[help] How do I completely clear the C drive?

[TomvanWijnen]

Hello everyone,

I want to completely clear the C (os) and E drive. How do I do that? My OS is currently Windows XP ().

I won't sell the drives, I just want to clear them.

Thanks for your help.

[Laputacake]

Using a partition manage. Just right click the drive and press format

[Arty]

use the boot cd as your going to install windows, wipe the partition and then cancel the install

[FizzyFantom]

What is your plan for the drive? Is it a drive you plan to throw away, put in a box, install an OS on, use for data or something else?

If you plan to keep the drive then you don't need to wipe all the data securely, just format it from an OS setup disk. If you're installing an OS then this will be done during setup, but if you want it as a data drive you can format it from "Disk Management" in Windows (after putting it in another PC).

You can also format it with GParted from a Ubuntu LiveCD, or wipe the whole drive securely using the shred command.

http://gparted.org/

http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/raring/man1/shred.1.html

If you're going to throw it away I suggest your destroy it completely (bend the platter at least).

I hope this helps, if you need any more info feel free to ask

[MattLantis]

Baseball bat? Shotgun? Magnets? Fire? A drop off a massive building? Explosion?

[Akolyte]

This.

 

[TomvanWijnen]

What is your plan for the drive? Is it a drive you plan to throw away, put in a box, install an OS on, use for data or something else?

If you plan to keep the drive then you don't need to wipe all the data securely, just format it from an OS setup disk. If you're installing an OS then this will be done during setup, but if you want it as a data drive you can format it from "Disk Management" in Windows (after putting it in another PC).

You can also format it with GParted from a Ubuntu LiveCD, or wipe the whole drive securely using the shred command.

http://gparted.org/

http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/raring/man1/shred.1.html

If you're going to throw it away I suggest your destroy it completely (bend the platter at least).

I hope this helps, if you need any more info feel free to ask

This. I also thought about this after sleeping Thanks.