ME... reformat hard drive?

I have three computers with Windows ME, I would like to completely reformat
the hard drives and then donate them to charity. They a good, useable
computers with 20GB hard drives, CD, monitor, keyboard, etc. All in good
working condition, but I simply can NOT remember how to reformat the hard
drives. I tried format, but Windows won't allow me to do that? I've drawn a
blank! Can anyone remember how to format the hard drive having ME installed?
If so, please share your insight with me.
Thanks,
--
Patrick

You do it from a boot disk - such as can be made in Add-Remove
Programs\Startup Disk. You can't format the C: drive using a program on the
C: drive. The command is FORMAT C:


Shane


Patrick wrote:
I have three computers with Windows ME, I would like to completely
reformat the hard drives and then donate them to charity. They a
good, useable computers with 20GB hard drives, CD, monitor, keyboard,
etc. All in good working condition, but I simply can NOT remember
how to reformat the hard drives. I tried format, but Windows won't
allow me to do that? I've drawn a blank! Can anyone remember how to
format the hard drive having ME installed? If so, please share your
insight with me.
Thanks,

Thanks so very much! It's been a long time since I've messed with ME!
--
Patrick


"Shane" wrote:

You do it from a boot disk - such as can be made in Add-Remove
Programs\Startup Disk. You can't format the C: drive using a program on the
C: drive. The command is FORMAT C:


Shane


Patrick wrote:
I have three computers with Windows ME, I would like to completely
reformat the hard drives and then donate them to charity. They a
good, useable computers with 20GB hard drives, CD, monitor, keyboard,
etc. All in good working condition, but I simply can NOT remember
how to reformat the hard drives. I tried format, but Windows won't
allow me to do that? I've drawn a blank! Can anyone remember how to
format the hard drive having ME installed? If so, please share your
insight with me.
Thanks,

If you want to completely erase your disks you should run a secure erase
program which overwrites everything on the disk before you re-format the
drive or information can still be retrieved after formatting.

"Patrick" wrote:

Thanks so very much! It's been a long time since I've messed with ME!
--
Patrick


"Shane" wrote:

You do it from a boot disk - such as can be made in Add-Remove
Programs\Startup Disk. You can't format the C: drive using a program on the
C: drive. The command is FORMAT C:


Shane


Patrick wrote:
I have three computers with Windows ME, I would like to completely
reformat the hard drives and then donate them to charity. They a
good, useable computers with 20GB hard drives, CD, monitor, keyboard,
etc. All in good working condition, but I simply can NOT remember
how to reformat the hard drives. I tried format, but Windows won't
allow me to do that? I've drawn a blank! Can anyone remember how to
format the hard drive having ME installed? If so, please share your
insight with me.
Thanks,

Thanks
--
Patrick


"Dimwit" wrote:

If you want to completely erase your disks you should run a secure erase
program which overwrites everything on the disk before you re-format the
drive or information can still be retrieved after formatting.

"Patrick" wrote:

Thanks so very much! It's been a long time since I've messed with ME!
--
Patrick


"Shane" wrote:

You do it from a boot disk - such as can be made in Add-Remove
Programs\Startup Disk. You can't format the C: drive using a program on the
C: drive. The command is FORMAT C:


Shane


Patrick wrote:
I have three computers with Windows ME, I would like to completely
reformat the hard drives and then donate them to charity. They a
good, useable computers with 20GB hard drives, CD, monitor, keyboard,
etc. All in good working condition, but I simply can NOT remember
how to reformat the hard drives. I tried format, but Windows won't
allow me to do that? I've drawn a blank! Can anyone remember how to
format the hard drive having ME installed? If so, please share your
insight with me.
Thanks,

Alternatively - if you want to eliminate the possibility of data being
retrieved, a hammer is the favoured tool.

Shane

Thanks
--
Patrick


"Dimwit" wrote:

If you want to completely erase your disks you should run a secure erase
program which overwrites everything on the disk before you re-format the
drive or information can still be retrieved after formatting.

