How To Erase Your Hard Drive

[wooohooo 0]

There are several ways to erase the contents of a hard drive. But the technique you use will depend on what you want to use the hard drive for afterwards. For instance, if you just plan on reinstalling Windows, it isn’t necessary to do a Department of Defense level shredding of your data

 

Erase your hard drive for reinstalling Windows

In newer versions of Windows, you can simply boot to the Windows CD and during the setup process, tell Windows to delete the current partition and install on the new partition. This will wipe out what you already had and replace it with a fresh, shiny Windows installation. Brand name computers--such as Dell, HP, Compaq and Sony—will ship with a recovery disk. You can use that recovery disk in place of a Windows CD to format and reinstall automatically.

Erase you hard drive and sell it on Ebay

If you plan on selling the computer or hard drive on Ebay or even at a yard sale, you must use a shredding utility that will thoroughly erase the data on the hard drive. Actually, these programs write 1s and 0s over every sector of the hard drive several times so the data that had been there is most certainly gone forever. You can then reinstall Windows, if you wish. The problem with the first method is that even though the drive has been formatted, there are tools available that can recover the data that had been erased. Using a program like Darik’s Boot and Nuke (or DBaN) will make that data unrecoverable.

Discarding a dead hard drive

If your computer has failed and the hard drive is no good, you must destroy the hard drive before tossing it in the trash. Sophisticated tools can be used to recover the data on hard drives that no longer work. If you plan on recycling the computer or putting it in the landfill (shame on you), you have to remove the drive and carefully destroy it by whatever means necessary. You can remove the platters by opening the hard drive shell. Whether you plan on drilling holes in it, smashing it with a hammer or driving over it with your car, be sure to wear protective goggles and gloves.

 

So there are different reasons for erasing your hard drive and different methods based on those reasons. You can find hard drive utilities on our Software Downloads section or contact us on our forums for more advice on how to handle data on your hard drive.

[levimage 0]

In addition to the initial topic post of "How To Erase Your Hard Drive", This advice will also apply for people who are upgrading their existing drive to a newer one with a new interface or more space (GB). I like to use the Ultimate Boot CD, which is available online -- just google 'UBCD' and download the .ISO image. Using your cdr recording software or a free one (I download and installed 'CD Burner Pro XP', also free.), insert a blank CD into your PC and select the options to burn from an ISO image.One you have the UBCD burned on the a CDR, you may now insert it in the computer/laptop you would like to erase the contents of hard drive (or other hard drive options). Press whatever keys are necessary to enter the BIOS. Then select/toggle the options in the 'boot order' to boot to the CD 1st (first).Reboot, your PC/laptop. It will boot unto the CD not your installed OS. Then you will receive a menu. Use the keyboard to select your options. You will probably want to select the Hard Disk options. This CD will have various software utilities from all the manufactures who make the drives as well as third party utilities.Select the proper utility from your hard drive manufacture. Then your pc/laptop will boot using the selected utility/software. From there you may write zeros to the beginning and end of drive (1-2 minutes). Or write zeros on the whole drive (20min to 6 hours, depending on make/model and size ), or copy your data to a new drive (2-18 hours, depending on different characteristics of both drives, size, amount of data involved, fragmentation, etc.).This is the typical way I reuse older drives or upgrade to new drives. I also want to add be wary of the about of time involved when it comes to using hard drive utility software, especially when you are working on someone else's pc/laptop and/or if you are going to get paid for the services.Also a final note, and I can't stress this enough. Make sure you have a back up all the data off the hard drive first, before you start attempting to use any of the above methods or utilities. And plan for time. And if this would be your first time, make sure you don't have any interruptions; power, people wanting to use the PC, having to move the pc/laptop, or you don't have enough time.Well this is all I can add on the subject. Questions?

