how do you + hard drive to existing one and how do you erase used hard drive w/o disrupting the exsisting one?
343352
normally you have 2 IDE channels and each channel can have 2 devices (Hard Disk, CD, DVD etc) on it, so you can have 4 devices altogether.\nthe 1st device on each channel has to be set to MASTER, and the 2nd to slave\nFind out what you have spare, don't worry the 2nd hard disk can still be MASTER if it is on the 2nd channel, it will not interfere with the boot hard disk\nWhen all is connected power up and you should then see a D: drive available\nGoto Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Disk Management\nRight Click on the D: drive and FORMAT is one of the options.\nDo you want to make a multi boot PC?\n\n\n\nOk, yes the new drive will be E: unless that is already fixed by a CD player, then it may be F:\n\nlook on the back of the drive and you will see either mini switches or a bank of pins (2 rows) these may r may not have miniature 'handbag' links on them, there should be a patch on the top of the drive that tells you which pins to link for Master and which to link for Slave\nRemeber there can only be 1 Master and 1 Slave per IDE channel Max of 4 units)\nWith Win 98 you need to go to My Computer and RIGHT click on the new drive, one of the options is FORMAT\nMessage me if you have problems\n\nHope this helps
624275
format the hard drive, clean install windows
1005561
I'm going to go the extra mile, first destroy any data on the hard drive by wiping it with a utility, I like Eraser 5.7, http://www.download.com/Eraser/3000-2092_4-10231813.html some have said burning it, sadly, burning the drive will not destroy the data.  Any data restoration firm will simply replace the control board, make any repairs necessary to the read write heads and if your data has not been wiped from the drive, they will be able to recover ~98% of the data that was on it.\n\nMoving on, after you have wiped the drive using a utility, get yourself a drill, and drill holes in the drive, no particular pattern, you just want to break it to a point where the platters themselves are damaged and the read/write heads can't make sense of what to do.  Damaging the controller board doesn't make sense because those are easily replaced, heck, I've done that.\n\nHousehold magnets won't do the trick either.  You'd need an industrial strenght powered magnet to do any damage to the drive.  If you want to destroy your drive, follow my instructions and no one will be able to access your data.  Even the FBI would have issues with it.  The thing is, you can damage the control board, you can damage the read/write heads but if you don't damage the platters themselves then anyone (okay not anyone) but some would still be able to access your data.\n\nThe platters can be removed from a drive, popped into a working hard drive and voila, whadya know, the data can be read by any old working hard drive.  I've done that too.  You have to physically wipe the data (okay you get my meaning) before damaging the drive with tools.  If the data is still there, people like me, heck, your mom and pop PC shop and of course, hackers could still access the data.
150365
just try cloning the hdd by having them both in the same box and running ghost. then it's a 1 step deal and less foulable. should make a direct copy thats usable. be sure the proper jumper is selected on the new drive when you install it to be the primary boot device (a common oversight)
696923
you need to find who it originally belonged to or clean off the hd completely
918284
i am a hardware tech.\nit is very simple.just follow these steps.\ni am assuming this is a  second hard drive.\n1)connect it to the computer.\n2)turn it on.\n3)enter the bios.\n4)enable the disk\n5)restart\n6)boot to windows as usual\n7)you should be able to see the new hard drive in my computer\n8)format it.\n9)you are done.\nif you need further assistence..\nwrite to me at:\naanonymouus@yahoo.com
784450
before deleting data, plz save all ur necessary data.\n\n1. Right click on hard drive. e.g. C:&#92;> and click on "Format"\n2. Mark "Quick Format" and click on "Start" button.\n3. Repeat this process for every drive... thats it... \n\nThis thing u can also do from command Prompt\n\n1. C:&#92;> Format\nthat drive will be formatted\n\n2. apply 1st step for every drive.
