Windows Forum
How do I get the computer to go to MS Dos before Starting Windows 2000?
I have tried the F8 key while it is starting up. I have changed the BIOS to be disk bootable.
I'm wanting to erase my hard drive before giving away my computer.
by sgt_shultz
easiest thing is if you have your windows 2000 installation cd. you can boot from that to run windows 2000 install to delete any partitions on the hard drive. for good measure you can have it create and format the new one. maybe even put a new install of 2000 on there (for practice?)
otherwise, you need to make a boot disk that can read your file system (fat or ntfs) and that you've copied the fdisk and format commands to.
here is how to make a boot disk:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;301680
Thank you!
I will try this again. The last time I tried it, it wanted to install it again a third time. (The drive was partitioned previously.)
by thechas
First off, you don't want to boot from your hard drive if you desire to erase the hard drive.
The F8 boot menu just won't do you any good.
The Windows version of DOS will not allow you to format the boot volume.
You need either a boot floppy, or a boot CD.
A couple of good boot disks are:
Both include utilities to not just format your drive, but to wipe the drive so data recovery is expensive.
Now, since your plan is to give away the PC, unless there is NO personal or sensitive data on the hard drive, you don't want to just format the drive.
You want to use one of the secure erase programs that write over the drive multiple times and all but obliterate the old data.
I say all but, because very expensive data recovery techniques can recover some data from nearly any drive.
Chas
Thank You!
This confirmed what I had surmised. I do appreciate your responses!
Best regards!
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