Total OS removal

[RSwire]

This may sound stupid but is there a way to completly remove an os, like it was a new hard-drive and installing an os for the first time. I read some things off the net but what was written is not even close to what I'm getting as far as command promt options. Any help would be great. Thanks.

[manxspud]

assuming you want to do more than just reformat the drive ...

i would google for hard drive scrubbing software ... this over writes your drive with 0 and random algorithms.

there are lots free ... have a google and choose one you like the look of.

be prepared though it can take time ...

[Cod3waX]

on every new install u get an option to format the harddrive before it installs fresh windows

or

get a new hdd put windows on that and put ur old hdd in ur computer or attach via dock etc... and format it in new windows

hope this helps

[TheCoder]

If you actually want to 'scrub' the old data then note the above post. To just make the disk 'appear' new then you can start with fdisk to delete and re-create partitions and then use format to initialise those partitions.

[mrcaki]

Hi,

check on google for "hiren boot cd" you will find a lot of tools for hard disk formating etc...

[diocesan]

Do you want to delete the partition, or completely destroy data on it?

[Elric]

Dban it

Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN") is a self-contained boot disk that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.

DBAN Download | Darik's Boot And Nuke

[liviumaxtv]

help

Hello I have a panasonic cf 51 and has password bios, can someone help me please .... please

[Saltire]

I know this thread is a couple of weeks old now, but I wanted to add this.

If you feel that you have stuff or have had some stuff even years ago on your hard drive that is very sensitive data, I wont even go into the other data I could mention, .

Then there is only one thing on the planet that will gaurantee that all the data is destroyed and that is either to put your hard drive in a furnace until it melts to liquid, or crush it with a machine that crushes things into small pieces, or the cheapest method and easiest is to drill several holes (the more the better) right through the hard drive and it will shatter the magnetic platter plates inside and make them totally unreadable even with recovery hardware.

Other than that you can take a chance, and I say "its a chance" using the so called military graded software that swears to wipe your drives clean, does it really, ???? well that all depends on what your willing to try and hide and hope that it is actually wiped and not still in there somewehere.

Remember that even if you sell your hard drive or pc to someone else and they sell it to 2 more people down the line and keep the same hard drive and reinstall windows and format 100 times etc, "YOUR" old data from years before can still be recovered from that drive using either software or hardware recovery, and that even includes all your precious passwords and usernames for all your accounts and everything in certain circumstances.

Anyways, just thought I would say. .

[cunny]

If you actually want to 'scrub' the old data then note the above post. To just make the disk 'appear' new then you can start with fdisk to delete and re-create partitions and then use format to initialise those partitions.

This wont erase data, its still recoverable. You can recover data thats partitions old.

Back to OP download killdisk the freeware version only allows 1 pass but if you get a reg'd copy then it will do more and the data wont be recoverable.

As salty said though, the only way to be sure would be to destroy the hdd/memory card

[Chimaera]

Best option if you doing this to sell it.
Take the drive and smash it till the platters break with a hammer.
Then put a new drive in

If you wanting to reuse then killdisk or similar and triple kill the drive

[tolgiz]

Used Fdisk

[little pob]

If the drive is newer than 2001 try the Secure Erase feature built into SMART drives since that date: CMRR - Secure Erase