How to I completely clear out a Hard Disk Drive?

Question

I have 3 old HDD's from older laptops, and I just selected all the files and said "Delete" but it won't let me delete certain files. I have a docking station for these HDD's, and I want to be able to use them like regular external hard drives - with out all the weird Windows files. Can I just completely erase all the files?

Answer 1

Il do a Step by step for you:( Be careful-this deletes everything on the HDD, so make sure to chose the correct one)



1)Go to My Computer

2)Right Click on the relevant drive

3)Click on "Format"

4)Once a Window comes up, click on Start

5)Wait for it to finish formatting

6)Click close

7) And all the files that were on the drive are now deleted!

Answer 2

Use the Quick Format command from within Windows Explorer.

Answer 3

looks that I vaguely remember while i grew to become into installation domicile windows XP on my no longer undemanding force some years in the past, (or in line with possibility it grew to become into while i grew to become into formatting a sparkling no longer undemanding force), I study in the learning that as quickly as you format a disk force as NTFS, you could no longer pass back to fat 32. yet you could pass from fat 32 to NTFS. this is why i did no longer format in NTFS in spite of the reality that it grew to become into supposedly extra effective to FAT32. anybody else right here be attentive to me to be incorrect? "Partition Magic" is a application that i've got seen complimented via different different events yet i won't be able to say for helpful that it will do what you prefer to do. you could desire to google the call and seem on the employer's internet site to work out regardless of if or no longer it says it could do what you prefer to do. To: Stoopid_Fer_Lyfe: thank you on your respond.

Answer 4

I like to boot into an ubuntu livecd and format the entire damn thing..

using gparted

Answer 5

If you have anything on those disks that you REALLY want erased, then you need to destroy the old disks and replace them with new ones.