Format hard drive without installing XP?

[PieIsAwesome]

I'm trying to do a format of the whole drive, without installing windows XP.

EDIT-Oh wait, how silly of me, the bit of data that the XP CD installs after the format that is used to continue the XP installation should probably work for another guy to continue the installation with his own disk...right?
I guess I'll do that now, delete this is if I'm right, or say something if I there was a better or different way for future reference.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Manufacturer's drive utility should format the drive.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

I don't understand what you mean by the "manufacturer's drive utility." The computer should have a preinstalled drive management utility outside of windows?

It is a retail notebook btw.

 

[Fardringle]

If you are asking how to format the hard disk and leave it blank, then formatting it from the Windows install CD will work just fine. Simply don't install Windows after you format the disk.

Since it is a retail laptop, the laptop manufacturer probably didn't supply the hard drive format utility, but if you have a Windows installation CD you don't really need it. If you are worried about data security (the new owner getting access to your files), use any of the many different formatting utilities available on the Internet that will write zeroes and ones repeatedly over the entire drive.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Manufacturers post drive utilities on their websites for free download. Yes, a Windows cd will do it too, just not as simply. There are a number of free apps that will do it too.

 

[Noema]

Try the wonderful Ultimate Boot CD

 

[stealth2009]

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
Manufacturers post drive utilities on their websites for free download. Yes, a Windows cd will do it too, just not as simply. There are a number of free apps that will do it too.

Is there an application which can be used to idetintify your hard disk drive model? For my old Toshiba laptop, I need to open its casing so I can determine the hard drive manufacturer.

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[bluestrobe]

Originally posted by: stealth2009Is there an application which can be used to idetintify your hard disk drive model? For my old Toshiba laptop, I need to open its casing so I can determine the hard drive manufacturer.

Sometimes BIOS will, sometimes it list the IDE devices when you boot.

 

[marulee]

Originally posted by: Noema
Try the wonderful Ultimate Boot CD

Thanks very much dude.