How to format all of drive?

  • Thread starter Thread starter BuckeyeRed
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BuckeyeRed

I have tried formatting my hard drive to do a clean install of xp home
and formatting says it is complete and there are no files left on
drive but when I load xp it finds original registry info that should
not be there anymore.
How can I really clean the disk?

Thanks for the help
 
BuckeyeRed said:
I have tried formatting my hard drive to do a clean install of xp home
and formatting says it is complete and there are no files left on
drive but when I load xp it finds original registry info that should
not be there anymore.
How can I really clean the disk?

Thanks for the help

Boot with the Windows XP CD (With it in the CD Drive and the BIOS settings
set to allow it as the first boot device - it will say press any key to boot
from CD, do this.)
Continue following through the setup like you are installaing Windows XP.
When it asks you to CHOOSE which partition to put Windows XP on, DELETE all
the partitions.

Reboot, from CD, continue to that point again and choose to create the
partitions and continue with your installation, if that is what you are
going for.
 
That may leave data. You can use DEBUG (a DOS program) but
some say that safest and best is to go to the website of
the manufacturer of the hard drive and look for a low
level format routine. Usually this is a free, small,
download. Call their tech support if it is hard to find.
They often don't explain their stuff very well. I am told
that many drive manufacturers put special info in hidden
spots on the drive and running the generic DEBUG just
wipes everything. The result is that the drive may not run
as fast as it should. If you can't find what you want, e-
mail me at my hotmail address. Just put svalegria and
an @ sign and the usual ending. I am REALLY busy just now
and may be a week or so getting back to you. Sorry, but
that is my computer hell right now.You can also get free
programs that really wipe a drive out with first 1's, then
0's, then groups, but you only need that is you sell the
computer and are paranoid.

Best of luck,
Dave
 
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