Anyone still running Windows 7?

Can you come to any conclusions on your own without having to link to explanations from other sites?

Drew Allen77 said:Can you actually come to a conclusion on your own without just linking explanations from other sites?

Are you even reading what I'm writing? I wiped my entire hard drive using DBAN, then installed Ubuntu, which gave me a black screen after rebooting. I figured it was probably the GPU, so I swapped the card out, but nothing changed. Then I formatted the drive, installed Windows 7, and realized five or six drivers weren't working. Once I updated them through Windows 7, everything was fixed. After that, I reinstalled Ubuntu over the formatted Windows 7 partition, and it worked perfectly—no more black screen. It's pretty obvious to me that formatting Windows 7 didn't actually clear it from the drive. I confirmed this with plenty of data online too. If you guys can't wrap your heads around the fact that formatting doesn't fully erase Windows from the disk...
Since I had the time, I wiped the drive again with DBAN—the same drive where Ubuntu had worked fine right after the Windows 7 format—and once I reinstalled it on a totally clean drive, the black screen came back. I spent a couple of days wrestling with this, and my logical conclusion is that formatting simply doesn't wipe all the data. People's logic is something else... please, start using your brains.
hahahhaa 🙂

Where would the world even be if everyone just used DBAN instead of formatting their hard drives?

I don't even know where to start with this one. Just another day, another headache. kaže:
Formatting a drive doesn't actually wipe the data. It just nukes the map. The OS loses track of where everything lives, so the drive looks empty, but that old junk is still sitting there waiting to be found. I learned that the hard way after a botched backup on my old Dell.

Look, all that data isn't actually gone. Unless you go full scorched-earth on the hard drive, some specialized software or gear can still pull it back from the dead. I learned that the hard way after losing my old college thesis files once. Still sitting there, waiting to be found.

Found this link about checking hard drives. Honestly, probably just more tech clutter you don't need. I remember back when my old Dell died in Chicago, I wasted hours on stuff like this before realizing the hardware was just toast. Use it if you must, but don't hold your breath.

God, someone please help them see sense... ☕

Knock knock... anybody home? Seriously, you clearly don't even know the difference between a quick format and a low-level format. Honestly, it's probably better not to waste my breath on you. I don't feed trolls.

nimbleskipper5 said:Hellooo... knock knock... anybody home?? Man, you clearly don't even get the difference between a standard format and a low-level format. You really shouldn't waste your time. I'm not here to feed the trolls.

The option in Windows 7 just says "format"... when I format, the data stays on the drive—I've been saying this the whole time. Where is this "low-level format" option in Windows 7? That's the first I've ever heard of it. I'm talking about a standard Windows 7 format... I don't know what kind of formatting that is, and it doesn't even matter because the data remains on the disk. You're totally coming out of left field here! Hahaha.😵

From what I've seen online, that low-level formatting is basically just a tool similar to DBAN... hahaha.

http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-...l-Format-Tool/

I keep saying that a regular format doesn't wipe the data from the hard drive; that can only be done with DBAN or similar programs. Meanwhile, you keep insisting that a low-level format wipes everything, even though it's essentially the same type of process as DBAN...🙂

Low-level formatting isn't even the same thing as the formatting option found during a Windows 7 installation... hahahha.🤦

I am specifically talking about formatting while installing Windows 7... hahaha.

Get real, people...

ruggedfalcon62, with all due respect, you're talking nonsense here...
Linux and Windows don't share even remotely similar drivers for anything. Linux drivers are compiled and operate on a completely different principle entirely. So, your logic—that Linux started working because you updated your Windows drivers (not to mention you ended up using an Uninstaller on Windows right after)—is just as silly as your claim that data is easily recovered after a format.
I already gave you a rough breakdown of what a "format" actually does. I explained why it's virtually impossible for a virus to "survive," despite how you so charmingly described the process, let alone drivers built for a totally different OS platform...
And honestly, what are you even trying to imply with that term "peasants"?

I mean, you can tell he’s just talking nonsense every other second, haha. Just let him be—it's pretty obvious he's just some kid rambling about whatever is on his mind. Personally, I had a buddy who was a Linux user but decided he wanted Windows 7 instead. I just wiped his partition, created a new one, and installed it—no issues at all, and none of this ridiculous drama that kid is whining about...

ruggedfalcon62 said:In Windows 7, the menu just says "format." My point remains exactly the same: when you run that process, the data stays on the hard drive. I’ve been saying this from the start. Where exactly is this "low-level format" option in Windows 7? I’m hearing about it for the first time now. I am talking specifically about formatting within Windows 7. What kind of formatting we are actually dealing with doesn't really matter, because the data isn't actually gone. You're just pulling ideas out of thin air. Hahaha. 😵

From what I’ve gathered while scouring the web, that low-level formatting tool seems to be about as useful as DBAN. Hah.

If you find yourself staring down a corrupted drive that refuses to cooperate, you might want to take a look at this tool from HDD Guru. It’s a Low-Level Format tool designed to wipe a drive clean—I mean truly, fundamentally clean. When standard formatting fails or leaves behind stubborn partitions that just won't budge, a low-level format can be the nuclear option you need to reset everything to zero. It essentially clears out all the data, including the file system, leaving you with a completely blank slate. Is it overkill for a simple file wipe? Probably. But when a drive is acting possessed or you're prepping hardware for a fresh start, it's a solid utility to have in your toolkit.

