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Offlinejremines
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formatting dell hard drive
    #14818750 - 07/24/11 04:57 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

I've been working on this all day and cant find out how to do it. I've tried DOS command prompts and it tells me that its unable to do it because volume is running..or it's locked..Im at a loss here..any ideas?


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InvisibleShroomismM
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Re: formatting dell hard drive [Re: jremines]
    #14819074 - 07/24/11 06:27 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Are you trying to format the drive the OS is installed on?
If so you will need to boot from the Windows install disc and format it through there


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Offline5HTSynaptrip
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Re: formatting dell hard drive [Re: Shroomism]
    #14822996 - 07/25/11 03:29 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

OP: you'll need to use another computer if you want to completely erase the HDD (HPA/DCO).  Protected areas like the those in parentheses won't be erased from the secure ata erase command due to Dell locking the  HDD in the BIOS (to my knowledge you can't bypass that in the BIOS).  The only way around it is to use another computer or simply ensure the SATA controller is set to AHCI and boot into something like a Linux LiveCD (I use PartedMagic).  Once you are in the distro of choice then plug in the power to the HDD and you can use hdparm to initiate the secure erase. 

I like PartedMagic because it's really easy for Linux newbs with a GUI.  There is a great guide to using it on the OCZ SSD forums.  Like Shroomism said though, unless you have a Win 7 DVD you can reinstall from, don't delete your recovery partition (although I always did).


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Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge. - My hero, who will be forever remembered, Carl Sagan.


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Offlinejremines
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Re: formatting dell hard drive [Re: 5HTSynaptrip]
    #14824984 - 07/25/11 10:14 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

I have Ubuntu 4 but i cant run it..and im not exactly sure what your really talking about when you say sata controller or AHCI really..all i know is i tried to format, it's locked as hell..and theres pop ups and virus shit goin like crazy..its not this computer im working on now, its my old tower i just dug out.


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Offlineimachavel
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Re: formatting dell hard drive [Re: jremines]
    #14825464 - 07/26/11 12:22 AM (12 years, 9 months ago)

I think what everyone is saying in english is that you are trying to format it while the operating system is loaded. you can't do that, you need to format it from the bios.

first, are you trying to erase your current operating system completely? or are you just trying to create a new partition? either way, download free iso burner, as there is no limit to how large of a file you can burn. You need to download gparted iso, or partition magic or whatever. I liked gparted because it's simple, it works, and it doesn't  have compatibility issues with different operating systems. once you have downloaded it, burn it with free iso burner. then restart the computer, holding either f2, f12, or delete, it should tell you when the computer starts up, whichever one gets you into the boot menu. once it does, select cd rom drive, or dvd rom drive, whichever one your computer uses. then boot to gparted.

it should be simple enough, that you can follow the instructions, and figure out how to partition off your hard drive. you can delete the current partition, or just create a new one, whichever you'd like. then once you have a new partition made, you can do whatever you want. format everything and install just one operating system, or install a new operating system on the newly created partition, however you want to do it. let us know how you do, but make sure you search thoroughly online before asking more questions. do you understand mostly what I've said so far? ok good luck


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:kingcrankey: I did not say to edit my signature soulidarity! Now forever I will never remember what I said about understanding the secrets of the universe by paying attention to subtleties!

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Offline5HTSynaptrip
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Re: formatting dell hard drive [Re: imachavel]
    #14825780 - 07/26/11 01:47 AM (12 years, 9 months ago)

OP: assuming your PC was built in the past 4 years +, you should have your hard disk drives plugged into the motherboard via SATA cables.  On the motherboard is a SATA controller.  So on the back of your HDD there is a female socket for a SATA cable and a female socket for a power cable. 

http://partedmagic.com/doku.php?id=start

Download an .iso of the newest version of PartedMagic.  Set your image burning software to the slowest speed to burn the image.  There are freeware versions of this if you don't have Nero or something. 

PartedMagic will allow you to either wipe one area of a partition using gparted I believe, or it will allow you to wipe everything off the HDD if that's what you want.  Let's assume you have a DVD with your OS on it and a CD/Flash Drive with all of your drivers.  In this instance I would recommend you do a Secure ATA Erase.  Linux uses something called hdparm for that (PartedMagic is essentially Linux for what you're doing here) and PartedMagic makes it reeaaaalllly easy to do since they have a nice graphical user interface. 

Scenario two, you have a partition on your HDD that you have to save because it's your recovery partition.  Dell thinks customers are dumb and would rather you restore from a partition that is incredibly outdated and full of their bullshit bloatware.  IF, however, you have Win 7 Pro 64-bit and a buddy of yours has it on DVD then you can delete that partition and install the OS using his DVD as long as you have the registration key (which should be stuck on the case somewhere). 

You mentioned a virus so that's why I would recommend doing the secure erase.  The operation is something done at the hardware level. 

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?81321-Secure-Erase-With-bootable-CD-USB-Linux..-Point-and-Click-Method

With a hard disk drive you will have to wait quite some time for 0's to be written on every sector of the HDD.  Since the operation is carried out in the drive itself there is no timer showing you progress.  I can tell you my 1 TB WesternDigital Caviar @7200 RPM took about 3+ hours to complete this operation.  You do get a box that pops up when it is finished. 

In order for you to bypass the BIOS lock on the drive you'll have to unplug the power cable from the hard disk drive you want to format.  Do this with the PC off.  Once unplugged, turn on the PC and boot from the PartedMagic LiveCD (it will load PartedMagic in RAM and you can even use the internet most of the time... it's done nicely).  Once you're at the desktop you can plug the power cable into the drive.  Give it a few seconds and you should see it popup (there is a GUI for mounting drives).  Follow the OCZ link since it's really well written.

To make sure you have AHCI enabled on your SATA controller you need to hit 'Delete' right after powering the PC on to get into the BIOS (you may need to hit something else for Dell).  Once there you will need to look for your storage controller or onboard devices... it depends on what brand your BIOS is (AMI, AWARD, Phoenix).  It most likely is set to AHCI if you have a computer a few years old. 

There are plenty of resources about this on the web and I made a post a month or two ago about doing this exact thing with every storage drive I own.


--------------------


Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge. - My hero, who will be forever remembered, Carl Sagan.


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OfflineSeussA
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Re: formatting dell hard drive [Re: 5HTSynaptrip]
    #14826251 - 07/26/11 06:20 AM (12 years, 9 months ago)

> you'll have to unplug the power cable from the hard disk drive ... Do this with the PC off.

With SATA, the power plugs are designed to be hotplugged.  From a hardware/electrical standpoint, with SATA, there is no reason to power off the machine before unplugging the drive.  If you look at a SATA power plug, you will notice that some (two) of the contacts are longer than others.  The longer contacts are grounds and will make contact before the shorter contacts.

However, from a BIOS/software standpoint, you are correct- the drive must be unplugged when the computer turns on so that BIOS does not detect the drive to enforce the drive lock.


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Offlinejremines
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Re: formatting dell hard drive [Re: imachavel]
    #14826487 - 07/26/11 08:28 AM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Quote:

imachavel said:
I think what everyone is saying in english is that you are trying to format it while the operating system is loaded. you can't do that, you need to format it from the bios.

first, are you trying to erase your current operating system completely? or are you just trying to create a new partition? either way, download free iso burner, as there is no limit to how large of a file you can burn. You need to download gparted iso, or partition magic or whatever. I liked gparted because it's simple, it works, and it doesn't  have compatibility issues with different operating systems. once you have downloaded it, burn it with free iso burner. then restart the computer, holding either f2, f12, or delete, it should tell you when the computer starts up, whichever one gets you into the boot menu. once it does, select cd rom drive, or dvd rom drive, whichever one your computer uses. then boot to gparted.

it should be simple enough, that you can follow the instructions, and figure out how to partition off your hard drive. you can delete the current partition, or just create a new one, whichever you'd like. then once you have a new partition made, you can do whatever you want. format everything and install just one operating system, or install a new operating system on the newly created partition, however you want to do it. let us know how you do, but make sure you search thoroughly online before asking more questions. do you understand mostly what I've said so far? ok good luck



I want to erase everything on the harddrive, and reload it with Ubuntu because I dont have a windows disc. I've tried Dban and another program and they havent worked at all..Its loaded with viruses and popups..Im gonna give it another try from the boot menu and get back to you.


