How to properly wipe the system?

[Dankiedoge]

Okay so i'm having the black screen /w cursor and don't bother suggesting me any solutions as i've probably done them all. I've been working on this for 5 days and I just want to give up and reformat/wipe the pc. So first things first, this pc has a lot of important work data and i'm not really an expert into handling them during format. So how do I backup them all? Should I use my flash drive(14 gb) to store them all one by one? Because the important data can reach up to 100gb and my flash drive can only carry 14. Should I backup 14gb at a time then store them in google drive on another pc then repeat? Does anyone have a better method? I'm posting this to see if anyone has a more smooth method to backup all imporant stuff then wipe the system clean. Thank you.

[exile360]

Greetings,

A list of backup solutions can be found here.

With that said, you shouldn't need to reformat the system.  A simple repair installation of Windows over the top of your existing installation should correct any system corruption while still leaving your data intact, backed up automatically to a Windows.Old folder in the root of the primary drive.  This article explains how to do it.

I hope this helps.

[Dankiedoge]

Hello thanks for the fast reply exile. To my understanding what you meant is that I can just install over my current windows and replace the corrupted system files. Is that correct? I've read the post and there seems to be many options. But I'm not an expert on these kinds of things and I really don't have the time and money. So would it be alright if you just recommend and teach me in a step by step way how to do what you said exactly? Thank you, my regards.

[Dankiedoge]

Oh also I forgot to mention i'm using Windows 7. I sincerely apologize for mentioning this late.

[exile360]

For Windows 7 please refer to the instructions in this article.

No, you will not be replacing any files.  You will literally be creating a new installation of Windows in place of your old one, however instead of deleting all of the files from the current installation, it will instead save them all for you inside of a folder that it will automatically create called Windows.Old.  Any programs that you use will need to be reinstalled after the reinstallation of Windows is complete.

[exile360]

Also, if you require instructions on creating a bootable Windows 7 USB to use for performing the repair install, please refer to this article.

[Dankiedoge]

Alright I've read the full post. The closest solution to my problem right now is step 5. I'm gonna download the installation iso on another pc and store it in the flash drive so then I can plug it in and run the process in my broken pc. Well the problem is that I can't access the network here since I can't run both normal and safe mode with networking. I can only use the recovery mode but no network. But is it possible to connect to the internet if I boot into the USB instead? Tell me what should I do since connection is disabled in recovery mode.

[exile360]

I've never connected a system to the web from recovery mode so I'm not even sure it is possible.  You may need another working system to get online to create the installation USB unless your system already has a full recovery partition installed on the drive.  Who is the manufacturer of your system (i.e. HP, Dell etc.) and what is the model number (it should be on a sticker on the back or bottom of your PC)?

[Dankiedoge]

What I meant was, in the earlier post that you sent me, there's a screenshot were the process is getting updates online. Do you automatically connect? Or is it alright to run the process without an internet connection. The manufacturer is ACER and I don't know the model number. Well, I didn't mention this before but this isn't really my pc I just borrowed it for gaming. And its quite difficult to look behind the monitor when there's so many work stuff and I can't pull the whole desk. I'm sorry for complicating things but there should be a manual that came along right? A manual or a book of somesort that lists the pc's info? If anything I could ask the owner about the pc's info.

[exile360]

Yes, it can connect online to get updates during the installation; it will prompt you for the network info if needed (if using wi-fi and a password is required), however you don't have to be online to do the install so it is fine to run the process without internet if need be.

Unfortunately, modern computers do not come with much paperwork, and definitely no manuals.  The closest you might get is a PDF document providing some technical info about the system.  Most tech companies aren't big on educating their customers these days because they'd much rather you pay for support when there is a problem, or even better yet, just buy a new device so that they make more money.  It is a sad truth.

That said, your system should have a recovery partition, the instructions in this Acer support article should prove most helpful.

[Dankiedoge]

I see that is very true. Hey i've got a drive that might be to your interest, it looks similar to what you recommended me but i'm not quite sure its the real deal. Its already here before I downloaded anything but its on the X: drive. Is this what I need or is it something else.

[exile360]

Yes, that may be it.  You'll need to start the Acer recovery program to get everything back to the way it was (it will automatically install Windows along with the drivers and other software that originally shipped with the system); though be sure to select the non-destructive option so that it creates a backup of your files, that way none of your friend's data will be lost.

