Reformat

I have a Dell XPS M140 which I'm wanting to sell. Is there a quick way to reformat my computer (remove everything on it while keeping Windows) without a disc? Thanks!

The short answer is no, the long answer ios also no

What you can do is restore the system to it's factory state. There should be a hidden restore paretition on the hard drive that you access via the keyboard during early boot.

The Owners Manual has these instructions:
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Thank you so much for the link! That should be exactly what I need. =)

The short answer is no, the long answer ios also no

What you can do is restore the system to it's factory state. There should be a hidden restore paretition on the hard drive that you access via the keyboard during early boot.

The Owners Manual has these instructions:
[attachment removed]

Just for a quick added note - to format, or reformat a hard disk, is to prepare the disk so the operating system can store data on the drive. Formatting renders any and all data on the drive, unreadable (except with specialized recovery programs and expensive recovery services), including Windows.

Also understand using the restore features mentioned above does almost the same thing, but then restores the "image" of the disk as it came from the factory. This is great if you are selling or giving the computer away. But if you are trying to recover from something wrong, like formatting, a restore is a last ditch effort and should be avoided if possible.

This is because you lose:

• All updated hardware drivers since the restore image was created, including:
  • Drivers specific to XP SP2 (or Vista),
  • Drivers specific to your motherboard, such as those needed for on-board graphics, sound, networking, USB I/O, SATA/SCSI controllers, etc.
• Data files - including,
  • Documents, spreadsheets, databases, etc.,
  • Photos, music/audio and video,
  • Email (if using Outlook Express, Outlook or so other "client" (PC) based email program), as well as any saved contacts, appointments, and notes,
  • Favorites/Bookmarks
  • Downloaded programs and updates to them, including all your required security applications,
  • Custom configurations, for Windows and all other programs,

…and worst of all,

• Security patches and Critical Updates setting your security defenses months, or even years behind!

So, my point - if you are wanting to restore your computer back to where it was on day 1 because you are having problems with it, perhaps you should let us try to troubleshoot and help you repair it first.