"Patrick" wrote:

Thanks so very much! It's been a long time since I've messed with ME!
--
Patrick


"Shane" wrote:

You do it from a boot disk - such as can be made in Add-Remove
Programs\Startup Disk. You can't format the C: drive using a program on the
C: drive. The command is FORMAT C:


Shane


Patrick wrote:
I have three computers with Windows ME, I would like to completely
reformat the hard drives and then donate them to charity. They a
good, useable computers with 20GB hard drives, CD, monitor, keyboard,
etc. All in good working condition, but I simply can NOT remember
how to reformat the hard drives. I tried format, but Windows won't
allow me to do that? I've drawn a blank! Can anyone remember how to
format the hard drive having ME installed? If so, please share your
insight with me.
Thanks,

wrote in message
ups.com...
Alternatively - if you want to eliminate the possibility of data being
retrieved, a hammer is the favoured tool.

Shane

If you're going to try a hammer, you might first want to try a screwdriver
to remove the hard discs from the hard drive.
It may be possible to retrieve data from a hard disc that has been hammered.
If possible, it may be more effective if you can melt the hard discs.
Some people find it sufficient to use a drill and just put a hole through
it.

Eric wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...

Alternatively - if you want to eliminate the possibility of data being
retrieved, a hammer is the favoured tool.

Shane


If you're going to try a hammer, you might first want to try a screwdriver
to remove the hard discs from the hard drive.
It may be possible to retrieve data from a hard disc that has been hammered.
If possible, it may be more effective if you can melt the hard discs.
Some people find it sufficient to use a drill and just put a hole through
it.

If you really want to be technical about it, for data recovery firms it
isn't all that difficult to retrieve data from a hard drive with a hole
drilled through it. The better data recovery experts can even get data
from the drill shavings! I think it suffices to say that for most users
a simple wipe utility will be all that is needed.

John

"John John" wrote in message
...
Eric wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...

Alternatively - if you want to eliminate the possibility of data being
retrieved, a hammer is the favoured tool.

Shane


If you're going to try a hammer, you might first want to try a
screwdriver to remove the hard discs from the hard drive.
It may be possible to retrieve data from a hard disc that has been
hammered.
If possible, it may be more effective if you can melt the hard discs.
Some people find it sufficient to use a drill and just put a hole through
it.

If you really want to be technical about it, for data recovery firms it
isn't all that difficult to retrieve data from a hard drive with a hole
drilled through it. The better data recovery experts can even get data
from the drill shavings! I think it suffices to say that for most users a
simple wipe utility will be all that is needed.

John

Hey, I said some people find it sufficient. I didn't say it would make it
unrecoverable.
As I said, the preferred method I believe would be to melt the hard discs.
I'm pretty sure they would be unrecoverable.
I'm not sure what the melting temperature is. I'm sure I have an old hard
drive or two that I will never use, that I can take apart to test.
Obviously you don't need to destory the drive, just the platters.

Eric wrote:

"John John" wrote in message
...

Eric wrote:


wrote in message
groups.com...


Alternatively - if you want to eliminate the possibility of data being
retrieved, a hammer is the favoured tool.

Shane


If you're going to try a hammer, you might first want to try a
screwdriver to remove the hard discs from the hard drive.
It may be possible to retrieve data from a hard disc that has been
hammered.
If possible, it may be more effective if you can melt the hard discs.
Some people find it sufficient to use a drill and just put a hole through
it.

If you really want to be technical about it, for data recovery firms it
isn't all that difficult to retrieve data from a hard drive with a hole
drilled through it. The better data recovery experts can even get data
from the drill shavings! I think it suffices to say that for most users a
simple wipe utility will be all that is needed.

John


Hey, I said some people find it sufficient. I didn't say it would make it
unrecoverable.
As I said, the preferred method I believe would be to melt the hard discs.
I'm pretty sure they would be unrecoverable.
I'm not sure what the melting temperature is. I'm sure I have an old hard
drive or two that I will never use, that I can take apart to test.
Obviously you don't need to destory the drive, just the platters.

No need to destroy the drive at all, unless you are overly paranoid! I
can assure you that with a 3 pass wipe no one will be able to retrieve
anything from your drive unless they hire data recovery specialists and
spend thousands of dollars, and even then they may recover nothing. I
can further assure you that with a DOD or Gutmann wipe no one will be
able to retrieve anything unless they spend tens of thousands of dollars
and even then they may be left empty handed with empty pockets! Unless
you work for the CIA or MI5 and have state secrets on your drive no one
would bother spending that kind of money trying to retrieve anything
that might turn out to be nothing more than emails to Grandma and a list
of your favorite recipes, if they indeed can recover anything!

John