[Dankiedoge]

2 hours ago, exile360 said:

Yes, that may be it.  You'll need to start the Acer recovery program to get everything back to the way it was (it will automatically install Windows along with the drivers and other software that originally shipped with the system); though be sure to select the non-destructive option so that it creates a backup of your files, that way none of your friend's data will be lost.

After setting up my languages and keyboard i'm left with the option to *Install Now* or *Repair your computer* in the bottom left. When I click the *Repair your computer* it just brings up the repair options (eg. Startup Repair, System Restore,etc.) But lets just say none of those work. So the clear answer is to *Install Now*. After clicking it, it says the setup is starting then brings this up, I assume this is supposed to be the drive where I run the program? It doesn't let me because it said a CD/DVD/USB is missing. I'm thinking I should copy everything in the X:drive then paste them on the usb flash drive. After that I restart and boot into the USB?

[Dankiedoge]

Also, about booting in USB flash drive to install the windows 7. Do I need to do some kind of process to make the flash drive bootable? Or is pasting the files to the flash drive, plug it in, and run the setup all it takes?

[exile360]

No, copying data to the drive will absolutely not work.  Even though it says CD/DVD device driver is missing, it's actually the storage controller driver on the motherboard's chipset which connects to the system's hard drive/SSD that is missing.  It isn't seeing the drive, probably because it is likely an NVMe SSD, which Windows 7 installation media lack the drivers for.  It might otherwise be a SATA controller driver that is needed.

If you use the Acer setup program as recommended, it should already have the needed drivers and therefore should see and be able to install Windows on the drive automatically.

Once you get past that to the point where that message no longer comes up (again, assuming you use the Acer setup program rather than the default/generic Windows 7 boot option you're currently using), it will present you with an option to perform an installation over the existing Windows partition and it will ask if you want it to backup the files and you should select the option to do so, that way it gets backed up as I said previously.

[exile360]

Using a USB isn't going to work because you lack the drivers for the storage device/hard drive as I mentioned.  Please use the built in Acer recovery program; I don't want you to risk losing all of your friend's data.

[Dankiedoge]

Alright I understand how do I run the acer recovery program? I'm sorry if I seem slow.

[exile360]

Instructions are in this link.

It's no problem, just take your time and we'll get it back up and running again  

[exile360]

I'm about to take off for the day (it's close to my bedtime and I have a few errands to run before I can go to sleep), but I will be back later on, and in the meantime I will ask one of the top techs on our forum to take a look here and assist if needed, but as long as the Acer Windows install works, you should be just fine.  Just be sure to select Restore Operating System and Retain User Data option so that it backs up the data.

[Dankiedoge]

5 minutes ago, exile360 said:

Instructions are in this link.

It's no problem, just take your time and we'll get it back up and running again  

Thank you I really appreciate your efforts and sympathy you're the best tech support i've seen so far. I'm working on it now and i'll keep you updated.

[Dankiedoge]

Oh no, one big problem with this is that I don't even have a taskbar and most programs I run don't run because i'm in recovery mode. Do you have any other way to boot into something that I can run?

[exile360]

@AdvancedSetup, would you please keep an eye on this thread while I am away to ensure that the Acer repair install goes successfully?  We want the data backed up to Windows.Old and Windows 7 reinstalled, which should be fairly straightforward thanks to the built in Acer recovery program.

The above message is for the other support tech in case you run into any issues or have any questions while I am away.  He's the best so you will be in excellent hands even if I am not here.

I'll return to check on things once I've had some rest, and in the meantime, best of luck, and just remember to take your time and let us know if you need any guidance or if you have any questions and we'll help you to get it done right  

[exile360]

You need to hit Alt+F10 as explained in the link; you have to do that early during startup, well before it tries to boot the operating system.  It is another recovery environment similar to the one you have been using, except it is a custom one created by Acer instead of the normal Windows 7 setup, but it will accomplish the same task and has the added benefit of already having all the drivers it needs.

[exile360]

Here's another link for you; this is the one you need to start the program in offline/recovery mode since the OS won't boot:

https://community.acer.com/kb/articles/64-how-to-restore-windows-on-my-acer-computer-using-alt-f10-on-startup

[exile360]

My apologies; I thought you saw the note at the top of the first article where it says:

Note: If your computer will not load into the Windows Operating System, you can access the Acer Recovery Management before Windows starts. For more information, please visit Restoring the operating system outside of Windows.