How do I TOTALLY wipe my hard drive

[Gherkin]

I want to start TOTALLY fresh and just reinstall Windows. I want to totally wipe the hard drive so it's like it was the day it came out of the box. This isn't for security measures though, so I don't need to overwrite the data over and over as if I didn't want someone to get access to the data. I just wanted a totally clear HD so I can start fresh. How exactly do I go about this?

 

[Crashman]

Use fdisk and format from a windows 98SE cd (or a boot floppy of that version). On the CD, Format.exe is located in the Win98 directory.

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[Snorkius]

You take 'Mr. Sledge Hammer' and BAH!

Seriously, do what crashman said. <A HREF="http://www.bootdisk.com" target="_new"> go here </A> if you need a bootdisk, or help with one.

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A woman driving is like a <font color=yellow> star </font color=yellow>in the sky, you can see her, but she can't see you.
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[infiltrator]

Do a 'FDISK /mbr' and just recreate your partitions.

 

[Guest]

WHy bother ? During the windows installation you will be given the option to delete partitions and recreate/format them. I don't see the point of doing it any earlier.. especially with a win98 bootdisk that will format FAT, only to have XP or w2k reformat it again, using NTFS this time (assuming you will use NTFS). Sounds like a waste of time IMHO.

= The views stated herein are my personal views, and not necessarily the views of my wife. =

 

[Snorkius]

:redface:

<font color=blue>
A woman driving is like a <font color=yellow> star </font color=yellow>in the sky, you can see her, but she can't see you.
</font color=blue>

 

[HardWareBoss]

Why do you want to totally wipe your hard drive?

 

[shadus]

If its not for security reasons, boot off a floppy or bootable cd and then type this:

FORMAT C: /Q /U

Poof gone. However if you are going up to a newer version of Windows (aka NT/XP and you previously had 98/98/etc) then you should pop open fdisk and delete the partition and run the install... it'll help you through creation of a partition and a clean format of it.

Shadus<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by shadus on 10/10/03 03:47 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[scamtrOn]

we bother because the dood didn't mention what OS he will be installing. a vague question gets a vague answer.

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[slvr_phoenix]

Okay, go to the hardware store (no, not the computer store, I mean like screwdrivers and pipes and stuff) and find a nice industrial magnet. You don't have to buy it. Just hold your hard drive near it (though not against it as that could be difficult to get it off of the magnet afterwords) and BAM, no more data.

<pre><A HREF="http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20030905" target="_new"><font color=black>People don't understand how hard being a dark god can be. - Hastur</font color=black></A></pre><p>

 

[Guest]

you may be surprised how long it will take before that data is gone. never tried it with a harddisk, but I know floppies resist surprisingly well to being suspended on a large woofer magnet for several minutes

= The views stated herein are my personal views, and not necessarily the views of my wife. =

 

[sjonnie]

Go to the website of your hard disk manufacturer and download their hard disk diagnotic / repair software. Use this to do a low-level format of the drive. This will write all the bits on the disk to 0. That is as close as you can get to a totally clear hard disk.

PS It helps if you post questions about hard disks in the hard disk forum.

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/myanandtech.html?member=114979" target="_new">My PCs</A>

 

[Guest]

OH dear.. why on earth would you recommend someone to do a low level format, if all he wants to do is install an OS ? What is wrong with repartitioning and formatting the disk from within the OS installer shell ? Every OS supports that :/

= The views stated herein are my personal views, and not necessarily the views of my wife. =

 

[Gherkin]

I'm using Windows XP. I just built my PC very recently and some stuff got screwed up so I just want to wipe and start fresh.

 

[sjonnie]

He asked how to totally wipe his hard disk, I was just answering his question.

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/myanandtech.html?member=114979" target="_new">My PCs</A>

 

[sjonnie]

Then just boot from the XP disk, and reformat the drive/partition.

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/myanandtech.html?member=114979" target="_new">My PCs</A>

 

[Snorkius]

Mr. Sledge Hammer is still better.

<font color=blue>
A woman driving is like a <font color=yellow> star </font color=yellow>in the sky, you can see her, but she can't see you.
</font color=blue>

 

[DOHCrazy]

ROTFLMAO!!!

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[slvr_phoenix]

you may be surprised how long it will take before that data is gone. never tried it with a harddisk, but I know floppies resist surprisingly well to being suspended on a large woofer magnet for several minutes

But woofer magnets aren't designed to pick up 200lbs (or more) of sheet metal. :O

<pre><A HREF="http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20030905" target="_new"><font color=black>People don't understand how hard being a dark god can be. - Hastur</font color=black></A></pre><p>