CommieChipmunk
Member
+488|7042|Portland, OR, USA
I'm switching back to XP.. I have my files saved on a backup and everything.

Now how do I go about completely wiping my whole hard drive of everything?  I have 2 partitions so hopefully that won't make it too difficult.
kylef
Gone
+1,352|6965|N. Ireland
Well, you can either run Boot and Nuke which will completely wipe your hard drive, permanently removing the data (you'll never get the data back), or you could format it through a Windows disk.
CommieChipmunk
Member
+488|7042|Portland, OR, USA

leetkyle wrote:

Well, you can either run Boot and Nuke which will completely wipe your hard drive, permanently removing the data (you'll never get the data back), or you could format it through a Windows disk.
boot and nuke?
_j5689_
Dreads & Bergers
+364|7189|Riva, MD
Maybe he means installing something else over it, like Linux, and then installing Windows over that.
Mitch
16 more years
+877|6997|South Florida
I suggest a program called Killdisk. If your familiar with stealing software then getting a copy should be easy. If not i GUESS i could help you...
Basicaly its one of the best programs out there for completely wiping your harddrive so that when the FBI comes they dont find traces of your child porn stash... Yeah i know what you've been up to commie. LOL.

Theres different levels of wiping, and just so you know, if you use the best erase method expect to be waiting about 35 hours... Its rediculous.

Last edited by Mitch (2007-07-14 17:24:17)

15 more years! 15 more years!
LividBovine
The Year of the Cow!
+175|6851|MN
When you go through the set-up on Windows XP, it will ask you what partition to install on, and also if you want to format it.  There are 2 options for formating.  The first is a quick format, doesn't really delete anything just sort of prretends it isn't there.  The second it actually tries to delete everything.
"The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation" - Barack Obama (a freshman senator from Illinios)
some_random_panda
Flamesuit essential
+454|6862

Microsoft wrote:

How to partition and format your hard disk by using the Windows XP Setup program
Important If you follow these steps on a hard disk that is not empty, all the data on that hard disk is permanently deleted. We recommend that you back up your hard disk before you follow these steps.

To partition and format your hard disk by using the Windows XP Setup program: 1. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, or insert the first Windows XP Setup disk into the floppy disk drive, and then restart the computer.

Note To start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM (or from the startup disk), your computer must be configured to start from the CD-ROM drive, the DVD-ROM drive, or the floppy disk drive. In some cases, you may have to modify your computer's BIOS settings to set this configuration. For information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM drive, the DVD-ROM drive, or the floppy disk drive, see the documentation that is included with your computer, or contact the computer manufacturer.
2. If you are starting the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do this.

Note If your hard disk controller requires a third-party original equipment manufacturer (OEM) driver, press F6 to specify the driver.

For more information about how to use F6 to supply a third-party OEM device driver while the Windows Setup program is running, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
314859 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314859/) Limited OEM driver support is available with F6 during Windows XP Setup
If you are starting from the Windows XP Setup disks, insert each of the additional disks when you are prompted, and then press ENTER to continue after you insert each disk.
3. At the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER.
4.
Note If you are using the Setup disks (6 bootable disks), the setup will prompt you to instert the Windows XP CD. 
5. Press F8 to accept the Windows XP Licensing Agreement.
6. If an existing Windows XP installation is detected, you are prompted to repair it. To bypass the repair, press ESC.
7. All the existing partitions and the unpartitioned spaces are listed for each physical hard disk. Use the ARROW keys to select the partition or the unpartitioned space where you want to create a new partition. Press D to delete an existing partition, or press C to create a new partition by using unpartitioned space. If you press D to delete an existing partition, you must then press L (or press ENTER, and then press L if it is the System partition) to confirm that you want to delete the partition. Repeat this step for each of the existing partitions that you want to use for the new partition. When all the partitions are deleted, select the remaining unpartitioned space, and then press C to create the new partition.

Note If you want to create a partition where one or more partitions already exist, you must first delete the existing partition or partitions, and then create the new partition.
8. Type the size in megabytes (MB) that you want to use for the new partition, and then press ENTER, or just press ENTER to create the partition with the maximum size.
9. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to create additional partitions if you want them.
10. If you want to install Windows XP, use the ARROW keys to select the partition where you want to install Windows XP, and then press ENTER. If you do not want to format the partition and install Windows XP, press F3 two times to quit the Windows Setup program, and then do not follow the remaining steps. In this case, you must use a different utility to format the partition.
11. Select the format option that you want to use for the partition, and then press ENTER. You have the following options: • Format the partition by using the NTFS file system (Quick)
• Format the partition by using the FAT file system (Quick)
• Format the partition by using the NTFS file system
• Format the partition by using the FAT file system
• Leave the current file system intact (no changes)
The option to leave the current file system intact is not available if the selected partition is a new partition. The FAT file system option is not available if the selected partition is more than 32 gigabytes (GB). If the partition is larger than 2 GB, the Windows Setup program uses the FAT32 file system (you must press ENTER to confirm). If the partition is smaller than 2 GB, the Windows Setup program uses the FAT16 file system.

