TheArtworkGuy Posted March 8, 2006 CID Share Posted March 8, 2006 i want to do a total destructive format of myC:drive..i don't have a floppy drive. when i go into DOS mode i go to the drive and i type the command 'format c' , and it pauses like the command has been entered, but it doesn't do anything. is there any way for me to do this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cholla Posted March 8, 2006 CID Share Posted March 8, 2006 I don't have XP but I guessing you do.If so do they have a format feature possibly.On the XP installation CD Do you have a CDROM drive? If you do you probably need to go into your BIOS & set it up as your Primary start drive so it can be started outside of Windows. You can do a format of C; from My Computer(Explorer) I don't know if it's a " total destructive format " I have software called PC Doctor supplied by my PC manufacturer(IBM) but apparently the supply several PC manufacturers .So you might be able to get a copy from your PC manufacturer.Mine is on floppy but I don't see why you couldn't burn it to CD.It has a hard drive through erase selection.That might be more than you want. this is a link to PC Doctor site.This links you to PC manufacturers they supply.You can see if yours is on the list.IBM gave me the DL free. http://www.pc-doctor.com/support/bundle.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FallowEarth Posted March 8, 2006 CID Share Posted March 8, 2006 Here is a site containing a list of HDD manufacturers and their disk utilities. Commonly called "Low-level format" but some call it "Zeroing" or "Zero filling." http://www.ariolic.com/activesmart/low-level-format.html May I ask why you are doing this? Or is it just for the sheer hell of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommie gorman Posted March 8, 2006 CID Share Posted March 8, 2006 Did you look at all programs, System Recovery, do you really want to do a system recovery, and so forth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheArtworkGuy Posted March 8, 2006 Author CID Share Posted March 8, 2006 i caught some crazy trojan virus. it had modified the system restore on my computer, graying out all of the buttons i needed to press. i re-installed windows with a windows CD thinking it would erase my drive, but all it did was install it on a seperate drive, so now i have the option to choose which one to start up on. so basically i have 60 Gigs of potentially contaminated information just sitting there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheArtworkGuy Posted March 8, 2006 Author CID Share Posted March 8, 2006 i have an HP, i went to their website and followed what instructions they gave. It just didn't work lol. friggin HP..i'm never buying one ever again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommie gorman Posted March 8, 2006 CID Share Posted March 8, 2006 Did you look at all programs, System Recovery, do you really want to do a system recovery, and so forth. Do you have a built in system recovery, I only ask because mine does. ^^Those are the directions.XP emachines."do you really want to do asystem recover" is a button. And then follow the directions, it will again ask if you want to do a destructive recovery. I just did it 2 days ago, and have done it a dozen times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asubaseball727 Posted March 8, 2006 CID Share Posted March 8, 2006 If you want to reformat just go to my computer, right click on C: or whatever drive it is you want to erase. It worked for my old HD to use as a slave drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsnet2k8 Posted March 9, 2006 CID Share Posted March 9, 2006 formating a drive doesn't necessarily erase everything' you have to wipe the drive clean completely, format and do a system recovery with your computer recovery disc's' i personally use Paragon Hard Disk Manager 6.0 Pro to Wipe HD clean and to format and also to have my whole drive on back up with bootable Cd's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fattymcbluff Posted March 9, 2006 CID Share Posted March 9, 2006 If you want to reformat just go to my computer, right click on C: or whatever drive it is you want to erase. It worked for my old HD to use as a slave drive. but then its not a full format justa a low level format wich like some one said a zerowing wich just puts a 0 in front of every line so you computer will think its blank and write over it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsnet2k8 Posted March 9, 2006 CID Share Posted March 9, 2006 Like i said on my last post, reformatting doesn't do the job completely' you have to wipe the drive clean...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fattymcbluff Posted March 9, 2006 CID Share Posted March 9, 2006 formating a drive doesn't necessarily erase everything' you have to wipe the drive clean completely, format and do a system recovery with your computer recovery disc's' i personally use Paragon Hard Disk Manager 6.0 Pro to Wipe HD clean and to format and also to have my whole drive on back up with bootable Cd's i have used that program i would get it if i where you vary easy to use you can make partions and delete them vary easy vary nice program Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsnet2k8 Posted March 9, 2006 CID Share Posted March 9, 2006 i reformatted my computer before with the system recovery discs thinking it would delete all infections or whatever i was trying to get rid of such as NORTON and after format i would still find norton files deep on my registry.... The HD must be wiped clean to rid yourself of everything and start fresh........ i have used that program i would get it if i where you vary easy to use you can make partions and delete them vary easy vary nice program a very nice and usefull program indeed....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommie gorman Posted March 9, 2006 CID Share Posted March 9, 2006 Will that harm the built in Recovery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsnet2k8 Posted March 9, 2006 CID Share Posted March 9, 2006 Will that harm the built in Recovery? I don't think so as most computers have a C: drive and a D: drive for the built in recovery and when you wipe a drive clean Hard Disk Manager will allow you to select the drive you want to format or wipe.. just make sure you dont touch the drive where the built in recovery is located. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommie gorman Posted March 9, 2006 CID Share Posted March 9, 2006 Yeah missed that one. Forgot it is D drive, which is pretty well protected. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsnet2k8 Posted March 9, 2006 CID Share Posted March 9, 2006 You are welcome..... here is a link to all its products http://www.paragon.ag/products.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cholla Posted March 9, 2006 CID Share Posted March 9, 2006 You can give these a try if you want to.The first is a link to the PC-Doctor DL HP has This one didn't have the erase hard drive my IBM one does only diagnostics. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericSoftwareDownloadIndex?cc=us&lc=en&softwareitem=pv241en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN HP also says you should have this file: C:Program FilesPC-Doctor for Windows XP If you do it may have the full version you can burn to a CD. The one below is the DL link for the IBM one I use.It let me DL it But I have an IBM.If it will let you DL it it will work for floppy or CD.Just choose the one you want. http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=ibm&lndocid=MIGR-58112&velxr-layout=print If you get it burned to CD just restart yout PC with the CD in the drive.Like I posted previously .You may need to set up the CD as your primary start in your BIOS. In the program under utility there is full hard drive erase & quick Hard drive erase. Highlight ,press F1 & read the help to see which one you want.The full rewrites all clusters.You will have nothing on the HD after this.It also takes quite awhile to do this erase. DL unzip it with your zip program. Then copy the files to your cd.This should give you a PCDoctor that will completly erase your HD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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