Reformatting hard drive

[Nancy]

I am selling my computer and need to know how to reformat my hard drive to
clear any info about myself.

[Jeff Richards]

Boot to a startup floppy and use the DOS command
FORMAT C:

This will clear the primary partition on the first hard drive. If you have
multiple partitions or more than one drive, you need to repeat it for each
partition.

A slightly more secure deletion which will overwrite data and works for the
whole drive is ZAP or WIPE at this site:
http://www.cs-software.com/software/stellar/stellar_wipe_win.html

If you want erase the data (rather than just deleting the files), then look
at data security utilities such as:
http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/
http://www.cs-software.com/software/stellar/stellar_wipe_win.html
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Nancy" > wrote in message
...
>I am selling my computer and need to know how to reformat my hard drive to
> clear any info about myself.

[Rodney]

Another option for consideration Nancy is to pick up el cheapo
HDD from boot sales, or even purchase a new HDD
and swap them.
Then you know for sure.

I regularly pick up 10Gb HDD from boot sales for around $10 australian
and they have worked fine when used in my ext HDD.

Rgds


"Nancy" > wrote in message ...
| I am selling my computer and need to know how to reformat my hard drive to
| clear any info about myself.

[Don Phillipson]

"Nancy" > wrote in message
...

> I am selling my computer and need to know how to reformat my hard drive to
> clear any info about myself.

If you are also selling the OS disk be sure
the installation Product Key is written down.
(It is in your Registry and will be erased
when you FORMAT C:
(from a DOS boot.))

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)