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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: omegaman2 on 09 March 2008, 14:10:39

Title: wiping hard drive
Post by: omegaman2 on 09 March 2008, 14:10:39
how do you wipe the hard drive on xp (to much junk / running slow)
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 09 March 2008, 14:12:51
going to repartition and format / reinstall ours later.

And this time around, Maria and co are going to have normal user accounts - with admin rights only for me!

Fed up of them installing spyware / toolbars and all the animated crap...!

Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: omegaman2 on 09 March 2008, 14:13:55
whats the proceedure
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: Danny on 09 March 2008, 14:30:57
might do the same i think
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: omegaman2 on 09 March 2008, 14:36:34
aye but how?
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: albitz on 09 March 2008, 14:42:42
chuck it down the stairs and claim from house insurance ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: Bandit127 on 09 March 2008, 15:16:31
Put your windows CD in. It will autoload and start asking questions - these are quite self explanatory. Follow the ones to start from scratch, making a new partition. Or Google "re-load XP".

Beware - this will wipe everything from your hard disk. Including all your own files, installed programmes, settings and drivers.

If you need a driver (e.g. for USB modem) to get to the internet then make sure you have it to hand first.

Then be prepared for hours of Windows updates.

The other way is to have a good spring clean. Delete all unwanted data and uninstall all unwanted programmes. Let XP do a disc cleanup. Then purchase a registry healing programme which will clear out your registry. (Registry Mechanic for example) This method will keep your data, settings and drivers. This is my preferred way - reinstalling is a big job. If you are like me you will find out too late that you didn't actually back up some data and it's gone forever.

Like 3 years worth of photos... :(

Regards, Jim
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: tunnie on 09 March 2008, 15:39:57
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Put your windows CD in. It will autoload and start asking questions - these are quite self explanatory. Follow the ones to start from scratch, making a new partition. Or Google "re-load XP".

Beware - this will wipe everything [/u]from your hard disk. Including all your own files, installed programmes, settings and drivers.

If you need a driver (e.g. for USB modem) to get to the internet then make sure you have it to hand first.

Then be prepared for hours of Windows updates.

The other way is to have a good spring clean. Delete all unwanted data and uninstall all unwanted programmes. Let XP do a disc cleanup. Then purchase a registry healing programme which will clear out your registry. (Registry Mechanic for example) This method will keep your data, settings and drivers. This is my preferred way - reinstalling is a big job. If you are like me you will find out too late that you didn't actually back up some data and it's gone forever.

Like 3 years worth of photos... :(

Regards, Jim

 ;D ;D - Nope!

Yes its easy, just pop in the XP CD, and turn on the PC, sometimes you might need to hit 'any' key to get it boot off the CD.

When you re-install windows or "format" any hard drive, all it does it tell the sections on the disk you are now "free".

Its not actually deleted until its writted over, so if you got a 100gb disk full of photos, reformatt with windows and 95gb is free.

Chances are 95% of your photos are still there, some simple restore software will get it back  :y
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 09 March 2008, 23:45:17
That why I like the low level format :D

Tonight, backed up the important files, and completely wiped the HDD. Reinstalled the OS, and all the hours of updates, etc. It's now MUCH quicker

Maria/Hannah are now users, so they can't install the rubbish that caused it to die in the first place :D
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: hotel21 on 10 March 2008, 00:13:30
what would you list as 'essential files' to save elsewhere?
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: Debs. on 10 March 2008, 08:51:24
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what would you list as 'essential files' to save elsewhere?

Documents
Pictures
Video
Browser Bookmarks (Favourites)
Email contact list/address-book
Login/Passwords for forums/shopping/banking etc.
Settings (POP login/passwords) for email/internet accesss
Software you have bought and paid-for as a download (i.e Not on CD)

It is also possible to save all previous e.mail messages and reload them to your email client (later) after doing a clean install.

 *Some brands of PC`s aren`t supplied with a Windows O/S disc; they have a restore/repair utilty disc supplied by the manufacturer, which access` a copy of Windows Operating System stored on a small discrete partition on the HDD.
Because of this, you must be careful not to alter or remove any partition on your HDD without checking -first if it is required by the computer to complete a 'clean install'....Computer manual would have all the 'Gen' on the above.  :y
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: brett1408 on 10 March 2008, 12:31:13
i use webroot window washer, recomended by a mate its great, frees up so much space and its secure, over-writes everything to and beyond us department of defence standards, so i feel a bit safer everytime i use my credit card online ! the free space washing part of it always helps the computer run better, free to download in the right places  ;), piece of mind, definately worth a go !
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: omegaman2 on 10 March 2008, 13:46:58
wiped the hard drive  working better now all the rubbish is gone :)
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: TheBoy on 10 March 2008, 14:02:34
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That why I like the low level format :D

Tonight, backed up the important files, and completely wiped the HDD. Reinstalled the OS, and all the hours of updates, etc. It's now MUCH quicker

Maria/Hannah are now users, so they can't install the rubbish that caused it to die in the first place :D
You'll find it pretty impossible to do a true low level format on a current HDD, unless you happen to have one of those £200k fancy gadgets (in which case can I borrow it) ;)
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: ians on 10 March 2008, 14:15:08
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That why I like the low level format :D

Tonight, backed up the important files, and completely wiped the HDD. Reinstalled the OS, and all the hours of updates, etc. It's now MUCH quicker

