-click on a non-system partition, and select "Format Volume..." • Choose a new file system format, then click "OK."

How to reset a Windows 7 Computer?

1. Launch Partition Assistant. In Windows 7, select a disk, right-click it, and choose "Wipe Disk."
2. Click "OK" and "Execute * Operations" to confirm the wipe.

If you want to keep Windows 7, right-click on a non-system partition to erase. To erase Windows 7 with existing disk data, repeat the above steps.

3. How to force format Windows 7?

1. Open the Control Panel and click on "System and Security." 2. Select "Backup and Restore." 3. In the "Backup and Restore" window, click on " Recover system settings or your computer." 4. Choose "Advanced recovery methods," then opt for "Restore files from a system image backup" or "Restore your computer to an earlier point in time." 5. Click either "Backup Now" or "Skip." 6. Click "Recover" to initiate a factory reset, forcing Windows 7 to perform a thorough formatting.