Note If you deleted and created a new System partition, but you are installing Windows XP on a different partition, you will be prompted to select a file system for both the System and startup partitions.
12. After the Windows Setup program formats the partition, follow the instructions that appear on the screen to continue. After the Windows Setup program is completed, you can use the Disk Management tools in Windows XP to create or format more partitions.
Deleting your C partition wipes your hard drive completely.

I used this website when formatting my own computer:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6026_format-hard-drive.html

Last edited by some_random_panda (2007-07-14 17:26:46)

CommieChipmunk
Member
+488|7042|Portland, OR, USA

Mitch wrote:

I suggest a program called Killdisk. If your familiar with stealing software then getting a copy should be easy. If not i GUESS i could help you...
Basicaly its one of the best programs out there for completely wiping your harddrive so that when the FBI comes they dont find traces of your child porn stash... Yeah i know what you've been up to commie. LOL.

Theres different levels of wiping, and just so you know, if you use the best erase method expect to be waiting about 35 hours... Its rediculous.
can I download the free version?
Qrite
sup g
+79|6646|Ohio
too many problems with vista?
CommieChipmunk
Member
+488|7042|Portland, OR, USA
yes
Qrite
sup g
+79|6646|Ohio
lag in games or what.  cause i had vista , and put xp pro back on because the lag on bf2 it made was annoying as hell, i couldnt stand it
CommieChipmunk
Member
+488|7042|Portland, OR, USA

[REB]Qrite wrote:

lag in games or what.  cause i had vista , and put xp pro back on because the lag on bf2 it made was annoying as hell, i couldnt stand it
yep.  Lag, I had to go from 1600x1200 to 1280x1024? or something like that.  Plus drivers suck, joysticks now calibrated wrong, WIC beta doesnt work.  Blue screens....

Pros: endless

Cons: it wont utilize all 4 GBs of ram..
Qrite
sup g
+79|6646|Ohio
i miss the look of vista ..  i have different themes for my xp but its still not the same

Last edited by [REB]Qrite (2007-07-14 22:15:38)

CommieChipmunk
Member
+488|7042|Portland, OR, USA

[REB]Qrite wrote:

i miss the look of vista ..  i have different themes for my xp but its still not the same
try royale noir

it looks good

http://www.istartedsomething.com/20061029/royale-noir/

Last edited by CommieChipmunk (2007-07-14 22:17:37)

lavadisk
I am a cat ¦ 3
+369|7301|Denver colorado

_j5689_ wrote:

Maybe he means installing something else over it, like Linux, and then installing Windows over that.
Omg. no.

Never do that.

linux is weird as hell. You don't know what to expect once you install that OS.

I have a partition from open suse but because I dont know how to take that partition away (Well, I do, its just that its really hard) and it couldnt connect to the DAMNED INTERNET <LOL, CAPSLOCKS> That just sits there and takes up like 60 gigs.
CrazeD
Member
+368|7145|Maine

lavadisk wrote:

_j5689_ wrote:

Maybe he means installing something else over it, like Linux, and then installing Windows over that.
Omg. no.

Never do that.

linux is weird as hell. You don't know what to expect once you install that OS.

I have a partition from open suse but because I dont know how to take that partition away (Well, I do, its just that its really hard) and it couldnt connect to the DAMNED INTERNET <LOL, CAPSLOCKS> That just sits there and takes up like 60 gigs.
Um.

Deleting a partition takes like 5 seconds, it's not hard at all. And Linux isn't even remotely close to 60 gigs...sorry.
CommieChipmunk
Member
+488|7042|Portland, OR, USA
well, that was easy...
Titch2349
iz me!
+358|6824|uk

CommieChipmunk wrote:

well, that was easy...
Yeah... i dunno why everyone was telling you to get 3rd party apps to reformat... its part of the XP installation
kylef
Gone
+1,352|6965|N. Ireland

CommieChipmunk wrote:

leetkyle wrote:

Well, you can either run Boot and Nuke which will completely wipe your hard drive, permanently removing the data (you'll never get the data back), or you could format it through a Windows disk.
boot and nuke?
Boot and Nuke
ghettoperson
Member
+1,943|7121

CrazeD wrote:

lavadisk wrote:

_j5689_ wrote:

Maybe he means installing something else over it, like Linux, and then installing Windows over that.
Omg. no.

Never do that.

linux is weird as hell. You don't know what to expect once you install that OS.

I have a partition from open suse but because I dont know how to take that partition away (Well, I do, its just that its really hard) and it couldnt connect to the DAMNED INTERNET <LOL, CAPSLOCKS> That just sits there and takes up like 60 gigs.
Um.

Deleting a partition takes like 5 seconds, it's not hard at all. And Linux isn't even remotely close to 60 gigs...sorry.
Well, it could be if you were really stupid and thought that you'd need a 60 gig partition for it.

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