How can I reformat my hard drive without a Windows CD?

Question

I'm selling the computer and want to reformat, but I can't locate the install disks. They buyer knows it's coming with no OS, but I still need to wipe the hard drive clean. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

I think can format all drives by right clicking except one having OS installed
you need to get installation cd for it

Answer 2

"Formatting a disk does not erase the data on the disk, only the address tables. It makes it much more difficult to recover the files. However a computer specialist would be able to recover most or all the data that was on the disk before the reformat. For those who accidentally reformat a hard disk, being able to recover most or all the data that was on the disk is a good thing. However, if you're preparing a system for retirement to charity or any other organization, this obviously makes you more vulnerable to data theft.

"For some businesses and individual users, a disk format may be something you consider secure enough, depending, of course, on the type of data and information you saved to your computer. As long as people understand that formatting is not a 100 percent secure way to completely remove all data from your computer, then they are able to make the choice between formatting and even more secure methods. If you have decided a disk format is a good choice, at the very least to do a full format rather than a quick format.

"Even more secure than reformatting is a process called disk wiping. The term disk wiping is not only used in reference to hard drives but any storage device such as CDs, RAIDs, thumb drives and others. Disk wiping is a secure method of ensuring that data, including company and individually licensed software on your computer and storage devices is irrecoverably deleted before recycling or donating the equipment. Because previously stored data can be brought back with the right software and applications, the disk wiping process will actually overwrite your entire hard drive with data, several times. Once you format you'll find it all but impossible to retrieve the data which was on the drive before the overwrite.

"While disk wiping algorithms differ from product to product, they all will generally write the entire disk with a number (zero or one), then a reformat will be needed. The more times the disk is overwritten and formatted the more secure the disk wipe is, but the trade-off is the extra time to perform additional rewrites. Disk wipe applications will typically overwrite the master boot record, partition table, and every sector of the hard drive.

"The government standard (DoD 5220.22-M ), considered a medium security level, specifies three iterations to completely overwrite a hard drive six times. Each iteration makes two write-passes over the entire drive; the first pass inscribes ones (1) over the drive surface and the second inscribes zeros (0) onto the surface. After the third iteration, a government designated code of 246 is written across the drive, then it is verified by a final pass that uses a read-verify process." *

Wiping a hard drive can sometimes take a long time depending on the speed of the computer processor, the size of the hard drive and the number of passes.

Answer 3

The best thing to do: Install a new, "virgin" hard drive and keep the old one with you. If protecting your personal information is really important, just keep the old hard drive and install a brand new one. The new hard drives run about 50 dollars, if you know where to buy them. I personally use Directron, website of the same name, as it is here in Houston, a local store. A local store may charge you more than that to just wipe the hard drive, plus they could be a bit nosy and get your information without you even knowing it.
Another way to do it, download a Windows 98 bootdisk from bootdisk.com and you can create either a CD or a floppy. With that disk, boot from the floppy or CD accordingly and then type format c:/u/s
That will make your computer have DOS on it only and wipe the hard drive off, though some computer geeks would still be able to recover the information that was on the hard drive before, using some programs.

Answer 4

I'm assuming the hard drive to be formatted contains the present OS. You have a couple of options.

1. Make yourself a DOS bootable floppy disk. Boot from it and at the command prompt type:

format c:

You can't do this in WinXP any more but there are plenty of programs on the web that can.

2. Put the hard drive into another PC. In the new PC open Windows Explorer and find the drive you just put it. It will probably show up as either d: or e: depending on the number of drives (cdrom included) in the PC. Right click the drive and from the drop down menu select format.

Answer 5

make a bootable disk and copy the format.exe file on it
use the bootable disk to boot your computer
then run format c:
it will format the computer.

Answer 6

If your computer is new, then when you boot up your computer there will be something that will say, system recovery, and you go on from there.

Answer 7

right click on your harddrive and format it. But i think you will need the disk.

Answer 8

selling it. take it to a computer store place and let them do it. it is more safe.

Answer 9

Eraser, free from:

Answer 10

google it