Hard Drive Cleaning and Re-Installation

gucio23 · 11-04-2008, 03:49 PM

I want to completely clean out my hard drive and then re-instal Windows XP and some other programs.
Can I avoid this if I just want my 5 year old and overloaded computer to function properly?
If not, how would I go about cleaning the HDD completely, repartitioning it, reformatting and then re-installing windows?

**manic** · 11-04-2008, 03:57 PM

Do a google for killdisk. Its free this will wipe your drive totally.
Then format with windows and install xp. That is what I do with
any drive that has had a operating system on it. Works very well.
Be aware that you will have to boot to the tool, so you may or may
not have to change your boot order in bios....

gucio23 · 11-04-2008, 04:08 PM

How would I format with windows once I clean out the HDD?
How do I boot to the tool? What is the boot order and how would I change it in Bios?

**manic** · 11-04-2008, 04:18 PM

So many questions, lol
1st killdisk is a low level format tool, it wipes the drive completely.
Well not competely but alot closer than what windows will do.
2nd. If you have a floppy drive you will need to create the boot disk
to a blank floppy disk. If you dont have a floppy drive you will have
to create a bootable cd, the instructions are on killdisks website, alot
easier with a floppy imho. The deal is, is that you will have to boot to
this utility. That means you need to go into bios and select the boot
order. If you create a floppy disk, you must boot to the floppy. Once
you boot to it, you need to follow directions, once the process is
started it will take some time to wipe the drive.
Once that is done, reset the boot order in bios to boot to cd. Then
you can format, partition and install windows. Its sounds harder than
it actually is. This is all done with the windows cd.....The trickyest
part from how it sounds for you is the boot order in bios, dont be
afraid to go into bios, dont mess with any settings other than the
boot order,, remember to save and exit..

11-04-2008, 03:49 PM	#1 (permalink)
gucio23 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2 OS: Win XP	Hard Drive Cleaning and Re-Installation I want to completely clean out my hard drive and then re-instal Windows XP and some other programs. Can I avoid this if I just want my 5 year old and overloaded computer to function properly? If not, how would I go about cleaning the HDD completely, repartitioning it, reformatting and then re-installing windows?

11-04-2008, 03:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 5,251 OS: xp	Re: Hard Drive Cleaning and Re-Installation Do a google for killdisk. Its free this will wipe your drive totally. Then format with windows and install xp. That is what I do with any drive that has had a operating system on it. Works very well. Be aware that you will have to boot to the tool, so you may or may not have to change your boot order in bios.... __________________

11-04-2008, 04:08 PM	#3 (permalink)
gucio23 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2 OS: Win XP	Re: Hard Drive Cleaning and Re-Installation How would I format with windows once I clean out the HDD? How do I boot to the tool? What is the boot order and how would I change it in Bios?

11-04-2008, 04:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 5,251 OS: xp	Re: Hard Drive Cleaning and Re-Installation So many questions, lol 1st killdisk is a low level format tool, it wipes the drive completely. Well not competely but alot closer than what windows will do. 2nd. If you have a floppy drive you will need to create the boot disk to a blank floppy disk. If you dont have a floppy drive you will have to create a bootable cd, the instructions are on killdisks website, alot easier with a floppy imho. The deal is, is that you will have to boot to this utility. That means you need to go into bios and select the boot order. If you create a floppy disk, you must boot to the floppy. Once you boot to it, you need to follow directions, once the process is started it will take some time to wipe the drive. Once that is done, reset the boot order in bios to boot to cd. Then you can format, partition and install windows. Its sounds harder than it actually is. This is all done with the windows cd.....The trickyest part from how it sounds for you is the boot order in bios, dont be afraid to go into bios, dont mess with any settings other than the boot order,, remember to save and exit.. __________________