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OfflineSeussA
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Re: formatting dell hard drive [Re: jremines]
    #14826600 - 07/26/11 09:19 AM (12 years, 9 months ago)

> I want to erase everything on the harddrive,

Because of the Dell BIOS lock BS, you are going to have to do what 5HTSynaptrip said... turn off the computer, unplug the SATA power (the larger plug) from the HDD, turn on the computer and boot from optical media (such as a Linux LiveCD), plug the SATA drive power back in while the computer is running (yes, this is safe), then use the utilities on the LiveCD to format/install the drive.


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Offlinejremines
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Re: formatting dell hard drive [Re: Seuss]
    #14826833 - 07/26/11 10:43 AM (12 years, 9 months ago)

ok im gonna look for maybe a picture or two of what these shitz look like so i know exactly what to do..


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Invisiblebadchad
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Re: formatting dell hard drive [Re: 5HTSynaptrip]
    #14827664 - 07/26/11 01:48 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Quote:

5HTSynaptrip said:
  IF, however, you have Win 7 Pro 64-bit and a buddy of yours has it on DVD then you can delete that partition and install the OS using his DVD as long as you have the registration key (which should be stuck on the case somewhere). 





Do you know if there is a legit way to get a "hard" (e.g. disc) copy of Win 7? (if you have a legit version).

I bought a gateway laptop a year ago.  It didn't come with a physical copy of Win 7.

Usually, the first thing I do when I buy a comp, is format and re-install to remove bloatware and all the "extras".  Obviously, without a physical disc I couldn't do this.


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...the whole experience is (and is as) a profound piece of knowledge.  It is an indellible experience; it is forever known.  I have known myself in a way I doubt I would have ever occurred except as it did.

Smith, P.  Bull. Menninger Clinic (1959) 23:20-27; p. 27.

...most subjects find the experience valuable, some find it frightening, and many say that is it uniquely lovely.

Osmond, H.  Annals, NY Acad Science (1957) 66:418-434; p.436

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Offlineimachavel
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Re: formatting dell hard drive [Re: 5HTSynaptrip]
    #14831244 - 07/27/11 02:54 AM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Quote:

5HTSynaptrip said:
OP: assuming your PC was built in the past 4 years +, you should have your hard disk drives plugged into the motherboard via SATA cables.  On the motherboard is a SATA controller.  So on the back of your HDD there is a female socket for a SATA cable and a female socket for a power cable. 

http://partedmagic.com/doku.php?id=start

Download an .iso of the newest version of PartedMagic.  Set your image burning software to the slowest speed to burn the image.  There are freeware versions of this if you don't have Nero or something. 

PartedMagic will allow you to either wipe one area of a partition using gparted I believe, or it will allow you to wipe everything off the HDD if that's what you want.  Let's assume you have a DVD with your OS on it and a CD/Flash Drive with all of your drivers.  In this instance I would recommend you do a Secure ATA Erase.  Linux uses something called hdparm for that (PartedMagic is essentially Linux for what you're doing here) and PartedMagic makes it reeaaaalllly easy to do since they have a nice graphical user interface. 

Scenario two, you have a partition on your HDD that you have to save because it's your recovery partition.  Dell thinks customers are dumb and would rather you restore from a partition that is incredibly outdated and full of their bullshit bloatware.  IF, however, you have Win 7 Pro 64-bit and a buddy of yours has it on DVD then you can delete that partition and install the OS using his DVD as long as you have the registration key (which should be stuck on the case somewhere). 

You mentioned a virus so that's why I would recommend doing the secure erase.  The operation is something done at the hardware level. 

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?81321-Secure-Erase-With-bootable-CD-USB-Linux..-Point-and-Click-Method

With a hard disk drive you will have to wait quite some time for 0's to be written on every sector of the HDD.  Since the operation is carried out in the drive itself there is no timer showing you progress.  I can tell you my 1 TB WesternDigital Caviar @7200 RPM took about 3+ hours to complete this operation.  You do get a box that pops up when it is finished. 

