Need to wipe Windows XP hard drive completely? Follow this article, it will show you how to erase all data on a Windows XP hard drive. My Dell computer is running with Windows XP, and I want to wipe the system hard drive to sell the computer. Can anyone help? Generally, there are 2 situations where people want to wipe a Windows XP hard drive. The first is you want to sell or give away your system hard drive to others just like the scenario.
And it is necessary to erase all data on the disk to protect your personal files from being stolen or copied. And some people wipe their Windows hard disk for reinstalling system. Wiping the Windows disk and having a fresh reinstallation is a good way to deal with those issues and to speed up your computer. When it comes to wiping a Windows XP hard drive, people may want to reset their computers to default settings or insert the system disk into another computer to format it.
Default resetting will delete programs, data and restore settings, system back to the original condition. And formatting just hides data from the operation system and rebuilds its file system. It is a professional data destruction tool to erase data on a disk clean by overwriting data.
And thanks to its intuitive interface, all operation can be done in a few steps. You can download it and follow the steps below to see how it works. Select each field that does not say "Unallocated Space. Use the arrow keys to select fields to be deleted. Press the D key to delete each field. When prompted, press the L key to confirm partition deletion.
This will clear old data from the hard drive of the computer. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until the only field left is "Unallocated Space. Press enter to create a new partition of the maximum size. Method 3. Use the arrow keys to select the new partition.
Press enter to install Windows XP to the unallocated space. This will be followed by a list of installation options. Select Quick Format installation. You will want to select the NTSF file system. That is the preferred file system of Windows XP. If you're reformatting to recover from error, you will want to do a Full Format otherwise your error may still exist. The PC should restart, then select your language and local preferences when prompted to do so.
There are quick selection options or you can click on custom settings to receive more options. Enter your desired password. When the administrator password prompt comes up you can enter your desired password. Pick a password only you would know, but difficult enough for anyone else to guess.
Method 4. Get your disc or thumb drive containing your backup. Place your backup in the appropriate drive to restore the documents you backed up before starting this procedure and re-install your applications. Click on the "Start" menu. This is located in the lower left hand corner of the screen. To restore your backup, choose "All programs" and "Accessories.
Select "Restore Files and Settings. Click "Browse" to find your backup in either the CD or the thumb drive and then "Next" to continue. Click "Finish" to mount your backup. It may take some time to restore completely if it was a large backup.
Click "Close" when the restoration is complete. The files from your backup should appear on your newly formatted computer. Method 5. If the CD won't complete reformatting then try running a memory test on the PC. You may need to replace one or both of the memory sticks if there are many errors. Try replacing the optical drive and data cables. Some cables may wear over time, so these may need to be replace if damaged or defective.
Check your CD drive. Try putting in another CD and see if your computer can read the CD. If it cannot, then you may need to replace your CD drive.
Ensure that the CD is not scratched. Flip the CD over in your hand and look at it in the light. If the CD is scratched then your CD drive may have difficulty reading it. Try using a different CD or try repairing the scratched CD.
Yes No. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 1. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. A keyboard and mouse.
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. NOTE: When following this procedure, all user data will be erased, please back up data. You Might Also Like How to. How to. Computer Repair Specialist.
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