PLEASE HELP! How To Delete Hard Drive At Computer Start Up?

Lil306

Do you have a digital camera you can take a picture of the screen with ?

I would like to see what this screen looks like, as if the HDD has been properly formatted there will be no installation left

Also your boot order, is it correct in the BIOS (are you familar with this)?

Aunt_Harriet

i don't have a digital camera, i'm afraid.

ive been into the bios at computer start up, but i don'y know what i'm doing or what to do.

Lil306

Aunt_Harriet wrote: »

i don't have a digital camera, i'm afraid.

ive been into the bios at computer start up, but i don'y know what i'm doing or what to do.

It's possible you may need some settings changing, do you know what BIOS you use. It should tell you the manufacturer when you switch on the PC in the top left. It's normally something like Phoneix, AMI, Award, etc

I'll try and put up a Youtube video for you to show you what you need to look for.

closed

What is the model of the pc.

What comes on screen if you boot with no cd in

what comes on screen if you boot with the cd in (is it any different)

what does it say on the cd

Aunt_Harriet

IBM Thinkpad.

A20m

BIOS Version 1.04 (IWET48WW)

closed

still need more information, you say the restore/windows disc wont delete it, what happens

forget about linux for now.

Aunt_Harriet

It wont let me partition, delete or put over it.

press d for delete.......etc, it says its unable to.

and the disc counts down to a reboot.

and the process starts again, it checks for a previous installation, but i can't get beyond that bit, with the install. I can't skip it can i?

Lil306

Aunt_Harriet wrote: »

It wont let me partition, delete or put over it.

press d for delete.......etc, it says its unable to.

and the disc counts down to a reboot.

and the process starts again, it checks for a previous installation, but i can't get beyond that bit, with the install. I can't skip it can i?

It's possible there could be some corruption, or some other fault. You didn't happen to be using any hard drive security software like Pointsec by any chance?

Is it possible that you could write down the exact error message as it would be helpful

I haven't uploaded the Youtube video because to me it sounds like your getting to the install phase but something is stopping it

bat999

bat999 wrote: »

You can use gParted to reformat your hard drive.

Run the gParted program.
It will show your Windows partition.
Right-click on it and select Format to...
You choose ntfs
Also afterwards look in Manage Flags
Make sure there is a tick in the Boot box.

I suppose I should have mentioned that you need to click on the 'apply' button.:(

So the instructions are:-

Run the gParted program.
It will show your Windows partition.
Right-click on it and select Format to...
You choose ntfs
CLICK ON THE 'APPLY' BUTTON AT THE TOP
Also afterwards look in Manage Flags
Make sure there is a tick in the Boot box

closed

Still haven't said which disc it is, this screen?

Why are you doing this, what was the original problem?