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I'm trying to erase the hard drive on an old laptop to bring it in and get a discount on a new computer, but can't manage to wipe my hard drive. I've pulled up many online tutorials and nothing is working.

For example,
My computer (<- double left click)
(C:) (<- right click)
Format (<-select)
Format (C:) (<- click Start button)
Warning message about deleting (<- click OK button)
Error message - "Windows cannot format this drive. Quit any disk utilities or other programs that are using this drive, and make sure that no window is displaying the contents of the drive. Then try formatting again."
(<- click OK button)

So, I open up my task manager and there is a huge list of processes running. I have no clue what could be running that is not allowing me to format my C: drive.

Can anyone help?

Reinstall windows if you have the orginal CD's that came with it that should wipe off everything and just leave windows or use something like this



http://download.cnet.com/WipeDrive/3000 ... 88472.html

Well, I'm getting 50 bucks off a new computer and that software will cost me $40 I'll look for a free version.

So now I burned Darik's Boot and Nuke and am trying to use it and my computer doesn't know what to do with the .iso file.

kanelli wrote:So, I open up my task manager and there is a huge list of processes running. I have no clue what could be running that is not allowing me to format my C: drive.

If C: drive is your root drive then it won't allow you to reformat it unless you do a clean install. C: drive is system drive and it is not supposed be reformated once windows is installed.

Clean install I mean, as DDS mentioned, boot from windows CD and then format it from there and install windows.

--- Thu May 03, 2012 6:44 pm ---

If you want to completely wipe of the data, repartion the HDD when you boot from windows CD.

To make things faster and after backup of what you need in the future, delete main progs such as MS Office, Adobe, main progs used. Do a search using *.doc for example to find all Word docs and delete also.

Continue this for PDF, Xls, chk, log always using the asterisk dot file extension.

When running reinstall of windows it will be far faster.

I don't have the Windows CD

--- Thu May 03, 2012 7:09 pm ---

So now I've put the same disk that I burned Darik's Nuke and Boot program back into my current laptop and it reads the CD as new and unformatted - no sign of the program. I burned the program successfully and just saw the program when I read the disk on my old laptop that I'm trying to wipe. So now I am attempting to format the CD so that I can burn a new program (Eraser) onto it, but the disk isn't formatting - so seems I am now having a problem with the CD burner on my current laptop.

We sooo need the new computer!

Try dos prompt. C:\ and type in format c:\

Try and access dos from boot or in safe mode

kanelli wrote:I don't have the Windows CD

Any windows CD will do. You have vista or win7? If you are formatting system drive then OS will be gone and you will need windows CD anyway.

Found my thumb drive, copied and intalled Eraser onto my old laptop.... Doesn't delete anything when I ask it to. Not the whole drive, not any specific folders, nothing.

Nucleus, I want everything gone, because I'm giving the computer to a shop who will recycle it and give me $50 off the new computer. Let me see if I have my Vista disk somewhere...

What you are trying to do? Increase space or format the hard drive. You need windows CD if C: drive is system. Usually C: drive is system drive, so you will windows CD to install windows again.

--- Thu May 03, 2012 7:41 pm ---

Ok i'm not sure if reformating system drive will work from safe mode, you have to boot from CD or USB and then reformat from there.



Here are step by step instructions, vista has better user interface, but process is similar if you boot from vista CD. See the following for instructions http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/windows/i ... format.htm

I want the computer blank - dead - empty. It is going to be recycled.

If you want it to be completely empty beyond recovery, you need to zeroize it, inserting multiple times random sequences of 0s and 1s.

Nothing lets me do anything. I'm pretty close to opening the $^&*&* thing up and burning the hard drive!

If you can't fix it, f*** it!

It would feel rather therapeutic to take a sledgehammer to the thing at this point

Thanks anyway for the help guys! I appreciate it.

just repartition it then, boot it from windows CD. That should do it.

If its not going to be reused and recycled just take out the hard drive, get your yourself an adapter and use it as an external hard drive. Taking out the harddrive usually doesn't involve more than undoing a few screws and a plug.

Sounds like a nightmare!

DBAN should do the job. Why don't you try running it from your thumb drive - here's how:

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/install-db ... g-windows/

(It should then boot from the USB drive and then erase the HDD as you wish, just ensure you set your bios to enable booting from the USB)

Good luck!

Cheers,
Shafique

I would just keep the harddrive. I am suspicious of just 'erasing' data...metadata can be 'mined' even after deletion - not worth the 50 bucks...we incinerate our harddrives.

Ambassador wrote:I would just keep the harddrive. I am suspicious of just 'erasing' data...metadata can be 'mined' even after deletion - not worth the 50 bucks...we incinerate our harddrives.

Not sure if they would take it without the HDD. If they gonna dismatle it then it should be ok. If recycle means they will take out the parts and use it again, then without the HDD they might not take it.

Above if unnecessary unless there is top secert information. Read this, it is interesting, but it will cost more than 50 bucks http://www.technologyreview.com/read_ar ... h=infotech

I am completely with Ambassador on this one. Just reinstalling Windows isn't enough. There can be very sensitive personal or financial data on there. Even if you delete it, it can be recovered.

I've removed the hard drive and I'll likely just smash the thing when I want to get rid of it. No one can recover data on a destroyed hard drive. They still take it without the hard drive inside. Setting up the new computer today!

Thanks again guys

If you still want to erase the hard drive, try hiren's boot cd (download free). Boot from this and then choose one of the hard drive erase tools. That is about the safest way, short of smashing the hard drive.
But if someone really wanted to get hold of your home movies, they could upload them from internet connection anyway.