Eraser may have been a bad idea...

[AFG]

I have this old 40gig IDE HD and I used a program called eraser to delete all the files that were in it (it previously had a Windows XP partition). However, when I ran the program it got stuck at 72% and gave a message that it could no longer proceed deleting the files on the disk.
Is there a program that can delete the remaining files?
What do i need to do to be able use this HD as a storage HD?

Thnx

 

[PCcashCow]

what does the standard format X:\ -f say under a DOS prompt? It may have stopped the erasing files because your primary drive was still access or writing to a hidden file.

If you can format under a DOS prompt, look into you dskmgt MMC under computer management. You should see all existing partitions on the drive and format it from there.

 

[AFG]

what does the standard format X:\ -f say under a DOS prompt? It may have stopped the erasing files because your primary drive was still access or writing to a hidden file.

If you can format under a DOS prompt, look into you dskmgt MMC under computer management. You should see all existing partitions on the drive and format it from there.

Wow, so I was doing it the right way (seemed kind of brute at the time, i had previuously though of deleting everything by hand but it also seemed caveman-ish). I dont know how to use DOS i seen it in accesories menu but never really used it (the truth is it looks scary like if i do something wrong the computer will crash and never start again. I messed with regedit not to long ago and now my dvd drive is dead.) . I was sure not to use any file from the secondary drive, but then again windows is a mystery. Anyways I was wondering when you said "format it from there" do you mean the formating will delete the existing files or do I have to run eraser again. Also theres two options in the new partition wizard: primary & extended partition, which should I use?

 

[pscowboy]

You overcomplicated erasing the 40g.

The fact that you were going to use it again for storage, and thus, overwriting any data fragments, you needn't have used Eraser.

Hook it up as a secondary hd into whatever system you were going to use it in, and format it in Disk Management.

 

[technology-sponge]

Easiest way, is to format the drive, then use eraser to wipe free disk space.

OR if there was highly critical data, use something like DBAN to nuke the hdd from a dos level. (remove your exsisting hdd to prevent accidents!)

 

[AFG]

Yeah I used the windows disk management like you guys told me and it worked great (it was so quick I was supicious at first). I even fixed the problem with my dvd drive, anyways thanks alot guys I would of never figure it out by myself.

Thanks a bunch !