How can I completely erase my hard drive? I have all the disks required but I put the boot disk in, and I am not sure what to enter. Could someone post the steps to erase it?
use a magnet... just kidding, don't do it! (i threw that in so no one would hold me liable for damages. ) truthfully format c: /s
I've tried <A:\>format c: /s Didn't work <A:\> format c: /s Nopw <A:\>Format C: /s still no It doesn't do anything. So is there something I am doing wrong? I do it with CD-Rom support. Also when I browse through it using Win 98 an EXE called format is in EBD.CAB
If you're running Windows 98 or before, then <i> format C: /s</i> should work With Win ME it's just </i>format C: </i> What system are you running BTW?
Hmm... if it doesn't work, make a boot disk from Windows itself. For reasons unknown, they've hidden it under Add & Remove Programs in your Control Panel.
Yeah, that's the one. Since you have a Compaq CD, I don't think you'll have to go through all the steps though. When you boot up through the CD, you might not have to go through DOS, and there might be a format computer option on their interface. But if that doesn't work... Make a startup disk, and boot up with it. Click on CD support, and then goto C: then type <i>format C: /s</I> and it should format. When you reboot with your Compaq CD in the drive, it should ask you if you want to install Windows. But if you're still in DOS, then you'll have to install it manually from the CD by going to E: and running the executable from there. It's usually called setup.exe
The "/s" makes the drive a bootable drive by copying the file command.com to C: at the end of the procedure.
I finally did it, but the first time I tried to re-install, it corrupted itself, so another formating then another download, but this time with a lot of success. Thanks
For those wannabe Anderson accountants out there, any person can still retrieve your files even after you delete them and reformat your hardrive. So if you're thinking about selling your computer or throwing it away, get a program that can fill the hardrive with 1's and then blank it out again with 0's. Congratulations on reformating your hard drive Azadre. I banged my head a couple times after trying to reformat it after getting a virus.
