How do you erase your hard drive?
488592
First, do you really want to reformat your hard drive? Rather than type out a step-by-step, go here. http://www.cyberwalker.net/faqs/how-tos/reinstall-faq.html. I like this site cuse you can look at the FAQs and see if you really need to reformat. If you have options set not to save, it will not save. Reformatting doesn’t “erase” anything; it just changes the file extensions so that they can’t be found in the conventional way. The only way for files not to be found is to destroy the hard drive itself. Yeah, you can get wipe Disk, that would take care of any spyware, worm or trojan problems.
1099786
I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT!!!\nStart-->control panel-->system-->(on the tab) system restore-->click your hard drive and click disable.
724079
You can't really just copy the os or certain programs to disks... you can either make a whole hard drive backup using a program like Norton Ghost, or reinstall everything. To erase all of you info permanently, (assuming you're on windows) click on the start menu and click run. Then type in cmd and press enter, and it should give you a black window with white writing. Type in "format c: /u" to completely and permanently erase everything. DO NOT try this until everything's backed up and you are completely sure you don't need anything on that computer.
884448
First, a simple format actually erases nothing off the hard drive, it only erases the links to the files.  As long as you don't touch it, you can recover everything.  The more you do with the hard drive after formatting, the less you can typically recover.\n\nIf you want to permanently erase data, there are a ton of programs out there (a lot of free ones too) that will write and rewrite the disk sectors numerous times to prevent recovery.  The US Department of Defense actually has a standard that they use to define proper secure deletion.\n\nI would list some programs, but there's tons.  Do a Google search on "secure deletion" and you'll see.
283239
Use Partition Magic\n\nIt's very user friendly program that you dont need any instruction on how to use.\nOnce installed you will see all your hard disk partitions.\nRight click and say Unhide partition.\nYou are done.\nCongrats
1142769
after you delete them and they go to the recycle bin go to the recycle bin and click the "Empty Recycle BIN" button and they will finally be gone.\n\nbut if someone runs a file restore program on your computer they can get it back. if you don't want that remove you hard drive and hit it with a 10 pound hammer 537.2 times. :)
1124381
It depends on what OS and browser you are using.  I use IE and have Windows XP. You go to "my computer" and click on your "c" drive and then click on "documents and settings" and then on "owner" then click on "local settings".  Your "history" folder is in there and you just delete everything that is in there.  You should also temporarily delete all of your "Temp files".
491043
Plug pen into USB port. \n\nOpen Windows Explorer to find out what drive letter has been assigned to the USB drive. Close Windows explorer. \n\nClick Start > Run and type in "cmd" without the quotes. Click OK. \n\nUse "cd C:&#92;" without the quotes if you are not already at the C:> prompt. \n\nAt the C:> prompt, type "CHKDSK X: /F" without the quotes where X = the drive letter of the USB drive. The space before /F is important. Press enter. \n\nIf you are asked questions like "Convert lost chains into files?" answer all such questions "Y" without the quotes and press enter. \n\nOnce finished with CHKDSK type at the C:> prompt "DEL X:&#92;File*.chk" without the quotes where X = the drive letter assigned to the USB drive. \n\nClose the dos command window and open Windows Explorer. Find your USB drive and open it. Delete any other files that you do not want. \n\n\nALWAYS use the icon on the system tray to close down the USB drive before removing it!!!!! \n\nNEVER format the USB drive. Windows will apply a different file allocation table than what the drive came with.\n\n-Quoted from newcentaur
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!
122890
Latch onto an external hard drive...shove all your important files in it. then basically wipe the whole damn hard drive, and reinstall the operating system. and when you do...partition your hard drive
1063213
select the file/folder on your drive, right click on it, then select delete. if you want it to really disappear defrag your disk just after.
179940
If you want to whip it out clean(your entire hard drive), then reboot your system with the windows boot disk and type "format c:" this will whipe out all data from the drive.\n\nif you need to preserve your data then you may have to do it manualy with the with the deltree command from the dos prompt. You will also have to reboot using the win98 boot disk because you will get an error saying someting like "Can't  remove directory, X file,already in use by windows"\n\nalso please make sure you copy deltree.exe onto you bootup\nfloppy. I beleive that the windows boot disk does not set the path to the windows directory, so doing a deltree from the prompt will not work with out the deltree.exe program on your floppy.\n\nThe command from your A:prompt should look like this\n\nA:>deltree c:&#92;windows\n\ndeltree c:&#92;windows, is the actual syntax to type at the prompt.\n\nyou can then from there use anny method you choose to delete any windows swap files.\n\nNotes:\n\nuse the dir command to see any hidden files left over by windows\n\nFirst use dir/? to get the correct syntax. dir will let you see the hidden files and the attrib command will let you change the attributes of a file from hidden to archive so that yo may delete any hidden windows files on your hard drive.(attrib/? for syntax)\n\nif you need more info,E-mail me, Thanks for the question!\n\nThe first answer is wrong. Do not do a low level format. A low level format is done at the manufacture NOT the user.
65911
format c: /s /u\n\nbut you can only do this from a boot cd / floppy and it will wipe the boot drive clean.\n\nof course that assume a DOS format and not a NTFS format.
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.
1077986
You can use a program like CCleaner (freeware) and manually uninstall all of your programs. You can then reformat the drive. If you perform an OS reinstall, don't select repair. Reinstall the OS fresh, and that will remove everything and start over.
826525
Boot off the system CD and reformat your hard drive - multiple pass and zero data. Use Disk Utility. Would take a good amount of time depending on your comps' speed but it will securely erase ur hard drive.\n\nYou will need to re-install the system (since EVERYTHING is erased) then the comp is good to go.
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.