clean computer

[tarik666]

how do you completely wipe a hard drive. Completely clean it so that it is like when you bought it completely clean.

[abhijit]

how do you completely wipe a hard drive. Completely clean it so that it is like when you bought it completely clean.

There are commercial software's available for that.

Here's one --> http://www.whitecanyon.com/wipe-hard-disk.php

[dclamp]

i have used dBan that works good.

[tarik666]

do you need to install windows again after using it?

[abhijit]

do you need to install windows again after using it?

Which disk do you want to clean?

[dclamp]

do you need to install windows again after using it?

and which program are you talking about.

[dclamp]

how do you completely wipe a hard drive. Completely clean it so that it is like when you bought it completely clean.

there is no way to completly clean an installation of windows without removing windows and wiping the entire drive.

[tarik666]

does that mean i have to buy windows again

[Lord Orwell]

does that mean i have to buy windows again

do you have disks?

you can get a close approximation however simply by uninstalling everything in add/remove programs, clearing all history, and creating a new user name then deleting the old ones.

[dclamp]

does that mean i have to buy windows again

no, just reinstall using the CD that you have.

[mendhak]

Moving to General PC. Keep technical questions out of Chit Chat.

[visualAd]

how do you completely wipe a hard drive. Completely clean it so that it is like when you bought it completely clean.

Boot up a live distribution of Linux from CD and execute the following script. It will wipe your hard disk byte for byte with alternating random and zero data 16 times over

#!/bin/bash

COUNT="1"


# find sector count
SECTORS=/sbin/hdparm -g $1 | awk ' {ORS=""; FS=","; print $2}' | sed -e "s/sectors = //"

while [ $COUNT -lt 17 ]
do
        MOD=$[ $COUNT%2 ]

        # alternate random and zero fill
        if [ $MOD -eq 1 ]
        then
                echo "Pass $COUNT (random)"
                dd if=/dev/urandom bs=512 count=$SECTORS of=$1
        else
                echo "Pass $COUNT (zero)"
                dd if=/dev/zero bs=512 count=$SECTORS of=$1
        fi

        # increase count
        COUNT=$[ $COUNT+1 ]
done

wipe.sh /dev/hda1

Use with care.

[visualAd]

there is no way to completly clean an installation of windows without removing windows and wiping the entire drive.

there's always a way

[abhijit]

does that mean i have to buy windows again

where is your windows installation? on the hard-disk?

[vbcode1980]

What exactly do you want to achieve?
Do you want a completely empty hard drive?
Or did you buy a computer with Windows preinstalled and you want to return to that original situation?

[tarik666]

I have wiped everything from Local disk manually except for the things in the WINDOWS folder. This contains 8 gb so I was wondering if I should delete some stuff or not cause i dont want to stuff the computer.

[abhijit]

I have wiped everything from Local disk manually except for the things in the WINDOWS folder. This contains 8 gb so I was wondering if I should delete some stuff or not cause i dont want to stuff the computer.

That would depend on what your objective is. If you want to wipe the computer clean, delete everything on there. You will have to RE-INSTALL windows. RE-INSTALLING does not require you to BUY windows again.

[tarik666]

how will I reinstall it

[Hack]

By using your XP CD that should have come with the machine.

[tarik666]

it didnt thou. It just came with XP preinstalled

[Hack]

Most machines do, but there should be a package some where in the packaging that contains a number of CDs, one of which should be XP.

Every machine I ever bought did.

Regardless, if you don't have the operating system, and you wipe your hard drive, XP will be just as gone as everything else. The only way, at that point, to get it back, would be to go out and purchase XP.

[abhijit]

it didnt thou. It just came with XP preinstalled

Is the setup located on the hard-disk? Some manufacturers do that.

Not in US though.

[tarik666]

mine is UK. Where on the hard disk would it be.

[abhijit]

mine is UK. Where on the hard disk would it be.

You would have to search for it. If you have cleaned the rest of the hard-disk, my guess is that its gone.

[Hack]

Have you actually cleaned it yet, or are you still thinking about it?

[tarik666]

well i deleted everything from add and remove and everything else except microsoft office. the only real folder with lots of stuff is the WINDOWS folder.

[Lord Orwell]

Is the setup located on the hard-disk? Some manufacturers do that.

Not in US though.

HP did it. Got sued but the computers are still out there

[Lord Orwell]

well i deleted everything from add and remove and everything else except microsoft office. the only real folder with lots of stuff is the WINDOWS folder.

this folder is around 2gb with a clean install. I wouldn't be too concerned. You might consider running a registry cleaning program though to clean up the junk and compact it. Plenty of share/freeware versions of pro tools available.

I use tweakvi

[dclamp]

this folder is around 2gb with a clean install. I wouldn't be too concerned. You might consider running a registry cleaning program though to clean up the junk and compact it. Plenty of share/freeware versions of pro tools available.

I use tweakvi

hmm deja vu...

[abhijit]

well i deleted everything from add and remove and everything else except microsoft office. the only real folder with lots of stuff is the WINDOWS folder.

If you don't have installation disks, can you write / contact the manufacturer for new disks?

[dclamp]

If you don't have installation disks, can you write / contact the manufacturer for new disks?

i have a feeling they are not just going to send him a free copy of windows...

[Lord Orwell]

i have a feeling they are not just going to send him a free copy of windows...

hard to say. my dad's gotten three different disk sets from HP. depends on if it's in warranty or not, for starters.
But your system may have just came with a floppy disk and a restore partition on the hard drive you are prohibited from accessing without booting from the floppy. My mother-in-law's laptop is that way.

[abhijit]

i have a feeling they are not just going to send him a free copy of windows...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246

[TheBigB]

The CD isn't important.
You can download it if you want and it's completely legal.

The issue is whether you have the sticker with the Windows key or not.
It's usually found on the side or back of the pc case.

If you don't have the sticker you have been screwed by the shop where you bought your pc.
In that case you would have to buy a new Windows.

Otherwise, if you do have a sticker, simply download a Windows CD (from eg. 'isohunt.com' and install it using your Windows key.
Or maybe even easier, if you know someone who does have a Windows CD, ask the person to borrow it, or copy it.

[Lord Orwell]

make sure you install an oem version for your system if you have an oem key. They are activated differently. for example they don't phone home to microsoft.

[strjms72]

If XP is installed then the shop must have given you the key somewhere, because otherwise they are doing something illegal buy distributing products