formatting PC's
 

hi all :D

just a quicky.. i need to delete all the stuff off of a load of PC's??

is there a quick and easy way to do this please???

Type in "format" in a help file and it will tell you how to do it.

Hammer and a nail through harddisk if it needs to be removed permanently :cry:

Otherwise make a bootdisk that auto starts and formats the HD (you can put switches in the command not to ask you to type anything).

Or ghost an empty disk over it if it needs to be NTFS ;-)
(format one properly, then ghost it)

quality..

i have about 20 of the fookers :cry: :cry:

think the best way, is one monitor, then just change the tower bit each time..

thanks for the help :cool:

joris..

appreciuate that, but to be honest.. i havent a clue what you are on about :?

basically, we are getting rid of loads of PC's to charity etc, and dont want our info on them.. nothing needs to be saved

you only need to boot on the Windows XP CD mate, that will be the simpler for you if you don't know how to do those kind of things ;)
Just select "install Windows XP", and the next step will ask you if you want to format the HDD or not. ;)

oops :oops:

Pet mate, these are the ones before XP's time.. think they are win 98 :oops: :cry:

boot on the Windows 98 CD, select "start the computer with CD-ROM support" (or whatever, i'm translsating literally from french so the menu name could differ a bit) and when you have the prompt, just type in format c: . (assuming ' c ' is the drive you want to format :) )

that's all :)

so i need the CD that you use to put win 98 on then?? its all on mate, i wont to take it all off :cry:

thanks Petrucci.. helps appreciated dude :cool:

could i not just got into windows, select C: and hit the delete button? or does it not work like that :oops:

how could a drive that's currently running an OS like windows format itself while working mate ? ;) it's like asking someone to eat himself entirely :) :) :)

the simplest solution if you don't want to use any CD nor floppy is this. Boot the PC, then after the BIOS screen, press "F8" until a menu appears (the one where you can also choose "safe mode" if you see what i mean).
On this menu, select "command prompt" , then you're done... once you have the prompt, type in format c:

Tis the same as what i said above, but you don't need the CD then. But careful mate, if you don't have any Windows CD, how will you reinstall your OS after formatting ? :?

:D

that makes it easier for me to understand mate :clap:

The purpose is, so that, once they are gone, they are totally blank... But slight change of plan :wall: Would like now to keep, Word, Excell etc, just no other details :wall:

lol so definately DON'T format mate. :)

:cry: :cry: :cry:

everything I do always goes wrong anyway :cry: :cry:

whats the best way to keep, Word, Excell etc (standard programs) but delete the rest of it??

thanks :cool:

any ideas people?

Not possible.

Do one clean installation, windows 98, word, excell, ... Then ghost it to all pc's.

If they are branded pc's they might have a cd with an utility to put them back to how they were factory delivered.
(compaq is a cd, old dell is zztop utility, some newer is F12 when starting up pc, then choose option, ....)

Best option is to get someone to help you that knows more then the "on" button though, otherwise you'll be working ages on those 20 pc's. :cry: :cry: :cry:

:cry: :cry: :cry:

cheers joris, i think :? :?

i really dont understand.. im just going to remove certain bits in explorer i think :cry:

Where do you work Westy?

If the PC's have had work data on them, I would remove the hard drives and destroy them. Can't be too careful these days..! :?
Formatting won't wipe them securely enough..
Means the shops will have to sell them without HDD's but better that than someone buying them up and trawling through your company data and accounts :eek:

these pc's are going to freinds and stuff mate, so no need to actually take the hard drives out :cool:

just want it so that word and stuff is on, but nothing else? but it seems like a difficult task now :cry:

safest way is to format and reinstall the Operating System and Office if you want word and excel. Just deleting the offending files from the hard drive is not a safe way to do it as they are too easily recoverable.

Just find the Windows 98 Boot disk and the Office CD and away you go :clap:

cheers Bruce ;) i have sent you a PM as its beginnig to get abit embarrassing on here :cry: :cry:

Westy, Re-formatting your computer won't get your sig back mate, I'm sure of it :cry: :cry: :cry:

thats not helping :cry: :cry:

im thinking of threatening to leave :cry: but i doubt it'll make any difference at all :cry: :cry:

:cry:

Sorry.

actually, Im holding a protest outside Stu's soon... also taking my Sig with me to GT battle on Saturday.. need as many sigs off of people as possible.. One love :cool: :cry: :cry:

PM'd you back Wendy :blabla:

:cry: :cry: :cry:

FPMSL and ROFLOL - Best quote I've seen in a looooooooong time :top:

fdisk and kill the partition

sssttrrroooooooooooooooff, crikey, Bruce has sorted it for me via PM :D I know understand.. thanks all :clap:

and cheers Ranj, that may as well have been wrote in russian pal :cry: