Complete HD Wipe
 

Hello, again. It's time for me to refocus on my dilemmas. I want to completely wipe everything from my HD. May sound simple, but I'm really struggling. My posts last weekend led to some suggestions, but none have worked yet.
Thanks to Jeoff_f for leading me to GWscan 5.07, but when I boot to the floppy, I get "Non-System Disk or Disk error, replace + press any key". Unzipped the file to 2 floppies, same response both times.
Does anyone know an easy way for an inexperienced person to clean off a HD, partitions and all? I like the idea of writing all zeros, just can't find alternatives anywhere. Tired of searching.
Greatly appreciate any help!

Use any linux live or bootable floppy. At the prompt type

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hd<n>

n=a,b,c or d depending on where it is connected on the ide chain.

KNOPPIX Linux Live CD
Linux Bootable Business Card
Tom's Root and Boot floppy

Re: Complete HD Wipe
 

If that is Windows, copy the system files to the floppy to make it bootable.

Thanks, Fancypiper. Threw in Knoppix disk, typed your line, get "could'nt find kernel image dd".
Hope it helps to explain a little of what I did to put myself in this mess. Actually, rather than go back over it, if you have a moment, you can find it all in my earlier thread on page 5 or 6 of software. I know it's a lot to ask, and I understand if you are too busy. If you go there, keep in mind that I'm still where I was Sunday. Thanks again.

The X session doesn't have root priviliges. You have to be root. See KNOPPIX/README_Security.txt

control-alt-F2 should give you a root virtual terminal.

you don't type that dd command at the knoppix
boot prompt, you do it after you boot into knoppix.

There are a couple boot floppies out there that will securely delete data on a disk. DBAN seems to be pretty popular on my site.

HD Wipe Update
 

Just want to thank everyone, and update my status.

I am now finally back to square one! I just successfully managed to rewrite zeros to my HD. I am certainly not proud of this accomplishment, just elated now that it's over. How can something so simple for most people be so difficult for me? That should be my new credo.
I tried 3 different bootable floppy programs that my machine wouldn't boot to, not to mention the other various attempts, many included in this string, and last weekend's thread, (Mandrake and my ignorance). In retrospect, the term "ignorance" may have been an understatement.
Anyway, the only real access I could find into DOS was the Win startup floppy. Then at the A:prompt I jerked it out and replaced it with the different disk utilities. All attempts were invalid
associations or commands, until this afternoon. To my surprise, up popped GWscan program, KAPOW!!
Now I'll reload Win98, Hardware, update. Then it's on again to Linux. Much time, study, and thought will go into this next install. I do not give up easily, and look forward to a thrilling future of open source. With any luck, I'll repay the favors provided to me here, by helping the cause. Maybe someday soon.
Thanks again to everyone, and I'm not out of the woods yet, so I may be begging for more help tomorrow!

Since planning partitions is IMHO the hardest part of installing, here is a good read.

Proper Filesystem Layout

# Freeware partitioning software
Search for fips20 on your install CD
Ranish Partition Manager
Tom's Root and Boot Floppy has Linux fdisk

Use the 'diskdrake' utility on the mandrake install cd, start an 'expert install' and when you've made your partitions cancel the linux install and reboot with the windows cd, once windows is installed you can go back to the mandrake install - again in 'expert' mode - mandrakes 'expert' mode is just the same as auto except you have more options and have to click OK at each step.

You can make a floppy bootable from DOS, just type:
sys a:
at the prompt.

Or, if you're a Window$ user, when you format the floppy, specify the options "Full" and "Copy System Files"

You can also format a bootable floppy from DOS, by typing:
FORMAT A: /S
the S being system files.

I'm sure the people more experienced with Linux than I can tell you how to do it without using Micro$oft products though.

clean harddisk
 

Look like a simpel problem to me. What I do is repartition the hard disk, format the new partitions and I am off for a new start.

Be shure to have a system disk (floppy) ready.

I've just re-read 'Mandrake and my ignorance' and picked up the significance of the word 'Compaq' that I did not realise before - at least before yesterday when I tried helping a friend with a Compaq 5220 install Windows 98. Compaq is one of those companies that put a 'secret' partition on your hard disk (using proprietary methods) so their 'reload' software can re-install Windows. By doing this they don't have to supply a Windows CD or a Compaq 're-coil' (or similar) CD. You will know this if your Compaq came without such a CD, but there is still a procedure for re-loading the Windows OS.

I mention this because if your Compaq is one of these, then diskdrake, or any paritioning tool, may wipe Compaq's booting arrangement (whatever it may be) and thus cripple your Windows installation. You seem to have had enormous trouble with booting into Windows, with partitions, and with booting into Linux; which suggests that something out of the ordinary (such as Compaq's special hard disk format) could have been the main culprit. And if this is the case, then by re-installing Windows you may just be in for more of the same. We really need comment from someone who has experience in installing Mandrake on Compaq PCs to confirm or allay fears on this one.

In my friend's case, a computer tech wiped/corrupted her disk while conducting an upgrade; the only option we had was to purchase a real copy of Win 98 SE and install using drivers downloaded from Compaq's site. This worked well. Gwscan came in handy to fix her hard disk as well.

I've also re-tried installing gwscan onto a floppy and by default the downloaded executable unpacks to become a bootable disk. The gwscan README file says the floppy can't have been formatted on NT, Win 2000 or XP; since you did it on an XP machine, that would account for the floppy not booting properly in Win 98. The workaround is to start with a Win 98 bootable disk, then switch to the gwscan one, which, from your description, is what you finally arrived at.

Brian, I hope all augurs well for your future installs; let us know how you went.

Geoff.

that compaq partition is just a vfat format, so you
can copy everything off and burn it to a cdrom.
you can change the type of partition to type c with
fdisk to be able to see it under windows, or just mount
it under linux.

Thanks Guys!
I bought my Compaq used, and very cheap, about 4 months ago from Ebay. The guy said he did a full wipe and reinstall. I thought he was the one who put in that " D: System Save " which took up about 3 gigs of the hard drive. Now that you've told me what it is, I surely wish I still had it. I once wrote down the brand and model of the sound, VGA, NIC, etc., and couldn't find it to search for drivers. It took all day tearing into the machine, writing down info, searching Compaq Support, going elsewhere, downloading drivers, redownloading different drivers, until I got almost everything up and running fine.
Then I spent all day yesterday trying to get a network card to work, with no luck. Couldn't get the Wizard to find the different drivers I tried for the Linksys NIC, so I put in my 3 month old Belkin w/CD. It runs with no onscreen conflicts, but I can't get any web pages to fully load. Used System Mechanic to watch graphs of in/out signals. Bytes come flying in when I first click on a 'site, then slow down to 0 within seconds. I tried searching helpsites, calling friends and family, adjusting properties, switching slots, switching CAT 5 cables, resetting router and modem, and have come to the conclusion that it's incompatable or fried. Reinstalled
Linksys, went back to their site and found out the driver has to be installed in DOS. With only 11 months experience, I only know how to get to MSDOS, which I've never used.
So, that's my lesson for the next few days. Learn to get into DOS and work with program command lines.

The saga continues... Thanks!