Ok so I noticed my cpu was getting a little cluttered and full of junk so I decided to reset it. No not to a earlier date, but to factory settings. Now it retained some of my original programs which I use So that's fine. Although my available memory hasn't changed. I have a 160GB or memory and I had around 74GB before the reset. So now that I reset and got rid of all of the junk/movies/images my avaiable space hasn't seemed to change. Can anyone tell me what's going on here?

A format to factory setting should remove installed programs, too.

I would hunt for any files you want to keep then run it again.

Typically there are two types of formatting available with the startup disc, so watch close to see that you are doing a full format. It will typically be preceded by a warning that says something like "this format will remove all installed programs and return your computer to it's original state".

In short, if there's anything left on it that you had there before, it's not been formatted.

The odd thing was yea a lot of the programs didn't work but a few did like my online games and such. So would you recommend I run it again?

Definitely.

Have purchased a compaq N400c laptop a couple of days ago been working fine until now, I cannot get onto anything it will not reboot from the F10 index ,I am not very good with computers but I desperately need help. Not even sure I have posted in correct place.

Hi GUYS. I'm having the same problem as the original question. After my system recovery, I retained my programs, but not my files, yet I my hard drive still shows the same amount of space being used.

How do I retrieve those lost files?
How do I free that space?

I want to both because I wanted to keep certain files. THanks for any feedbacks. I'm not that great with computers. CHEERS!!

Hi, guys I have a compaq computer and I just bought it a few weeks ago and the computer came with windows 7 home premium and I installed a fake windows and now the system recovery doesn't work and when I boot my computer and there's an option that says f11 for system recovery and I press that and still doesn't work! So can some one please gelp me?<< like now I can do a recovery to my computer and I have to run this freakin fake windows because my computer recovery doesn't work so can some body help me please?