anyone know how to clear a dell hardrive?

[Blade_270]

I need to clean my harddrive. I have windows XP but every time I do, it just puts files in an inviasble folder. I'm putting everything I need on a disk. please. I want to learn how to get all my space back. please help me. if so, thank you.

[HUnewearl_Meira]

If you're dead serious about wiping everything off, you might consider re-partitioning your hard drive. Possibly the easiest way to get to a place where you can do this, is to use a floppy-bootable Linux distribution such as this (http://www.toms.net/rb/). There are other ways to do it, but this is the method that comes to mind most quickly. There should be an fdisk utility included in that distribution, which will allow you to remove and/or edit any partitions your hard drive may happen to have.

I warn, however, doing this will destroy everything on your hard drive. It will render it completely empty. From that point, you will be able to re-install Windows from scratch. But again, I emphasize, it will get rid of every last bit of information currently on your hard drive. Windows will want to re-partition it again, when it installs, as well.

[Link00seven]

You dont need a Linux Distro--just get an old Windows 98 Bootdisk with CD-ROM Support. Use Google to find one.

Once you have it, load your PC with the bootdisk, and then run FDISK. Use it to erase and create a new partition on your HDD. This will erase everything on your hard drive.

Once the partitioning is done, restart (disk still in) and once it loads, run "format c:" and once thats complete, load up your Windows CD and install!

[FlashFire]

Just hit ur computer till it just clears the drive
PS u better hit it hard lol

[KodiaX987]

FlashFire, you're being a dickhead. Do us a favor and never post at PSOW again.

For formatting your computer, it's normal that the system will create an invisible folder of sorts. Pay close attention to what the screen says. You should read that you have a RAMDRIVE on the D: drive. Should you have done your boot disk and your booting procedure as instructed, you should be able to access this virtual D: drive, from which you can begin the format. After the format is done, the D: drive simply disappears and all you have to do is install Windows as usual.