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Thanks so much, DX! They are labelled rechargeable, but it sounds like maybe they shouldn't have been.
The rechargeable alkaline (NiMH?) ones have to be recharged in chargers just for them, and not in rechargers meant for NiCads.
So I have an old 486 computer with windows 95 on it that I want to dispose of. Before I do, I want to wipe the harddrive,, including all the software. (It was a handmedown from my friend's work so I'm sure her org. wouldn't appreciate me giving away this computer with all this software registered to them.) Isn't there a simple command I can put in at the C:/ that will overwrite the harddrive?
I went to Best Buy and got a BB credit card, a tv stand, and a new tv.
Philips/Magnavox isn't being very good to Buffistas, are they. But Best Buy sure is getting good business.
Isn't there a simple command I can put in at the C:/ that will overwrite the harddrive?
format c:
I believe.
The rechargeable alkaline (NiMH?)
NiMH are nickel metal hydride, not alkalines.
format c:
That should be sufficient for most people. If there is truly sensitive information on there that you want to be absolutlely certain nobody can ever ever get to, no matter what, make sure you have a seperate boot disk, do the format c: a few times, run a heavy magnet across it a bunch of times, open up the physical drive, melt the platens, and then maybe, MAYBE, there won't be anything at all left.
This [link] link explains how to use the 'format' command to wipe a drive clean.
Other sources say that 'format' is not good enough if you want to completely wipe a drive clean with no possibility of a determined person being able to restore the data. If you're really nervous about someone getting the data it's a little more complicated. You'll need special software to wipe the drive, or else maybe run 'format' seven or more times.
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yeah, x-posty, but check the link above - you should use the 'u' switch to force an unconditional format.
eta:
format /u
or is that only used on floppys?
eta: one example of special erasing software - I have no idea if this program is good:
[link]
Personally I'd use fdisk and delete the partition, then repartition, then format....
NiMH are nickel metal hydride, not alkalines.
I think they're often marketing ate rechargeable alkalines, or equivalent, I guess.
Oh, and thanks for the adivce. I don't think I'll go too nuts trying to reformat too many times. I don't think there's any truly sensitive information on there that wouldn't be out of date, but I do want to wipe it once, at least.
Equivalent maybe, but they would never be marketed as alkalines, because they aren't alkalines. It's a different chemistry.
Well that was easy. I booted the computer up, and it's saying that no hard disk is installed. Either my brother ripped it out when I asked him if he wanted it a few years ago, or sitting in my closet for four years has killed it.