[gregg1405241559 0]

In addition to the initial topic post of "How To Erase Your Hard Drive", This advice will also apply for people who are upgrading their existing drive to a newer one with a new interface or more space (GB). I like to use the Ultimate Boot CD, which is available online -- just google 'UBCD' and download the .ISO image. Using your cdr recording software or a free one (I download and installed 'CD Burner Pro XP', also free.), insert a blank CD into your PC and select the options to burn from an ISO image.
One you have the UBCD burned on the a CDR, you may now insert it in the computer/laptop you would like to erase the contents of hard drive (or other hard drive options). Press whatever keys are necessary to enter the BIOS. Then select/toggle the options in the 'boot order' to boot to the CD 1st (first).

Reboot, your PC/laptop. It will boot unto the CD not your installed OS. Then you will receive a menu. Use the keyboard to select your options. You will probably want to select the Hard Disk options. This CD will have various software utilities from all the manufactures who make the drives as well as third party utilities.

Select the proper utility from your hard drive manufacture. Then your pc/laptop will boot using the selected utility/software. From there you may write zeros to the beginning and end of drive (1-2 minutes). Or write zeros on the whole drive (20min to 6 hours, depending on make/model and size ), or copy your data to a new drive (2-18 hours, depending on different characteristics of both drives, size, amount of data involved, fragmentation, etc.).

This is the typical way I reuse older drives or upgrade to new drives. I also want to add be wary of the about of time involved when it comes to using hard drive utility software, especially when you are working on someone else's pc/laptop and/or if you are going to get paid for the services.

Also a final note, and I can't stress this enough. Make sure you have a back up all the data off the hard drive first, before you start attempting to use any of the above methods or utilities. And plan for time. And if this would be your first time, make sure you don't have any interruptions; power, people wanting to use the PC, having to move the pc/laptop, or you don't have enough time.

Well this is all I can add on the subject. Questions?

Hi.,

here is one more option to wipe your drive permanently other than formatting and physical damage. You can erase your drive with the help of stellar phoenix drive wipe software which erase data beyond recovery so that no one can be recover your data. This software use advance algorithm to overwrite the data and wiping your hard drive

[iGuest 3]

Erase hard drive and reuse computer

How To Erase Your Hard Drive

 

 

I cannot afford a new computer, but my current one is so slow and probably has a virus and/or worm.

Can I erase the hard drive in it and then reuse the computer with the same hard drive now that all the info is erased?

Thanks.

 

-question by adrian pouchan

[toby 0]

Erase hard drive and reuse computer

 

How To Erase Your Hard Drive

I cannot afford a new computer, but my current one is so slow and probably has a virus and/or worm.

Can I erase the hard drive in it and then reuse the computer with the same hard drive now that all the info is erased?

Thanks.

 

-question by adrian pouchan

Yes, though change your practises (Ubuntu or don't open unscanned stuff).

[iGuest 3]

Got a slow PC?

 

Try Linux!

 

You can download and test a liveCD of any of the following great Linux distros:

 

- Knoppix

- Damn Small Linux (very low requirements)

- Ubuntu (great interface, regular hardware reqs)

 

- a lot more to choose from!

 

When you're done choosing, you can install to hard drive and presto!

You got free OS and free softwares, legally installed!

 

 

 

 

Erase hard drive and reuse computer

 

How To Erase Your Hard Drive

I cannot afford a new computer, but my current one is so slow and probably has a virus and/or worm.

Can I erase the hard drive in it and then reuse the computer with the same hard drive now that all the info is erased?

Thanks.

 

-question by adrian pouchan

[laniczech 0]

I like active disk, or vista pe ... with vista pe you can build a custom disk with your choice of toolstakes a little know how.... The vista AIK is a free download from microsoft.... you will need a frontendunless you are familiar with a dos type enviroment.... active disk has a good frontend

[aloKNsh 0]

erasing you mean to say formatting the hard drive.........its easy man just get to the bios and select the format option or you can also format using a bootable cd and also if using win. then just by right clicking the icon and then select format.....its easy......all the best

[rockershive 0]

I want to format my windows partition, and I want to do it in Suse Linux system becaue I can no longer access the windows partition for data corruption. I cannot do it 'cause it is not recognized in th Linux system.

