Now we got the new PC set up and running downstairs, I'm thinking I might just completely wipe this PC (old shitty thing that it is) and start over completely new and install XP that came with the new one (I guess you can do that right? Got the XP start up CD, so should be able to install that on this PC right?)

So how do I actually go about wiping everything on this PC, including operating system (Win 98 SE) and starting a fresh?

 

What ive done in the past to wipe a HD is plug it into another PC as a secondary drive n wipe the fucker.

Im sure theres a better way tho, maybe

 

Never thought of that Steve - would be interested tho to see what others have done.....

What I don't get tho is if I wipe it clean and bare - how the feck to I install an operating system

 

make a dos boot disc with the format command on it and fdisk command aswell

boot from this disk then when u get a command prompt type "fdisk c:\" without the "" bits tho. follow the instructions and then format the disk - the lot is wiped

or if you want to do a really nasty format, go into the bios menu and do a "low level format" on the disk - altho this is only reccomended if thereeare failed sectors and clusters on the drive.

best o luck

 

and to re-install everythingm create an ioerating system start disk

 

Or use a REALLY strong magnet

 

or a nuclear bomb

 

Okay..... I have no idea what you jsut said tho Paul

 

 

when you turn the pc on, about 2 seconds after keep pressing the "delete" key - this will take you into the BIOS menu - look round in there untill you find something that says "low level format HD" and click yes :P

that gets rid of the lot

 

As Graceland said or you can try Wipe Drive Pro, works great for me.

Merry Christmas...

 

Right, if you want to put Windows XP back on it, then load the xp disc into the drive, and then restart the pc, it should boot off the cd, during the 1st steps it ask's you if you want to format the drive, to which you say "YES".


The data recovery software I have here can recover data even after 10 low level dos formats

 

I never press delete when I turn PC on tho Paul

Whats this Wipe Drive Pro?

 

Dan - this ain't got XP on it at mo - has 98 SE, but I would want to put XP on since I got it on CD...

 

thrush can ur old pc handle xp tho? If its om win98 i think it will struggle - prob best to stick win2000 on it.

and you can format as per DanRSTurbo instructions

 

kmatt, do what dan says.. by far the simplest option! everything else people are suggesting are the LOOOOOONG ass ways of doin it

ps you can do what dan says on 2K and XP

but if youre putting win98 back on then you need to do it by hand...

my personalpreference is to run FDISK.EXE in dos and take option 4 to remove partition (making the drive effectively blank as far as the PC is concerned) then run 98 setup... durting the process it will re-partition and format the drive for you anyway

 

Shouldnt be a problem there Liver Boy ya expert at doing it by hand

 

Taps - feck off I didn't get a banjo for xmas

So Jim/Dan - are you saying that I don't need to delete the HDD first, just load in the XP disk and boot up, and choosing the option to "format" it will remove everything and then install XP as the OS?

 

buy a new one, and throw the old one out the window

 

No, not necessarily. IF it's a dell or certain other makes, the OS will only install on that make. Plus, if XP's already on your new computer, it ain't gonna activate twice (as in on two different PC's).....

Plus, depending how old your PC is, it may not be happy running XP.

 

The old PC is an ARIES, and looking at the XP disc it does have Dell written on it a few times, so maybe I should stick with the Win 98 SE that's already on here.....

So if I'm gonna re-install 98, what do I need to do to wipe and re-format?

 

thrush just stick the fookin disc in and reboot.

then it will ask you if you want to remove the partition, say yes and follow the onscreen prompts.

 

it really is THAT fookin simple

bill, he bought his PC off ebay so its likely his disc is a copy anyway

 

No they ain't jim I bought it off a seller on ebay, but it was shipped to me directly from Dell