Wiping a hard drive clean?

[pickupartist3]

My brother really screwed up his computer and its running extremely slow and has a bunch of useless stuff on it. Im home on break and its my job to wipe it clean and start from scratch again. Using disk management, i got to the spot where im supposed to be able to delete the entire partition, but it will not allow it. So I need an alternative to be able to delete it...maybe a free program that I could use on the computer? Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.

[Tenchi4U]

if you are trying to delete the primary partition (the one your OS is running from), obviously it won't let you from disk management (Sparks' comment from Sealab is playing in my head, "Why would we blow up the planet...where WE are?" :D ).

If you have the XP cd, you can do delete any partition and format from within the setup. Otherwise you can run fdisk from a bootable floppy or use something like BartPE, WUBCD, or knoppix and delete the partition.

There are lots of ways, just be sure you delete the partition you REALLY want to delete.

[pickupartist3]

I think I may not have any choice, because when the computer was set up it was not partitioned so that windows was on one and everything else was in another partition, there is only one. So what options do I have with that set up?

[pickupartist3]

Well I found out a number of ways to do it, and every single time i get there, it tells me that it is unable to complete the process because the system is in use by another process. Is there any way around this? I have no idea what program it is that they're talking about. I closed all possible windows and running programs, but to no avail. Please help if you can

[gwai lo]

You can't format NTFS based operating systems while in the operating system..so that's what's the other process is.

If you got your XP disc (as stated before) you don't have to delete the partition, just back up whatever files you want then in the installation choose the primary partition as the destination partition. Then it will go on saying how you can't install windows twice on the same partition and then it will ask whether you want to format the partition, or keep the file system intact. Now go with format, from there it will wipe the drive and then reinstall the operating system.

[abudhu]

Im slightly confused. But yeah..I agree with ^^ That.

Are you saying there is only one Partiton? Lots of people do that by the way. Anyways. I don't see the problem. Stick in Win XP CD. Get all the way to choose which Win XP you want. It will tell you If you want a new one, repair, or install another one. Hit F8 at some point saying you want a New Install of Win XP. Get to the format screen then just select the partion and select Full Format NTFS.

Done and Done.

[BillR]

<snip> (Sparks' comment from Sealab is playing in my head, "Why would we blow up the planet...where WE are?" :D )

It’s somewhat comforting to know that even the “Gates Team” thought about not letting windows delete it self.

It might self-destruct, but damn it, it won’t let you kill it from within. :rolleyes:

[WillowHawk]

anyone care to expain the difference between full format and "quick format"

i dont belive either "zeros" out the drive, but if it doesnt do that...then what is the difference?...


no thread hijacking intended

[abudhu]

anyone care to expain the difference between full format and "quick format"

i dont belive either "zeros" out the drive, but if it doesnt do that...then what is the difference?...


no thread hijacking intended


Qoute from a quick Google Search:

The difference between the regular format versus the quick format is whether or not the volume is scanned for bad sectors using the chkdsk command. Both methods remove the files from the volume.

^^ Check Microsofts knowledge base too. Says the same stuff.