erasing HD on laptop

  • Thread starter Thread starter Happy
  • Start date Start date
H

Happy

Any hints on how to erase a HD on a laptop? Complicated by the fact I can't
access the HD, or install XP again. (doesn't seem to work-- may be a HD
failure.) But someone wants to buy it anyway, and I don't want to sell it
with personal info on it.
 
What fool wants to buy it?


| Any hints on how to erase a HD on a laptop? Complicated by
the fact I can't
| access the HD, or install XP again. (doesn't seem to
work-- may be a HD
| failure.) But someone wants to buy it anyway, and I don't
want to sell it
| with personal info on it.
|
|
 
-----Original Message-----
Any hints on how to erase a HD on a laptop? Complicated by the fact I can't
access the HD, or install XP again. (doesn't seem to work-- may be a HD
failure.) But someone wants to buy it anyway, and I don't want to sell it
with personal info on it.


.do an fdisk and then format it.
Click to expand...
 
Hi,

Boot the WinXP CD, run setup and after the license choose the option to
remove the existing system partition. Either that or locate a zero write
utility and use a bootable floppy to wipe it. This is sufficient for most
people.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
Any hints on how to erase a HD on a laptop? Complicated by the fact I can't
access the HD, or install XP again. (doesn't seem to work-- may be a HD
failure.) But someone wants to buy it anyway, and I don't want to sell it
with personal info on it.
Click to expand...

Best way to permanently erase a hard drive is the low tech solution -- with a
ball peen hammer. It also relieves some of your frustrations built up over
the time you've argued with the machine. A form of closure as well as
erasure.

Bill -- (Remove KILLSPAM from my address to use it)
 
Thanks for all the replies. I'll try them, and see how it goes. (hope I
don't have to get to the ball peen hammer!
 
I'm not sure of your level of technical expertise, but you can buy a
converter kit that allows you to attach the laptop HD to a standard IDE
connectorfor about $10.00. If setup in a desktop computer as the secondary
HD, you'll be able to access the HD from Windows and format or erase the
drive. Once complete, reinstall it in the laptop.

Ken
 
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