How do I reformat my hard drive?

SPL Tech · 09-04-2006, 10:18 PM

Ok I got a crap load of viruses and spywear within two days of getting my new computer. So I just reinstalled windows. I choose the "new install" option not the repair option. So I ran a new virus scan and adwear scan with my new version of Windows. The anti virus and anti spywear program is still detecting viruses and spywear and its detecting them in files that existed with the first Windows install but not the second. SO that tells me that Windows did not delete the old files on the hard drive when I reintalled windows. So I a going to do it myself. When I was running the Windows installer it game me the option to delete hard drive partitions. I only have one partition and its the whole hard drive. I tried to delete it but it said I could not delete the partition because it contained files required for Windows the Windows installation. So how do I reformat the whole hard drive and start from scratch?

iamchel · 09-04-2006, 10:23 PM

heres how I do it. Restart windows and put the os cd in. Boot from cd. Delete partition then create a new one (better to make two partitions one for os and important files, and the other for the rest of your ****). Format the partition your instaling windows on, instal windows, boot instal drivers etc. Then the other you can just format in windows if you like.

SPL Tech · 09-04-2006, 10:42 PM

Like I already said I cant. I do not have any partitions. The whole hard drive is one partition. When I try to delete it it says it canÂ’t because it contains files required for Windows to finish installation. There is one other partition but its only 8 MB so I failed to say it originally.

idiotec · 09-04-2006, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SPL Tech
Like I already said I cant. I do not have any partitions. The whole hard drive is one partition. When I try to delete it it says it canÂ’t because it contains files required for Windows to finish installation. There is one other partition but its only 8 MB so I failed to say it originally.

Are you sure your booting off the CD, and not running it in windows? Make sure you BOOT from the CD and there should be no problem deleting the partition.

lancec2c30 · 09-04-2006, 11:24 PM

if you have to, just put the HD in another computer as a slave, and reformat it. Then it will br blank.

Da11en47 · 09-04-2006, 11:35 PM

Heres what I usto do, you need a floppy drive. Find a program called KILLDISK. This will completly delete everything on your hard drive. Then you just put the Windows CD in and install a fresh copy. I have since found better formatting software. Search the internet for some software.

DarkS1d3 · 09-05-2006, 01:57 AM

might have to go into your bios and change the boot device priority from hdd to whatever disc drive you have

09-04-2006, 10:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
SPL Tech True Techie Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 157	How do I reformat my hard drive? Ok I got a crap load of viruses and spywear within two days of getting my new computer. So I just reinstalled windows. I choose the "new install" option not the repair option. So I ran a new virus scan and adwear scan with my new version of Windows. The anti virus and anti spywear program is still detecting viruses and spywear and its detecting them in files that existed with the first Windows install but not the second. SO that tells me that Windows did not delete the old files on the hard drive when I reintalled windows. So I a going to do it myself. When I was running the Windows installer it game me the option to delete hard drive partitions. I only have one partition and its the whole hard drive. I tried to delete it but it said I could not delete the partition because it contained files required for Windows the Windows installation. So how do I reformat the whole hard drive and start from scratch?

09-04-2006, 10:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
iamchel True Techie Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 202	heres how I do it. Restart windows and put the os cd in. Boot from cd. Delete partition then create a new one (better to make two partitions one for os and important files, and the other for the rest of your ****). Format the partition your instaling windows on, instal windows, boot instal drivers etc. Then the other you can just format in windows if you like. __________________ CPU - E6400 Core 2 Duo @ 3.2ghz Cooling - Zalman CNPS9500 Motherboard - Asus P5W DH Deluxe Memory - OCZ PC2-8000 Platinum XTC 2GB (2x1024MB) Video - BFG 8800 GTX OC DVD - LG Super Multi HD - WD Raptor 36gb HD2 - Maxtor Diamondmax 10 250gb PSU - Corsair HX Series CMPSU-620HX 620W Case - Cooler Master Centurion 5 Sound - Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS

09-04-2006, 10:42 PM	#3 (permalink)
SPL Tech True Techie Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 157	Like I already said I cant. I do not have any partitions. The whole hard drive is one partition. When I try to delete it it says it canÂ’t because it contains files required for Windows to finish installation. There is one other partition but its only 8 MB so I failed to say it originally. __________________ CPU: Core Two Duo E6400 OC'ed to 3.04 GHz. RAM: 2 GB. Corsair 800 MHz. XMS2 Graphics: Evga Nvidia 8800GTS G92 512 MB. GDDR3 Mobo: Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 PSU: 535 watt Enermax Whisper II HD: (2) 320 GB. Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM 16 MB OD: 52X DVD±RW FD: 3.5" Floppy Monitor: (2) 19" Hannis-G JW199D 16:10 LCD DVI Internet: Cable. 5 mbps down / 1 mbps up

09-04-2006, 11:24 PM	#5 (permalink)
lancec2c30 Future ex-member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chehalis, WA Posts: 4,018	if you have to, just put the HD in another computer as a slave, and reformat it. Then it will br blank. __________________ XP Pro \| Vista Home Premium \| Linux Ubuntu 7.10 s939 X2 3800 Toledo @ 2.6ghz \| evga 7900gs \| 320gig + 80gig wd \| 1gb Ram \| Abit KN8 SLI 3.1ghz achieved. 70K F@H member..............still waiting for the "iRACK" Norcent will not be forgotten.

09-04-2006, 11:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
Da11en47 True Techie Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 206	Heres what I usto do, you need a floppy drive. Find a program called KILLDISK. This will completly delete everything on your hard drive. Then you just put the Windows CD in and install a fresh copy. I have since found better formatting software. Search the internet for some software. __________________ Cpu : E6400 (Overclocked @ 3.2 ghz) Graphics Card: XFX Geforce 7600 GT Ram: 2 Gb Corsair XMS2 Motherboard: Asus P5B-E Case: Antec TX1050B

09-05-2006, 01:57 AM	#7 (permalink)
DarkS1d3 Junior Techie Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 69	might have to go into your bios and change the boot device priority from hdd to whatever disc drive you have __________________ AMD Opteron 165 @ 2.25Ghz \| Zalman CNPS9500 \| DFI Lanparty UT NF4 Ultra-D \| eVGA 7900GT KO SC \| Zalman VF700 \| 2 x 1GB Gskill PC 4000 \| 2 x WD 320 GB HDD\'s \| Audigy2 ZS \| Logitech X-530s \| Saitek Eclipse \| Tsunami Dream

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