How can I delete everything off a computer?
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The fastest means of wiping a 98 drive is with the fdisk utility that is found on the 98 startup floppy. If you don't one you should still be able to download the files needed from http://www.bootdisk.com/
To be thorough to remove all traces of anything ever on the drive itself you can use a "zero fill" type program that writes strictly binary zeros to the drive itself. Generally the simple of fdisk to delete all partitions found will take care of anything on the one or more in a few minutes by itself. The old way was to boot to dos and manually type deltree at the prompt for each single directory. "C:>deltree Windows" would totally remove the Windows directory along with all sub directories contained in it. That was the old slow dos method. Zero filling a drive can easily take a full day depending on the size of the drive in question where fdisk wipes almost instantly. But recovery softwares could still retrieve data to some degree at times.
To be thorough to remove all traces of anything ever on the drive itself you can use a "zero fill" type program that writes strictly binary zeros to the drive itself. Generally the simple of fdisk to delete all partitions found will take care of anything on the one or more in a few minutes by itself. The old way was to boot to dos and manually type deltree at the prompt for each single directory. "C:>deltree Windows" would totally remove the Windows directory along with all sub directories contained in it. That was the old slow dos method. Zero filling a drive can easily take a full day depending on the size of the drive in question where fdisk wipes almost instantly. But recovery softwares could still retrieve data to some degree at times.
To avoid confusion here read over:
"Low-Level Format, Zero-Fill and Diagnostic Utilities
Older hard disks required periodic low-level formatting by the system configurator or end-user. To facilitate this, low-level format utilities were created. These are small programs written to control the low-level formatting process for the hard disk. The hard disk controller would normally include one of these programs in a ROM chip in hardware, enabling access to the software without requiring any drives to be running in the system, and thus avoiding a possible "chicken and egg" quandary. In addition, more sophisticated, third-party utilities were available that would perform an LLF and also do other related features such as scanning for bad sectors or analyzing the drive to determine an optimal interleave setting. These would typically be loaded from a floppy disk.
Low-level formatting an older hard disk could be a rather complicated procedure, particularly for one who was not very familiar with PCs and hard disks. Various factors needed to be taken into account, such as defect mapping and setting the interleave factor. The particular conditions of the drive when formatting were also important: due to the vagaries of stepper-motor actuators, doing an LLF when the drive was very cold or very hot could lead to errors when the drive returned to a more normal temperature. Even the orientation of the drive when it was formatted was an issue.
As I have said (probably too often, sorry) modern drives do not need to be low-level formatted by the end user, and in fact cannot be LLFed outside the factory due to their precision and complexity. However, it seems that the need to LLF hard disks on the part of users has never gone away. Like some primordial instinct, many PC users seem to have a fundamental desire to LLF their modern disks. Maybe it is built into the genetic code in some way yet undiscovered. ;^) In fact, even if it were possible, the vast majority of the time that someone "needs" to LLF a hard disk today, it is not really necessary. Many users jump quickly to wanting to try an "LLF" whenever they have a problem with their hard disk, much the way many jump to re-installing their operating system whenever it gives them trouble.
Hard drive manufacturers have created for modern drives replacements for the old LLF utilities. They cause some confusion, because they are often still called "low-level format" utilities. The name is incorrect because, again, no utility that a user can run on a PC can LLF a modern drive. A more proper name for this sort of program is a zero-fill and diagnostic utility. This software does work on the drive at a low level, usually including the following functions (and perhaps others):" http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/geom/formatUtilities-c.html
"Low-Level Format, Zero-Fill and Diagnostic Utilities
Older hard disks required periodic low-level formatting by the system configurator or end-user. To facilitate this, low-level format utilities were created. These are small programs written to control the low-level formatting process for the hard disk. The hard disk controller would normally include one of these programs in a ROM chip in hardware, enabling access to the software without requiring any drives to be running in the system, and thus avoiding a possible "chicken and egg" quandary. In addition, more sophisticated, third-party utilities were available that would perform an LLF and also do other related features such as scanning for bad sectors or analyzing the drive to determine an optimal interleave setting. These would typically be loaded from a floppy disk.
Low-level formatting an older hard disk could be a rather complicated procedure, particularly for one who was not very familiar with PCs and hard disks. Various factors needed to be taken into account, such as defect mapping and setting the interleave factor. The particular conditions of the drive when formatting were also important: due to the vagaries of stepper-motor actuators, doing an LLF when the drive was very cold or very hot could lead to errors when the drive returned to a more normal temperature. Even the orientation of the drive when it was formatted was an issue.
As I have said (probably too often, sorry) modern drives do not need to be low-level formatted by the end user, and in fact cannot be LLFed outside the factory due to their precision and complexity. However, it seems that the need to LLF hard disks on the part of users has never gone away. Like some primordial instinct, many PC users seem to have a fundamental desire to LLF their modern disks. Maybe it is built into the genetic code in some way yet undiscovered. ;^) In fact, even if it were possible, the vast majority of the time that someone "needs" to LLF a hard disk today, it is not really necessary. Many users jump quickly to wanting to try an "LLF" whenever they have a problem with their hard disk, much the way many jump to re-installing their operating system whenever it gives them trouble.
Hard drive manufacturers have created for modern drives replacements for the old LLF utilities. They cause some confusion, because they are often still called "low-level format" utilities. The name is incorrect because, again, no utility that a user can run on a PC can LLF a modern drive. A more proper name for this sort of program is a zero-fill and diagnostic utility. This software does work on the drive at a low level, usually including the following functions (and perhaps others):" http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/geom/formatUtilities-c.html
That will depend on the version of Windows you plan to run on it. If you are staying with 98 you would use a boot floppy or even a cd-r burned with the 98 startup files written to it in order to run fdisk. If the drive is 64gb or over you will need to download a special fix from Microsoft in order to have 98 recognise the full capacity of the drive. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q263044 If you know the make of the hard drive you can also go to the manufacturer to download their own drive tools. For Western Digital the partition tool for Fat32 partitions is called DRFAT32. That or the update from Microsoft easily put 98 on a 250gb drive with a single primary partition. If the system has over 512mb of ram you will have to edit the Autoexec.bat file to add a line in there in order for 98 to load up properly however. In the "i386enh" section about 1/2 way down the screen when edited in dos you would enter "MaxPhysPage=30000" to correct this.
thealmightyone
New Member
I find the quickest way to 'delete' everything off a hard drive is:
Place hard drive upside down on a bench, or table.
Rip off the plastic underside (screwdriver as a lever works). Sod the screws.
See that slot? See that disc inside? Slide screwdriver underneath it, and bend it so it's pretty much poking outta the slot.
That aint ever gonna work again. And it's quicker than a full re-format. Obviously, only worth doing on the old and crappy 4 Gig hard drives that are probly worth a fiver.
Place hard drive upside down on a bench, or table.
Rip off the plastic underside (screwdriver as a lever works). Sod the screws.
See that slot? See that disc inside? Slide screwdriver underneath it, and bend it so it's pretty much poking outta the slot.
That aint ever gonna work again. And it's quicker than a full re-format. Obviously, only worth doing on the old and crappy 4 Gig hard drives that are probly worth a fiver.
thealmightyone
New Member
really? when the disc is not going to spin ever again?
Damage like that can be repaired?
Damage like that can be repaired?
The rest of the data on the disk can be repiared yes, The damaged area would be be cut off and a filling would be put on and it would most likly be put in a whole nother drive.thealmightyone said:really? when the disc is not going to spin ever again?
Damage like that can be repaired?
A low level format is an option to consider not tearing apart a drive casing making the drive useless.