Need help on wiping HD & Install Windows OS

[applesseed]

My parents wants to give their computer to a friend. The refurbished Compaq Presario Desktop computer did not come with the Windows XP CD software.

What I plan to do is to run DBAN or some sort of software to completely wipe out all data on the HD - or should I format the HD -- what's the difference between these two methods?

If I run DBAN, which I assume would wipe the HD... how do I go about installing Windows XP? Would running the recovery disk work? I still don't get the difference between Recovery Disk and Boot Disk - can't seem to find it in Google... perhaps I'm blind.

Another solution is to probably swap out the HD -- damage the old one with a sledgehammer -- and install a new HD... but... I still gotta buy that $100 Windows XP Home CD, right?

Hmmm... so what if... say I run DBAN... and say I decided to install Lindows... would that be doable? Would Lindows allow me to install on a completely wiped out HD? I can't find their spec. requirement whether it needs a previous OS or not to install Lindows.

But wait... so what if I run DBAN... and pop-in the Windows XP Professional CD-ROM that came with my Dell computer - would that work?

What if... instead of running DBAN... I just pop-in the Windows XP Pro CD-ROM and reformat the HD? ... question is... would the HD still contain the old data or be retrievable?

In short I just need to wipe all data on an HD... and then install Windows OS ... what options do I have?... BTW... I've never done such things like formatting HD and installing an OS.

 

[MustISO]

DBAN is fine to run to wipe the hard drive. You can install any OS after the drive is wiped.

Does your parents computer have the Windows CD-Key on the side of the case (or somewhere with the stuff that came with the PC)? You'll need that to be able to re-install XP and the key much match the version you're installing (i.e. OEM, Retail, etc). You could always install Linux and leave the Windows issue up to the people getting the machine.

If you want to install XP and you have a valid Windows XP Home key just boot the PC with the XP CD in the CD-ROM drive and press a key when you see the prompt. Then follow the on-screen instructions.

 

[C1]

Reformatting an HDD technically doesnt overwrite the information on it (remember what happened to Major Ollie North?).

DELL OS disk will not install in the Compaq - dont waste your time.

What's so important about giving someone a computer & requiring that you be so incredibly nice so as to have to provide them an OS too? Wipe the disk & let the beneficiary buy & install their own OS. They can order the disks from Compaq for probably $35. Also, why would you give the machine to someone who would want to be attempting to go thru the HDD to obtain recovered information of yours that is not their business? This is a lot of trouble & basically criminal type behavior. Otherwise, unless this thing has national security information on it, buy or obtain some freeware file shredding application & go thru your files & permanently delete personal information & uninstall un-needed/registered programs. Run the built in HDD clean up & defrag the HDD & turn the machine over to whomever with the present OS intact (probably maintenance you should have been doing all along anyway).