[iGuest 3]

There has to be some reason why it's not being recognised as it should be picked up in Suse. Linux can see partitions that are even unknown to it, because it's all to do with the partition table information on the hard drive and not what format that partition is in. If it's a corrupted partition table, then it's probably not finding the right information it needs to read those partitions. If that's the case, I recommend using TestDisk.

If it's a hardware defect, or misconfiguration, then you need to verify that your BIOS is actually picking up the drive, if not, try fixing it or the drive could be suffering major problems.

Removing the partition is all you need to do, you will then use Windows to format the free space available, be sure to have any Suse rescue disks available as you'll need to restore Grub's bootloader, since Windows feels the need to overwrite the MBR even if you don't want it to.



Cheers,


MC

[iGuest 3]

HP System Recovery - Data Files???How To Erase Your Hard Drive

Hello, I recently performed the default system recovery on my HP media center computer. Before doing this I read the directions and indications and it said that in the normal default mode of system recovery the system will be restored to its factory shipped mode, all programs would be lost but NO DATA FILES would be lost. Is this true because now I cannot find any of my previous files??? eg: movies, pictures, excel files, music, etc... Where are my files now located? 

-reply by Stephen

[iGuest 3]

overkillHow To Erase Your Hard DriveDiscarding a dead hard drive

If your computer has failed andThe hard drive is no good, you must destroy the hard drive beforeTossing it in the trash. Sophisticated tools can be used to recover theData on hard drives that no longer work. If you plan on recycling theComputer or putting it in the landfill (shame on you), you have toRemove the drive and carefully destroy it by whatever means necessary.You can remove the platters by opening the hard drive shell. WhetherYou plan on drilling holes in it, smashing it with a hammer or drivingOver it with your car, be sure to wear protective goggles and gloves.

very very much overkill

if someone found a HDD in  the trash

they usually wouldn't bother recovering it

even if they did how much information could be useful to them 

-reply by smeezekitty

[iGuest 3]

wipe my hard drive s along with operating system !How To Erase Your Hard Drive

OK ... Got an older laptop, put used hard drive in, great condition ... Installed windows xp ... Pro sp2. Was working fine. Started to download software that I use (normal) and somehow virus of sort got imbedded in windows software ??? wiped disk with kill disc etc and it's still there .. That is why I think it is in windows OS and not data ... Completely clean ,,,,, download windows multiple times and "7's" automatically fill in EVERY program that has a spot for input ... Nad affects others as well ... Never seen anything like it.

would like to COMPLETELY WIPE hard drive and start over !

any help would be greatly appreciated !

thanks

ben

-question by Ben Montesano

[iGuest 3]

Erase or Wipe data completely from the hard driveHow To Erase Your Hard Drive

Formatting and deleting the existing data from the hard drive is not always safe. It is beacuse after formatting and deletion only the entries to the data in the hard drive is lost, data remains in the hard drive which can be easily recovered using any recovery software.I have gained this knowledge when once I have given my balnk hard disk to a friend and he recovered every thing from it that I have deleted. 

So, before giving hard disk to anyone make sure that you remove every thing from it. Try, Wipe Mac software. It is very nice software that will earse all your data from the Mac hard drive completely that I assure.

All the Best!

 

 

-reply by Nancy Johnson

 

[iGuest 3]

Hello - Answer to adrianHow To Erase Your Hard Drive

Yes adrian you can safely erase/ forma your hdd and then reused all you have to do is to install the Operating System again ( windows, linux. ... ) , also before the format you should backup your important data using a free software and of coursse one easy to use for you like http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ and store it on their servers.

-reply by JohnnyBoyClub