I have a dell 5150 and I want to delete the hard drive. How do I do this?
915231
You'll need to boot to something other than that hard drive - such as a windows CD, a Win98 boot floopy (google it) or a Linux CD.  You can then format the hard drive, which will erase the entire contents of it.\n\nYou can also put the hard drive in another computer and format it that way.
69663
Is the DELL computer bought recently??? If it has been bought recently, then there is an already installed software on the computer which can do the work for u. Its called PCRestore. It will totally erase the hard drive and install the whole of the operating system and all the software that might have come along with the computer. The computer's software would be as if was just taken out of the box. But, I must mention that this will erase everything on the comp. \n\nPC Restore can be done this way: \n\nRestart your comp and immediately you would see a blue bar on the top. At that point hold down the Control (Ctrl) key and keep tap F11 2-3 times. You would see, "PC Restore by Symantec". Now, use your mouse to click on Restore. Then on the next screen click on confirm. This process would take about 10 minutes to complete. But, I must warn you, all the information on the computer would be LOST and it would be as if just taken out of the box. \n\n\nOtherwise contact DELL Free Technical Support for assistance. The number is 1-800-6249896
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
973048
DO NOT do what JAN said, that is the improper way to delete things and you can seriously screw up the computer if you do that... Windows uses ADD/REMOVE programs found in CONTROL PANEL to automatically remove stuff for you PROPERLY not harming anything else...\n\n\nYou can easily ERASE everything on your pc by formatting it with a format CD... However you will NEED the dell original disc to reinstall WINDOWS once again, otherwise the computer will be useless without an OPERATING SYSTEM ON IT...\n\nOne easy way to allow this KID to use your pc, is to go INTO WINDOWS, and click START>CONTROL PANEL> USERS and create a NEW USER FOR HIM, and PASSWORD protect your own...\n\nThis way you can have your own files that he CANNOT see or modify, and he can have his own user to do what he wants...\n\nIf you are GIVING THE COMPUTER AWAY< then add him a NEW user, and simply LOG INTO HIS USER< then go back to CONTROL PANEL< and delete your USER... This will make it somewhat like new...\n\nBefore you do all of that though, you need to be in YOUR USER and go to CONTROL PANEL ADD/REMOVE programs, and erase all programs you dont want the kid to have, or figure he wont need... Dont uninstall the updates.
760752
try Eraser : http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/\n\nSimply formatting your drive won't completely delete your files. Any UNDELETE programs out there can restore your files. \n\nWhat is Eraser? \n \nEraser is an advanced security tool (for Windows), which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns.
531847
Check your free hard disk space, check the system for viruses and spy-ware. Clean up all of your temp files, check the programs that are being loaded automatically (Start up), Defrag your hard disk. If no solution this far, you have to diagnose your hard drive. In Dell computers, when you power up your computer and you see the Dell Logo, press CTRL+D immediately, and you'll have a Hard Disk Diagnostic, you'll have to try this a couple of times to get it, because it's a little hard to get it just in time.\nIf you have an error code here, it means you have to change your hard drive. If it passes, then you don't have to replace it.\nHope this helps.
868519
By deleting files you don't need anymore, or moving files to another drive.  Without knowing what's on your D: drive, I can't really be more specific than that.
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.
155933
delete stuff you dont use. goto the control panel then add/remove programs and delete what you dont use. also try backing up pics and music on a dvd disc. also you can get another hard drive(turn it into a slave drive). goto newegg.com you can get a 200gb hdd for $100 or so
66650
Delete files. Often you can delete old preference files or internet temp files.\n\nYou could also mirror your 4 gig to the 10 gig and boot off that drive and wipe the 4 gig drive.\n\nBut you have to ultimately delete non critical files to make more space, or invest in a new machine or at least more storage.
315050
option 1\nconnect your hard drive to another computer and go to this path\nwindows\nsystem32\nconfig \nthen in the config folder delete a file with the name SAM and you r done\nor use the ERD commander to start windows and do the same\nu can use an NTFS startup disk álso to start windows from DOS and delete the same file
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!
166267
Removal of data.\nIf there are critical data stored on the hard drive, it is best to back up the data and any specialized hardware drivers to CD or DVD discs and then wipe the drive by deleting the partition(s) and then making a new one using a program like fdisk.exe.  The Operating system would have to be reinstalled.\nIf the data is not critical, then removal of any programs using un-install followed by scandisk.exe and defrag.exe should be fine.  If you do not have an IT person and can not do this yourself a local computer store can help.\nCheck with local schools and churches if you wish to donate the old hardware.  Goodwill is another place to recycle.
842864
You don't say what OS you have, but if you can boot into DOS and navigate around you should be able to delete it. If you don't know DOS, try booting into Safe mode to go and delete it. If you don't know how to boot into Safe, try opening Start --> Run.\n\nMost of those keyGens are daemons running a loop between your ethernet card and the software which is looking for a certificate. It's running, that's why you can't delete it.\n\nOtherwise, reformat the drive.
808703
Why would you want to remove bytes from your computer? You would have to remove your hard drive.
610566
To format the hard drive before you dispose of it (ie get rid of all the data stored on it) get a magnet and rub it across the disk (silver part in the second image in the link below). This should erase all data on it.\n\nGOOGLE IMAGE RESULTS FOR HARD DRIVE:\nhttp://images.google.co.uk/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=hard+drive&btnG=Search\n\nHope this Helps!
376964
in Fdisk there is a Non-Dos option...use that to delete an NTFS or any other Non-Dos Partition.