Reformat old computer hard drive

[navegator]

I have an old 2002 hard drive computer that I need to reformat the hard drive, it got a virus, I would like to know what the commands are to wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows XT professional, it is only used for flight simulator and nothing else, it has all the goodies bells and whistles for the simulator.

I know that it is one of the F keys but I am not computer savvy, I muddle along.

Thank you all in advance

navegator

[Tom_M1]

Put the Windows install disk in your disk drive and reboot the PC. On my PC if I press the F12 key during bootup a menu appears where I can choose which drive to boot from. Choosing the optical drive will start the Windows install process. During the install you will choose which drive to install to. You can also choose to format the drive.

If you are unable choose a boot sequence you will have to make the boot sequence change in the BIOS. This is typically done by pressing the F2 key during bootup.

[navegator]

Maybe I should bite the bullet and take it to a repair shop, the computer is old but works fine just the dam messages that it does not recognize the monitor, or the mouse or the keyboard or the hard drive! until the wife wanted to see the USB stick that a friend lent her to see some animal videos and that did it, the main monitor is a 27" inch TV.

Thanks you all for the advice, I will see what the technician says, I hope I do not need to buy a new one.

navegator

[Chris_Bryant]

No simple keypress will format a drive- chaos would ensue 🙂 You can download Darik's Boot and Nuke which will securely erase a drive- be careful with it.
http://www.dban.org/

[navegator]

I was thinking of the f8 or f12 key when the computer starts, there is nothing worth saving or backing up since all the flight simulator program has been backed up from the time that it was installed, I need to completlly erase the hard drive, I tried with the XP progam and it would not work, it is a virus the tells me it does not recognize the monitor or the mouse, and I still see what there is on the monitor and the mouse works, it just drives me nuts with the stupid mesages, it does not have a connection to the internet, wife wanted to see what there was in a usb stick that see got from a friend and that gave the hard drive the cold.

Is it f8 or f12 the comand to reformat the hard drive when you turn it on?

Thanks again I am learning new things, there is hope!

navegator

[wa8yxm]

Windows XP won't let you do that. But the command is format c

The problem is, as I said, Windows won't let you do that, So the only way I know of is to connect it to another computer or boot in LINUX (There are LINUX distro's that run off the CD drive) and reformat, Then reformat again.

The problem is some viruses will survive that, There is also a way to get at those, but it is more complex and beyond what I care to type.

NOTE: there is a program. I have an older version which does not work with Windows 10 (but does XP) called Acronis True Image. IT is a LINUX program that understands windows and windows formatting... I highly recommend it.

IT can do the job.. ANd what is more it can make a back up of your system once you have cleaned it.

Also a GOOD firewall and a GOOD anti-Virial will help.

Now: Question: What are the virus sysmptoms? I know my daughter handed me a computer once that had a black screen, Nothing on it, She could not get it to work (following an infection) took her husband 2 hours to get one file off it.

Took me less than 30 minutes to restore it to operation and burn a CD with all her photos on it... If that's the virus you have, the "Fix" is so easy you will face palm when I( give it to you.. But you need to run a good anti-virial after you get it back. I suggest Malware Bytes

NOTE: Staples can do that for you.. I do not know if it is still Free or not.

[bucky]

Why not a remote hard drive? That 02 has gray hair by now.

[darsben1]

If you put in the windows XP professional disk it should take you through all the steps

[rk911]

navegator wrote:
I have an old 2002 hard drive computer that I need to reformat the hard drive, it got a virus, I would like to know what the commands are to wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows XT professional, it is only used for flight simulator and nothing else, it has all the goodies bells and whistles for the simulator.

I know that it is one of the F keys but I am not computer savvy, I muddle along.

Thank you all in advance

navegator

c
you're likely thinkng of fdisk. or if you have the old hard drive cinnected get to a command prompt and type format drive:x where x is the drive letter of the hard disk.