I want to format my laptop hardrive

Robot44,

Thank you for using the Dell Community Forum.

The Dell™ Factory Image Restore tool replaces PC Restore. Access it from the F8 boot menu. To enter the Boot menu press the F8 key slowly several times after the bios load completes. You would then choose the option that reads "Repair Your Computer"

DELL-Jesse L, Robot44 said that F8 doesn't work on his system. Whats the other solution when F8 doesn't work for him?

I am familiar with using F8... and I have tried it fast, slow, a lot, only once. Nothing doing.

Hi. I have a Studio 16 XPS. I would like to format for a clean install. I have made recovery disks - but have not been presented with a way to format. F8 and Shift+F11 doesn't work for me.   Any suggestions, or have they removed the ability to do this, they just want you to restore to their setting?

F8 or Shift+F11 is to do a clean install from the Dell Recovery partition, but since you have the recovery disks, doing this is totally unnecessary.

Just put the recovery disk into the CD drive, and hit F12 during bootup to choose to boot from the CD. Go from there.

During the install, you will be given the option to format the hard drive.

Robot44,

Maybe your waiting too long to hit the F8 key. Start tapping the key as soon as your start the computer from a dead start. Don't restart and try to hit the F8 key. It's there it cannot disappear. Too many options on this screen.