how do I easily delete ALL from hard drive on a laptop. Is it best to remove hard drive and replace?

Question

I would like to remove ALL progs etc from a laptop, is it best to remove hard drive and replace with new?

Answer 1

Yes, replace your hard drive and send me the old one 8-) just kidding.

You can erase everything from the hard drive without replacing it.
If you have a restore disk, it will reformat the drive, which is good enough for most things.

If you really want to wipe the drive, I recommend Darik's Boot and Nuke, which will reduce all disks on your laptop to a pile of quivering bits.

Before you do all this, make sure you have the software to put your laptop back together!

Answer 2

no need to fix new on just format it and if necessary reinstall windows or linux or what ever os u use.

Alternatively go to start button>> control panel >> open add or remove programs and start uninstalling all ur programs one by one by clicking the remove button and following on screen instructions


u can opon windows explorer and right clik to give u an option to format from the menu that appears select NTFS (recommended) and click format for all drives u want clean.
warning formatting deletes all file not only ur programs but also photos music etc.


to format (assuming that u use windows xp) insert the windows xp cd into the cd rom drive from the menu autorun menu that pops open (if it does not doble click on ur cd drive or open the setup.exe or install file inside the cd) select "install windows"
from the menu that appears next click "upgrade (recommened)" once to view more option and select "new installtion"

from the next menu u should c a link to more installation option there click it and select i want to select the partion and .... to install.

follow on screen instructions till the sytem restart

when the system restarts u will be taken to to the install section where u may b given an option to restore a previous installation of windows (twice) press enter and esc or what ever is to cancel repair and continue windows installtion.

(a) soon u will c a menu that shows u various hard disks u have select the once u want to format press the appropriate buuton listed in the blue screen to for mat a drive give ntfs not the ntfs quick option.

and repeat if u have more than one drive repeat steps from (a) continue installtion. once u have activated windows online u have a system as good as new...

hope this saves u few bucks by not buying a new harddrive...
and if u r reinstalling windows have ur windows documentation( found inside the windows cd) serial keys and if required a printed copy of this lil help handy..

Answer 3

the quick way (in WinXP), go to administrative tools, computer management, disc management. you will see a graphic representation of all drives and each partition in each drive.
then you can either delete the partition that you dont want, or format the entire drive. now bear in mind that the data is still there, it just wont be visible and you wont easily be able to get to it again, so if you must make the data unrecoverable (nuclear secrets, evidence of criminal activity, or whatever) you must go a step further. i believe there is a freeware program called "killdisc" which can accomplish this. you can download it from winsite, CNET, etc.
i see no reason to relpace the drive unless it is malfunctioning or unless your purpose is upgrading to a larger capacity HDD.

Answer 4

Formatting will erase all data & programs.
But much can be recovered by security experts.
Unless you think the FBI is going to be after you, formatting should be sufficient. Especially if you reinstall Windows & Programs. That over writes the areas of the disk and may obliterate much of the possible data.

Answer 5

If you have a Window's disc that came with the computer put the disc in select RE-Format and it will do the rest.