formatting

Hi .

im a total noob when it comes to computers .
I want to clear my hard disk I want to start fresh cause my computer has been running slow .

How can i do this can i just format the HD or will that remove windows as well ?

thanks

Yes, formatting removes all the data on the drive (actually, it doesn't completely remove it, but that's a different issue altogether). Think of it like rubbing out all the writing on a piece of paper. The page is still there, but the information on it is gone, and it can be used again. This will, of course, remove Windows, so you will need to reinstall it. If your PC shipped with a "factory restore" CD, you can use that to reinstall (which will usually install all the correct drivers as well). If all you have is a generic Windows installation CD, you will need to do a little more work, reinstalling drivers and such yourself.

However, you do need to ask yourself if wiping is the best solution to a slow-running PC. It's a pretty drastic step (though admittedly effective), and often poor responsiveness is a result of virus/spyware/adware infection, too many programs/processes running at startup, hard disk fragmentation, and other possibilities.