# Help with formatting an HP Laptop

**URL:** <https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-with-formatting-an-hp-laptop/40724>\
**Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\
**Created:** [December 24, 2007, 11:06am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-with-formatting-an-hp-laptop/40724 "2007-12-24T11:06:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![N\_CTRL](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/n_ctrl/32/4982_2.png) [@N\_CTRL](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/N_CTRL)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 11:06am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-with-formatting-an-hp-laptop/40724/1 "2007-12-24T11:06:58Z")

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I’m trying to format my gf’s HP dv6000 laptop. I’m doing this because she has a step-brother that doesn’t use it any more and isn’t around anymore… but won’t gave up the admin password.

I have a legit copy of Vista and can’t seem to figure it out. The stock hard drive is partitioned and it wouldn’t let me write on the main one so I used the very small (like 8 gigs) partition to install Vista. It worked… but the old Vista  
is still there on the other partition. That said, I would have no prob just deleting it, but his settings are different and better than the new format. I can’t set the screen resolution at a decent setting whereas the old Vista has multiple settings for it. I tried dl’ing drivers and still can’t get to work. Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![BuickGN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/buickgn/32/7200_2.png) [@BuickGN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BuickGN)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 11:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-with-formatting-an-hp-laptop/40724/2 "2007-12-24T11:18:58Z")

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do a clean format using fdisk, HP puts a recovery partition on the drive, its useless now, so fdisk it.

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**Author:** ![ILCisDEAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@ILCisDEAD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILCisDEAD)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 11:28am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-with-formatting-an-hp-laptop/40724/3 "2007-12-24T11:28:22Z")

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i think he is having problems with the drivers too… but cleaning it all out and jsut starting from scratch would probably be the easiest way. like BuickGN said

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**Author:** ![tpgsr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tpgsr/32/7374_2.png) [@tpgsr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/tpgsr)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-with-formatting-an-hp-laptop/40724/4 "2007-12-24T11:51:31Z")

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hmmm. I could have just got the admin password out of it for you.

If you can get in under any account, you can make a driver backup disk. That will save you a ton of frustration when you cant find one simple ass driver.