How do I wipe/erase my hard drive

How do I wipe/erase my hard drive, to start over from scratch?
If When I turn on my computer and it tries to install xp right away.
There is no os on it, it’s just stuck trying to installing but can’t.
Answer #1
put it in the microwave for 9 seconds on low setting.
the microwaves will do the best job of formatting.
Answer #2
Plug the hard drive into another computer and format it through cmd prompt, or let it finish the installation, then format >_>
Answer #3
put it in the microwave for 9 seconds on low setting.
the microwaves will do the best job of formatting.
HaHa is it worth trying ?
Answer #4
yes it should restore all parts to there original state like plastic to oil chips to gold and silicon and all the metal including the microwave oven to bare ingots for which there is a good scrap market
Answer #5
Go to “My Computer” right click on the drive you want to format, most likely C drive. Then click format. Make sure you got the start up cds that came with your computer when you bought it so you can put the stuff you need back on.
Good Luck.
Answer #6
I tried putting it into another computer but nothing shows up, it doesn’t recognize it or something.
L337> I have tried but it restarts itself and then restarts itself again and again.
Answer #7
Download the GParted LiveCD, burn it and set your BIOS to boot from CD. You should be be able to delete everything on the harddrive using that.
http://gparted-livecd.tuxfamily.org/
Answer #8
You’re better off using Acronis Disk Cleanser. It will wipe/erase then format your hard drive with a CD boot disk.
Answer #9
Pop in your Windows CD, go to recovery console -> format C:
Answer #10
If you want the date to be unrecoverable, delete it and then overwrite it only once -.0 … twice if you’re really paranoid or a pedophile.
There are programs out there that will wipe everything including free space. Most tell you that you need to go by the department of defenses standards for data deletion or w/e but it just isn’t true.
Answer #11
Just Make sure you set your bios to start from the CD first…boot with your XP CD and you get to the stage to chose the partition to install XP in you will get the option to format….Chose ntfs quick format…
Good luck…
Some of the comments on this thread are no so helpful…
Answer #12
try eraser software…
its name is eraser x32 or x 64……superb one…
completely destroys the data leaving it unrecovarable….
Answer #13
Put in your Windows Cd and go the dos prompt and format from there.
Answer #14
Use DBAN http://www.dban.org/
Answer #15
You mean like a Format?if its that just put your cd in your drive,restart the pc press F2 and follow these steps:
The process of formatting is as follows:
1. Insert the WINDOWS XP bootable disk in the CD drive.
2. Restart your PC (if it was already running).
3. Press enter or F2 when the monitor reads PRESS ANY KEY.
4. Now comes the time to partition your drives.
5. If you want to delete any partition, press D or L(whichever is displayed on the screen).
6. Afterwards format the drive you want to install the operating system (XP) in.
7. Press ENTER.
8. The formatting will start.
9. Follow the procedures.
10.It should take around 40 minutes for the installation to finish.
11.Use windows(HAVE A GOOD TIME).