Some computers have a "Recovery Partition" embedded on the disk-drive. If so, restart your computer, and read the "press Fxx to start Start Recovery" type of displayed text.
Other computers have no such partition.
So, you need the original set of "System Recovery" CD-ROM/DVD-ROM disks. Some companies (Acer, IBM, eMachines, et cetera) will replace a "lost" set of disks, for about $20 (plus $20 in courier-shipping).
Put the first of these disks into your CD/DVD drive, and restart your computer, and choose to boot from the CD/DVD, instead of your 'C:' drive.
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Instructions
Things You'll Need:
How To Use the Restore Factory Setting CD
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SOURCE: how to reboot dell dimension 3000 desktop
If you have disks supplied with the system, they normally offer more than one type of reinstallation; destructive and non-destructive.
In most cases, neither of these will absolutely remove all traces of former files.
If that is what you wish, you can reformat the hard drive and remove the existing directory and make old files unaccessible except to experts wanting to 'get the goods' on someone.
There is also the chance to backdate the system to an earlier time in case something has bollixed enough files to make it unstable.
That procedure is called 'restoration' which replaces the system files as they were at an earlier time so corrupt files are replaced with fresh copies from a separate partition on the drive.
This method leaves your personally created files intact if that is desired.
These various possiblities depend somewhat on the version of Windows you are using and information in the Windows Help section can give you guidance if you want it.
If you have sensitive information that you do not want anyone to ever access, there are numerous freeware programs that will overwrite existing files so completely that even experts cannot recover them.
They use various methods of trashing files but most offer the chance to set how many times you want them overwritten and by which method, among these is using all zeros or random numbers.
Finally, the last option is to replace the hard drive with a new one, physically disassemble and destroy the disks mechanically although disposal would still be sensitive since there are methods of reading file segments on even catastrophically damaged disks.
SOURCE: reset my computer
Recovering during startup
Use the following steps to perform a recovery from the hard drive :
Turn on your computer. Right away there will be a black screen. You can restore factory settings without a CD, too. This will reset your BIOS.Press F1 when the black screen appears; you will enter the setup configuration mode. You will be presented with a menu.Select Restore Factory Defaults. Your computer will do all the work for you. As with the CD, this process may take several hours.
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