In order for you to bypass the BIOS lock on the drive you'll have to unplug the power cable from the hard disk drive you want to format.  Do this with the PC off.  Once unplugged, turn on the PC and boot from the PartedMagic LiveCD (it will load PartedMagic in RAM and you can even use the internet most of the time... it's done nicely).  Once you're at the desktop you can plug the power cable into the drive.  Give it a few seconds and you should see it popup (there is a GUI for mounting drives).  Follow the OCZ link since it's really well written.

To make sure you have AHCI enabled on your SATA controller you need to hit 'Delete' right after powering the PC on to get into the BIOS (you may need to hit something else for Dell).  Once there you will need to look for your storage controller or onboard devices... it depends on what brand your BIOS is (AMI, AWARD, Phoenix).  It most likely is set to AHCI if you have a computer a few years old. 

There are plenty of resources about this on the web and I made a post a month or two ago about doing this exact thing with every storage drive I own.




jesus, is this really that different from what I told him? :lol: since you are that interested in this stuff, I'm going to have to start pm'ing you questions, you seem to just love explaining computer issues. I didn't know that resetting a hard drive bios password was easier then resetting a main board bios password? no jumper removal and replacement huh? just unplug the power cable with the computer off. you also mentioned partition recovery, but it doesn't seem he can't find his partition, so really this all sounds complicated. why recover a partition to another fragmented partition on the same disk, worst case scenario, get a usb sata connecter and take out the hard disk drive, and connect it to another computer via usb, and transfer all files from one computer to another.

anyway moving on, like everyone has said, download gparted or partition magic, don't know why burn speed makes a difference, but sure slowest settings. also make sure you get an .iso burner that if free, if you get a trial it won't let you burn large cd's. now that you have burned ubuntu iso(I'm assuming) and gparted or partition magic. and unplugged and replugged in the hard disk drive sata power connector(or IDE, it could be ide, there is no guarantee it will be sata), go ahead and start the computer and hold an f combination key to get to the boot menu. it might be f2 or f12 or possibly delete, it should tell you in start up. boot to the cd or dvd rom drive, delete all partitions, then create a new one. then put the ubuntu disk in and do the same process, restart with the ubuntu disk in the drive booting to it, and install.

if you aren't retrieving data then don't worry about backing up. but a few key words of advice, do a defragment or run a check disk, to make sure the hard drive is clean from corrupted areas before you install a new operating system. and if you do want to get files out of the computer, before you do a backup, restart in safe mode with networking, and download malware bytes, microsoft security essentials, and c cleaner. c cleaner won't do you much good if you are going to toss the os, but malware bytes and microsoft security essentials will help you clean out your computer of viruses so you don't back it up to a back up drive. this way if you re install any files, the virus doesn't come with up.

if all this is too complicated, google some key words:

"identify hard disk drive connector", (try using different combinations ide, sata, don't worry about scuzzi doubt you have it, ata that isn't serial I think is only used for floppy now). this will help you with pictures to identify what type of hard drive you have. it should be no problem as long as you don't change anything, just pull out the plugs, and put them back in basically. if you your bios password is a main board bios pass word and not a hard drive bios password, you'll have to take out a jumper, move it, then move it back.

"back up files safely"

"how to use gparted"

"how to use partition magic"

"how to install ubuntu"

"commands to activate partition"


this should get you started. I had a problem recently myself with a partition I couldn't recognize, but I solved the problem sure enough, of course I am using dual boot. if you have one partition it won't be a problem. and ubuntu is easy.

your next set of questions will probably involve linux packages, the linux distro you are using, linux drivers, and linux codecs, and the terminal commands. they will seem a pain at first but later you will understand their simplicity when you realize how little windows errors you are getting with these commands. good luck, wish the best for the future.


--------------------
:kingcrankey: I did not say to edit my signature soulidarity! Now forever I will never remember what I said about understanding the secrets of the universe by paying attention to subtleties!

:facepalm: I'm never giving you the password again. Jerk

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