91667
Hi, you will want to install a new hard drive. You can leave the old one in. You will have to move the jumper on the old one and set it to "slave" Put your new drive where the old one was. Put the jumper on the new drive where the jumper was on the old drive initially. This will make the new drive "master" It is probably like this by default.\n\nYou can now throw away the one that is about to break completely.\n\nNow you will install windows fresh on your new drive. Once in windows, you have an extra drive(old one). You can now move any information you need from the old drive to the new drive without having to boot to it.\n\nhope that helps....if you need more assistance, edit your post or feel free to shoot me an email. It's not very complicated to do this.  No need to stress!
12254
Easiest way is to use the utilities available from the hard drive manufacturer.  All new hard drives come with a CD that gives you the option to copy everything from your old hard drive to your new one.  Plug in both drives, boot from the CD, and copy.  This is probably the best way as it doesn't use an operating system to copy contents over to the new drive (the operating system locks/hide certain files while in use).  It would, of course, only serve them well to provide such a feature.
1125238
reformat your hard drive, or just get a new, larger hard drive (the second is the best)\n\nyou can do a web search on line on how to do this if you don't know, print off all the instructions before you start to work though lol and know you will loose all the info on your current drive so if you have any photos or documents or anything you want to save be sure to back them up on a floppy or CD or something.
210922
If you're confused about, maybe you shouldn't be doing it.  You can visit the manufacturer's website like the one I linked you to and see if they have some illustrated instructions to help you.  If you have one hard drive in your computer and are just removing it to replace it with a new one, just unattach whatever is attached to the old one and hook it up to the new one.  Slide it in place, screw it in, and you're done. \n\nIf you're adding another drive to your computer for storage, set the jumper in the back of the drive to "Slave" and hook it up.
638929
Just plug in your external hard drive, and start My Computer.  If the hard drive is properly formatted and partitioned, then it should show the drive with a new letter on the same place you will see your "C" drive.\n\nIf it does not show up then you will have to initialise the disk and format the disk for you to begin using it.\n\nAssuming everything is fine, simply drag and drop files into the new drive.  It maybe sensible to create folder and organise your data.\n\nSimply, right click on one of the files/mp3 etc and choose Open or to be more specific choose Open with and select the appropriate program.\n\nAlso before powering down your external hard drive or your computer, remember to disconnect the external drive safely on Windows.  On the System Tray, where your time shows on the bottom right hand corner.  There is an icon if you hover the mouse over it says "Remove Safely" or "Remove Hardware Safely".  Click on this and it will display the devices that are currntly connected.  Click on the entry related to the external hard drive.  If you do not do this, the hard drive can get corrupted.\n\nI lost about 40Gb worth of data by not doing this in a moment of madness.\n\nHope this is helpful.
398071
Go into DOS and type in C:&#92;format\n\nIt'll ask if you're sure, and you say yes.\n\nHD manufacturers have a small program you can download to write 0s over the entire drive, ensuring that no data can be recovered - run that program after formatting off of a floppy disk, and it should be totally erased.\n\nAlternatively, there are a TON of programs that offer to completely erase hard drives - I have no experience with those, however.\n\nGood luck!
408008
try usin a ghost, copy the entire content of your original hard drive to your new one, i do this quite often, i back up my hard drive and just incase something bad happens i can just copy the entire thing from my back up drive
31383
1. Wipe harddrive\n2. Install Windows 2000 or XP\n3. Wonder why you didn't do this sooner
958309
okay you first need to format your drive erasing everything off of it. Then restore it from a CD. I would recommend using a program like Symantec Live State Recovery and make a base backup of it after you have say your basic progs installed or things you're always going to want. It will basically make an image of your HD and you will be able to backup from that.
907656
Go to your DOS prompt (in Accessories) and type in FORMAT C:&#92;\nThis will erase everything. A verification message will ask if you really want to do this, and perhaps even a second asking is possible. If you format your hard drive, it will erase it all. Forever. Just be sure to Backup all you think is important!