Maria/Hannah are now users, so they can't install the rubbish that caused it to die in the first place :D
You'll find it pretty impossible to do a true low level format on a current HDD, unless you happen to have one of those £200k fancy gadgets (in which case can I borrow it) ;)

let's have a whip round.. :)
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: supermop on 10 March 2008, 14:19:10
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That why I like the low level format :D

Tonight, backed up the important files, and completely wiped the HDD. Reinstalled the OS, and all the hours of updates, etc. It's now MUCH quicker

Maria/Hannah are now users, so they can't install the rubbish that caused it to die in the first place :D
You'll find it pretty impossible to do a true low level format on a current HDD, unless you happen to have one of those £200k fancy gadgets (in which case can I borrow it) ;)

Gutman format! Writes a zero to each bit of the drive 32 times. Then get a strong magnet and wipe it over the drive. Cheaper than £200k of fancy gadgets :P
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: TheBoy on 10 March 2008, 14:24:40
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That why I like the low level format :D

Tonight, backed up the important files, and completely wiped the HDD. Reinstalled the OS, and all the hours of updates, etc. It's now MUCH quicker

Maria/Hannah are now users, so they can't install the rubbish that caused it to die in the first place :D
You'll find it pretty impossible to do a true low level format on a current HDD, unless you happen to have one of those £200k fancy gadgets (in which case can I borrow it) ;)

Gutman format! Writes a zero to each bit of the drive 32 times. Then get a strong magnet and wipe it over the drive. Cheaper than £200k of fancy gadgets :P
Doesn't do a low level format though ;)

Plenty of tools out there to wipe disks - you better getting ones that write random bits several times, its amazing what can be read with right equipment ;) - though for most of us, even a normal format c: /u is enough :)
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: Kevin Wood on 10 March 2008, 14:47:01
Sammy does a pretty good low level format, I find.

Oh, or did you want to use the drive again?


Is there actually something you want to destroy on the drive or are you just wanting to do a clean installation? If it's the latter just reformat and re-install Windows. No need to go to town on the deletion.

Kevin
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: TheBoy on 10 March 2008, 14:55:19
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Sammy does a pretty good low level format, I find.

Oh, or did you want to use the drive again?


Is there actually something you want to destroy on the drive or are you just wanting to do a clean installation? If it's the latter just reformat and re-install Windows. No need to go to town on the deletion.

Kevin
I my case, I have a rather annoying fault with a drive - it formats fine, doesn't appear to be remapping suspect sectors, but there is something there as you can here Winodws retry, then mark disk a 'At risk'.  Hence, want to do a proper (analogue) LLF to map out potentially bad sectors.

I know disks are cheap, its just me not wanting to throw away useful stuff thats not really knackered.  I do wonder if I'm being tight, but I don't think its about the cost ;D
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: Kevin Wood on 10 March 2008, 16:28:31
I'm not sure how, it at all, you can low level format a modern drive because all the physical characteristics are hidden behind the LBA interface and block mapping. In fact, is it windows retrying and remapping blocks or the drive itself doing so transparently?

Best course of action is probably to see if you can find a utility from the drive manufacturer to show status of bad blocks and such like. That might let you tell it it reformat itself too.

Kevin
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: TheBoy on 10 March 2008, 19:28:48
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I'm not sure how, it at all, you can low level format a modern drive because all the physical characteristics are hidden behind the LBA interface and block mapping. In fact, is it windows retrying and remapping blocks or the drive itself doing so transparently?

Best course of action is probably to see if you can find a utility from the drive manufacturer to show status of bad blocks and such like. That might let you tell it it reformat itself too.

Kevin
Manufacturers LLF utils can do it, but poor job - you need the analogue machine to do a decent job :y
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: supermop on 10 March 2008, 20:02:56
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Quote
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That why I like the low level format :D

Tonight, backed up the important files, and completely wiped the HDD. Reinstalled the OS, and all the hours of updates, etc. It's now MUCH quicker

Maria/Hannah are now users, so they can't install the rubbish that caused it to die in the first place :D
You'll find it pretty impossible to do a true low level format on a current HDD, unless you happen to have one of those £200k fancy gadgets (in which case can I borrow it) ;)

Gutman format! Writes a zero to each bit of the drive 32 times. Then get a strong magnet and wipe it over the drive. Cheaper than £200k of fancy gadgets :P
Doesn't do a low level format though ;)

I was of the impression that a low-level format was blanking the drive with zero bits to the point the magnetic impression isn't traceable?
Title: Re: wiping hard drive
Post by: TheBoy on 10 March 2008, 20:25:38
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Quote
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That why I like the low level format :D

Tonight, backed up the important files, and completely wiped the HDD. Reinstalled the OS, and all the hours of updates, etc. It's now MUCH quicker

Maria/Hannah are now users, so they can't install the rubbish that caused it to die in the first place :D
You'll find it pretty impossible to do a true low level format on a current HDD, unless you happen to have one of those £200k fancy gadgets (in which case can I borrow it) ;)

Gutman format! Writes a zero to each bit of the drive 32 times. Then get a strong magnet and wipe it over the drive. Cheaper than £200k of fancy gadgets :P
Doesn't do a low level format though ;)

I was of the impression that a low-level format was blanking the drive with zero bits to the point the magnetic impression isn't traceable?
No, thats a high level format (although around 10 - 12 'generations' of previous data can be read with right equipment).

LLF is about physical characteristics, such as sector relocation (which is why no IDE/SATA/SCSI disk should show bad sectors, despite having them), skew (perfomance), and addressing.  Few other parameters can be put on as well.