How Do I Format My Hard Drive?

Question

I would like to format my WINDOWS XP hard drive so that i may run Linux.
My Drive Label Is PRESARIO
Does anyone know how top format my hard drive?

I know that it will completely pwn my drive.. thats what i want to do.
i just want a blank drive

ive tried running the linux CD i have from my start menu and it says i need to format my hard drive

it has some odd partition on the drive that i cannot remove and i cant format the drive unless i remove the partition which i cant do in the firstplace!

Answer 1

Try this program called Kill Disk http://www.killdisk.com/ It's free.

Answer 2

If what you want to do is be able to run both XP and Linux, I recommend obtaining a current version of Partition Magic (there are other products that do this, but I've had good results with this one). It will allow you to resize the XP partition and create the partitions you will need for Linux. If all you want to do is wipe out XP and replace it with Linux, your Linux install should do it for you.

Answer 3

I don't understand why you;d want to do that. Most Linux installations just install with Windows XP already there. Mine did. It just made a partition and installed a boot loader that lets you select Windows or Linux

Answer 4

I would use FDisk
This article from the knowledge base at microsoft can walk you through it.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255867

You do understand by formatting you will not have XP afterwards. You may know that, but thought i'd mention it. Not everyone does know that.

Answer 5

So you want to use linux, yet you dont know how to format a drive..

Good luck.

Answer 6

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2005/harddrive_format.asp