I’ve said it time and again: a standard format doesn't actually wipe your data from the hard drive. If you want that kind of destruction, you need specialized tools like DBAN or something similar. Yet, here you are, insisting that a low-level format clears everything out automatically. Isn't a low-level format essentially just another way of using the same type of software as DBAN?🙂

A low-level format? Let’s be honest—that isn't even remotely what happens when you select the formatting option during a Windows 7 installation. Hahaha. 🤦

I am talking about formatting Windows 7 during the actual installation process... haha.

Farmers...

Pure comedy.

Farmers.
Haha.

That’s not even half of it, haha.
Classic.
Get a grip, you absolute clowns!

Hilarious.

Nathan Brooks42 said:Look, with all due respect, you're talking nonsense here...
Linux and Windows don't share anything resembling the same drivers; Linux drivers are compiled and operate on a completely different principle. Because of that, your logic that Linux started working just because you updated your Windows drivers (not to mention you ended up using an Uninstaller on Windows right after) is just as flawed as your claim that data is easily recovered after a format.
I already explained the rough idea of what a "format" actually does, and I explained why it's nearly impossible for a virus to "survive"—even with your colorful way of describing formatting—let alone drivers designed for a totally different OS platform...
And I have no clue what you mean by calling people "peasants"?

But I've been telling you this the whole time: Ubuntu works when it's installed alongside a formatted Windows 7, but it won't work if everything is totally wiped. The logic is that the Windows 7 installation process doesn't clear the entire drive during a format... I know it's hard to wrap your head around, but it's the truth.

Matthew Young35 said:Hahahahahaha

Just a bunch of farmers.
Haha

That’s not even all of it haha.
Hahahaha
Total concrete jockeys!

LOL

hahahhahaa I was talking to him about the drive and he tries to counter me by suggesting the exact same low level format program... clearly he doesn't even know what he's talking about....🍿

ruggedfalcon62 said:It’s almost laughable. I start talking to him about banning, and he tries to get the upper hand by bringing up the exact same low-level format program. It’s pretty obvious the guy hasn't even got a clue what he’s talking about.🍿

When the loader decides to just scatter the cargo everywhere... Hahahaha.

Matthew Young35 said:When the loader spilled the whole cargo... Hahahaha

hahahaha 👍

ruggedfalcon62 said:Look, I've been trying to tell you all along—Ubuntu works fine if you just format your Windows 7 drive, but if you completely wipe it, it won't work. The logic is that the formatting process during a Windows 7 installation doesn't actually clear everything off the hard drive. I know that sounds a bit hard to wrap your head around, but it's just how it is...

That’s just not true. If you're having trouble wrapping your head around it, that's a different story altogether.

I'm running Windows 7, and I had Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 & 3 installed on it. After a while, MW3 just vanished from my computer, and then yesterday, MW2 followed suit. All that's left on my desktop is a blank white icon. There isn't even a trace of the game files left on my system—it's like I went through and used Revo Uninstaller to wipe everything out myself. Has anyone else dealt with something like this? Why does this even happen? I never ran into anything like this back when I was using Windows XP.

It might not actually be a Windows issue—could be the hard drive acting up instead... Maybe try downloading CrystalDiskInfo and running a quick check to see how it's holding up?

ruggedfalcon62 said:Look, I’ve been telling you this whole time—Ubuntu works fine if you just format the drive through the Windows 7 installer, but if you wipe the whole thing completely clean, it won't work... The logic is that the formatting process built into the Windows 7 setup doesn't actually scrub everything off the hard drive. I know, I know, it sounds crazy and hard to wrap your head around, but it’s the honest truth!....

wtf 🤔
There's a huge difference between a quick format and a full format. A quick format basically just tricks the system into thinking the disk is empty, whereas a full format actually "cleans" the drive—which is exactly why a full format takes so much longer to finish.

Whether you're trying to install Linux on a freshly formatted drive or one that's only had a "quick" format, it honestly doesn't matter unless you're dealing with actual hardware issues—in which case, you should definitely go with a full format. Otherwise, it's really just about security; once you do a full format, it becomes nearly impossible to recover any old files.

I was wondering if I could actually install Windows 7 on my laptop... do you think the hardware can handle it? View on imgur

Which motherboard are you running? Just a heads-up—that processor isn't exactly a powerhouse when it comes to Windows 7...

Bradley Baker56 said:Can I actually install Windows 7 on my laptop, or is it just going to be a total disaster? Will this thing even be able to handle it? View on imgur

Honestly, there's no way... you're seriously lacking enough RAM and that processor is just too weak, so why even bother? Windows 7 is such a heavy OS and you aren't going to get anything out of it with those specs, so you might as well just stick with Windows XP since everything actually runs fine on it.

You technically can, but the real question is how well it’ll actually run.
Maybe try disabling Aero, all those background services, and those extra little graphics effects after you install it? Basically, just turn Windows 7 back into a classic-looking OS.