Thanks for the info. Recommend any good wiping programs? -----Original Message----- From: pctechtalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of GMan Sent: Sat 5/19/2007 10:21 PM To: pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: -=3DPCTechTalk=3D- Re: Two related problems =20 Hi Ralph, Yes, it is as simple as just deleting the folders/files that used to = belong to Win98. Once they're gone, so is the old operating system. However, you might want to do a folder by folder inspection to make=20 absolutely sure that there's nothing in them worth saving. Many = programs=20 write their creations in a subfolder of the main program's folder. = These=20 are located under the main Program Files folder. You may also find a = few=20 things buried within the old Windows folder such as personalized = wallpaper=20 &/or screensavers you added. Once you're certain that there's nothing = left=20 that's worth saving, just delete those two folders (Windows & Program=20 Files), plus the files in the root directory (the stuff that's sitting = just=20 inside the D:\ drive, assuming this old drive is now D:) As for your wife's system, wiping an old drive before donating (or=20 selling) it is a great idea, especially if there's more on it than just = some=20 MP3 collection. Unfortunately, the only way to truly wipe the 1s & 0s = is to=20 connect it to a working system and then run a wiping program on it.=20 Reformatting the drive isn't enough since that only removes the file=20 system's index of the files and doesn't even touch the files themselves. Fortunately, it's not difficult at all to connect a hard drive to a=20 working system. In most cases all you need to do is turn off the PC, = open=20 the case, connect the drive to a free IDE or SATA cable, connect a power = cable to the drive, set the drive's Master/Slave jumper and then boot up = the=20 system. Since the drive will only be 'connected' to the computer for a=20 short time, I don't bother to properly mount it to the case. Instead, I = place a cardboard box next to the opening, lay a clean, dry washcloth on = top=20 of it and then the old hard drive on top of that. It isolates the drive = from any static that might be in the carpet below the PC and it also = raises=20 the drive up high enough for the cables to reach the drive. If you need more detailed instructions or any other assistance with = the=20 procedure, we're right here for ya. :O) Peace, GMan "The only dumb questions are the ones that are never asked!" ----- Original Message -----=20 From: "Ralph Krumdiek" <ralphkru@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 12:49 AM Subject: -=3DPCTechTalk=3D- Two related problems > > Hi. I have two related questions. First, I recently added a 2nd hard = =3D > drive to my machine, which is running W2000. The 2nd hard drive is = from =3D > an older machine of mine, which is no longer among us, and that drive = =3D > has W98 installed on it. What's the best way to remove W98 from the = old =3D > drive? I could reformat but it seems to me I should be able to remove = =3D > W98 without going that far, but surely just deleting the Windows = folder =3D > doesn't completely wipe the disk of W98, does it? I am not doing a = =3D > double-boot so my current machine knows nothing of the W98 install. > > 2nd question: My wife's computer recently died (short in the MB). We = =3D > had a backup (whew!) and restored her data to her new machine. = Neither =3D > of us wants the old drive and I'd like to give it to the local = computer =3D > recycle folks, but it's still got the data on it. Is there some way = to =3D > wipe the drive without installing it in a machine first (short of = taking =3D > a hammer to it?). I appreciate any help on either of these problems.=20 -- Please remember to trim your replies (including this sentence and = everything below it) and adjust the subject line as necessary. To unsubscribe or change your email settings: //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk To access our Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/ //www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/ -- Please remember to trim your replies (including this sentence and everything below it) and adjust the subject line as necessary. To unsubscribe or change your email settings: //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk To access our Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/ //www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/