How to Format a Hard Drive
The process to format a hard drive will vary depending on exactly how you want to format the hard drive: with or without a Windows startup disk.
Option One: Formatting for a fresh Windows Installation
First thing you have to do is insert the Windows XP disk into the CD-ROM and reboot the machine. When the computer starts back up enter into your Setup screen and make sure that your BIOS is set to have your CD-ROM be your first boot up device. Once this is correct hit F10 to save and exit the setup screen.
Once you are out of the setup screen, a message will display “Press Any Key to Boot from CD” at this time do as the command says. Once you have pressed any key the computer will boot up from the CD-ROM. After several minutes, a message will come up on the screen asking to either install Windows XP, Repair Windows, or Exit.
At this time you want to Install Windows XP. Follow the on-screen commands, as the next window will come up and ask you to read the User Agreement and Hit Accept. Once you have hit accept, you come to a screen where it ask you which Drive you would like to use. Once you select your proper drive it ask if you would like to do a “Quick” or a “Full” format of the hard drive, and you will choose which ever you need at the time. Once this process is complete the drive is completed formatted and the bare minimum files for Windows are placed on the drive. That is one way to format your drive for a fresh Windows Install.
Option Two: Formatting by MS-DOS, complete format, no files on the Hard Drive
This is older way of formatting a hard drive, and usually is never used unless you are wanting to completely wipe and clean the hard drive and leave nothing on it at all. In order to do a complete wipe of the system you have to restart the computer and enter into a DOS prompt. This can be done a couple different ways. On computers with Windows ME and older, you have an option to restart the computer in MS-DOS mode; if you have a newer version of Windows you must have some sort of Windows Boot disk in order to start the computer in a DOS prompt.
Note: We are going to format the drive “C:” Your drive letter may be different. If you would like to format D:, enter D: where we enter C:.
Once you are at a DOS prompt follow the following commands:
C:\Documents and Settings\UserNameXXX> Format C:
WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK
DRIVE C: WILL BE LOST!
Proceed With Format (Y/N)?
Give this answer a Y, and the format process will begin.
Once this is complete, all data on the drive will be completely gone, and the drive will be fresh with no data on it.