No apologies neccessary. Asking questions is the only way to learn. click on this link:
drive manufacturer’s utilities.. find the manufacturer of your drive and download the utility. From that, you will make a bootable cd or floppy. boot to that floppy and follow the directions to wipe or zero the drive (same thing just different terminology), then partition and format. Feel free to post back with any questions or concerns. we are here to help
Bill