How to wipe hard drive

[Dains11]

So my hard drive was getting kinda full, and I had a virus, so I just wanted to wipe my hard drive and start over again from the beginning, with nothing on it. I called my friend to ask him how I should do that, and he said that I need to reinstall windows xp. So I did reinstall XP, but I reinstalled on the same parition, so now my 80gb hard drive is almost all used up, because I think I intalled the new XP over my old XP. Basically, now I have no space, and I want to figure out how to wipe all the stuff on my hard drive so I can reinstall XP like it was a bran new HD, all advice and tips are GREATLY appreciated,
Thanks,
Dain

[Raga]

When you reinstall XP, delete and recreate the partition when you get to the point early on where you can do just that.



You'll have all your partitions there in the list, delete the one where your Windows is, recreate it, format and let it install there.

[Dains11]

thank you, Ill definetly go try that again, the only problem is...I tried to delete the partition where all the space was on, and it wont let me. Says something like windows needs the files that are on there to continue.

[Raga]

And you try to do this by inserting the CD and booting from the CD?

[Dains11]

Yea I inserted the cd, and opted to Install XP, I booted up just like the pic shows, except I had 2 options: 1 was where all the space was, and then the otherwas unpartioned space (8mb) I tried to delete the big space, and I got the error, windows needs files in there to continue installing. What should i Do?

[Raga]

OK, well then I'd just go in with a DOS boot disk or CD and fdisk the partition away, and then reboot with the WXP CD.

[Dains11]

ok, so I downloaded fdisk, but Im not sure how to use it...can u help me out?

[Raga]

Google for "fdisk tutorial" and "dos boot disk" if you haven't a clue of how to use either of the two. It's simple enough.

You didn't really need to download fdisk, it's on practically every DOS boot disk. For example, the W98 startup disk.

[Dains11]

ok thanks for the tips, I just have 1 more question: Do I need a floppy drive to do all this, because my computer doesnt have one =/

[Raga]

You can also make a bootable DOS CD.

For example: http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

[Dains11]

Thanks Raga, I finally wiped my hard drive. But now, whenever I try to boot up and reinstall windows xp, my computer gives me an error, and its says disk boot error, insert system disk. So, it wont do anything unless I put in the motherboard cd. When I do it restarts and asks if I want to flash my bios, I say yes, and then when its done it says hit f1 to continue, and if I do and keep the motherboard cd in, then the entire process starts over, if I try to put in the XP cd again it gives me the same error. I am stumped, how do I reinstall XP? ALl help is appreciated,
Thanks,
Dain

[Raga]

If you have an original Windows XP CD, you can boot straight off the CD and install. Stick in the CD, power on your PC and the XP installation should start. I'm assuming this is what you did before when you tried to install?

[Dains11]

Yea, thats what I was trying to do, and thats when the error came up, it says disk boot error, insert system disk. So it wont recognize my XP cd or something. Is there anything else I can try or do I need a new hard drive or something?

[Raga]

You can boot from other boot CDs? And you have an original WXP CD there?

[Dains11]

I can boot using the asus motherboard cd, or the boot cd I made to wipe the hard drive in the beginning. I am using a backup copy of XP, my original is at my friends house. Is that why it wont work? Im not using the original?

[jimmalenko]

I am using a backup copy of XP, my original is at my friends house. Is that why it wont work? Im not using the original?

Probably

You need your original (it sounds like you didn't make your backup bootable). Then you let the XP Setup boot off the CD, and it won't need any files on your hard drive. Delete any existing partitions and create a new one. Then say that you want to install XP to it.

[Dains11]

Yes, that did the trick, thanks Jimmalenko and Raga!