How to erase hard drive

[Bear0340]

I installed windows xp. my 30 days are up and now i have to register but it was a xp disk lieing around so its been used and wont let me register. I plan on getting my own operating system but i cant get xp off. all i can do is log on and be asked to register at the log in screen. if anyone could help me out id appreciate it. I figure ill have to somehow erase the whole hard drive but since i cant log in i dont know how. Thanx

 

[emogoch]

Do you have a second computer that's on the same network? If so, boot the locked computer and wait until it's at the logon screen. Once there, on the second computer, go to start --> Run, then enter the command: <b>\\<computername>\c$</b>

Where <b><computername></b> is the name of your computer. i.e. in my case, it's: \\SNAIL\C$

It'll ask you for a username and password, enter the credentials for an <b>Administrator</b> account. Once this is done, an explorer window will open up with the C: drive on the locked computer. This will let you copy any data over to the other machine before you erase the hard drive.

Once that's done, and you have the new version of XP, just put the CD in the drive-tray and reboot the machine. If needed, go into the BIOS to turn on "Boot from CD" (turn it on, and put the CD-ROM option ahead of the Hard Drive option in the boot list). Once you're booted from the CD-ROM, follow the instructions on screen. Everntually you'll be presented with the option of deleting the existing partition and creating a new partition. Just delete the partition that Windows is installed on, Create a new partition once the delete is done in the same place, and you'll be good to go.

 

[Bear0340]

thanks ill try it out. i dont have a network but i didnt have really anything important on there luckily so ill just wipe everthing. thanx again

 

[Crashman]

If you're re-installing XP, just boot off the XP Setup CD, tell it you want to do a new instal, and when it asks which partition, it gives you the option to delete the existing partition (once you select it). Folling the command promts, you press "d", "l", "enter", then make a new partition and choose your format.

So the only reason you'd not know that is because you've never tried.

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[backwards]

You can actually continue using an expired XP in safe mode

 

[Codesmith]

Are you afraid that you triggers some sort of antipiracy protection that somehow poisoned the hard drive?

Don't worry Microsoft doesn't do that kind of thing and probably never will, they don't even bother to disable pirated systems that attempt to use windows update and fail validation.

Anyway buy the OEM version of XP and not Retail. Last I checked Home was going for arround $93 and Pro for $148 and media center 2005 for $119.

Linux is free but good luck playing the latest games.