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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Terbs on 10 June 2011, 21:12:52

Title: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Terbs on 10 June 2011, 21:12:52
Hi all,
Don't know if anyone can help...I am trying to wipe an HP Laptop ( Compaq 8220) but having no luck. :(
On my tower system all I do is set Bios to boot from CD, chuck in Windows CD and format and reinstall. :y
However..with this laptop, I can't suss how to get it to boot from CD. The BIOS is not what I recognise.
I have tried to format via Disk Management route, but when I right click on the drive, Format is greyed out. :(
Any ideas (apart from lobbing it...) would be appreciated :y
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: CaptainZok on 10 June 2011, 21:18:03
Try pressing F12 on start up, brings up a boot menu on a lot of lappys and you can then boot from the dvd.
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Terbs on 10 June 2011, 21:26:05
Just tried that mate...no joy :(
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 10 June 2011, 21:31:39
try delete

generally these are f1 , f2, delete etc..
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: CaptainZok on 10 June 2011, 21:32:07
Can you get into the bios? F2 or Del usually.
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Plomien on 10 June 2011, 22:15:08
normal keys are Esc, F2, F8, Del, F10 or F12
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Terbs on 10 June 2011, 22:48:39
Yes, I can get into the Bios, but the options are not the usual ones :o
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Terbs on 10 June 2011, 22:55:39
Boot options are.....
Multiboot......enable/disable

Notebook Multiboot... edit...should read Multibay
Notebook Hard Drive
USB Floppy
USB Super Disk
USB CD-Rom
USB Hard Disk
Notebook Ethernet
 :y
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 10 June 2011, 23:23:25
Quote
Boot options are.....
Multiboot......enable/disable

Notebook Multiboot
Notebook Hard Drive
USB Floppy
USB Super Disk
USB CD-Rom
USB Hard Disk
Notebook Ethernet
 :y

multiboot must be enabled
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Terbs on 10 June 2011, 23:35:48
Right Cem...
So are you saying Multiboot enabled, then put the the XP cd in the drive and it will boot from that ?? :y
But how will it know to boot from CD?
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 10 June 2011, 23:40:30
Quote
Right Cem...
So are you saying Multiboot enabled, then put the the XP cd in the drive and it will boot from that ?? :y
But how will it know to boot from CD?

when you enable multiboot , it will show the menu and ask you to choose .. 

and also from bios options find the related option to show all stages during start up.. ie silent mode off etc..
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Martian on 10 June 2011, 23:42:15
Quote
But how will it know to boot from CD?
You set the boot sequence so that the optical drive comes before the hard drive, and press a key within 5 seconds when prompted.
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Terbs on 10 June 2011, 23:46:51
Quote
Quote
Right Cem...
So are you saying Multiboot enabled, then put the the XP cd in the drive and it will boot from that ?? :y
But how will it know to boot from CD?

when you enable multiboot , it will show the menu and ask you to choose .. 

and also from bios options find the related option to show all stages during start up.. ie silent mode off etc..


Can't find anything resembling that, mate :(
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Terbs on 10 June 2011, 23:50:35
I have the listings, Martian,


I notice I mistyped the first in the list...it should read Multibay

Is this also known as the CD boot? ;)
Multibay is listed as First
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Martian on 11 June 2011, 08:15:56
Multibay could be the optical drive, it all depends on how Compaq have chosen to word it.

On my sons HP laptop, pressing the ESC key brings up a list of options, and pressing the F9 key from that list then invokes a boot manager where I can select which device to boot from (his optical drive is listed as "Internal CD/DVD Drive").
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Terbs on 11 June 2011, 08:28:24
Quote
Multibay could be the optical drive, it all depends on how Compaq have chosen to word it.

On my sons HP laptop, pressing the ESC key brings up a list of options, and pressing the F9 key from that list then invokes a boot manager where I can select which device to boot from (his optical drive is listed as "Internal CD/DVD Drive").

Thanks for that...unfortunately I have to go to work now, but will try that when I get back :y
Title: Re: Wiping a HDD
Post by: Terbs on 11 June 2011, 08:31:16
I have just remembered....when I first started on this adventure, I did get Setup operating, came to the usual repair screen, etc, but when I tried to delete the partition, it would not let me. :(
And as I said earlier, I cannot format via Device manager.

Had to run 'D' to get to setup