partition removal

[turpieaj]

Just been given a laptop to sort out with a damged XP installation plus a damaged recovery partition (someones ghosted the damaged XP partition as the recovery hence an endless boot cycle process.

Done an FDISK, removed the first partition but the recovery partition is invisible to FDISK and is still there on the drive (The recovery CD tries to access it -leaving shedloads of errors (looks like norton ghosts at fault here).

Is there a tool out there that will wipe a whole drive destroying all the partitions and leaving it 100% clean?


Im gonna install fresh propa bo copy of XP

Cheers for any responses in advance

Anders Turpster (puzzled, at work)

 

[cam]

just a though but have you tried partition magic to merge the knackered one and then format the lot.

Duno if it will work like might not even see the partition

 

[johns_ar]

just format from the command prompt using a boot disk if u cant get at it any other way

must be able to do format c: or format d: for whatever drive

 

[turpieaj]

cheers for the replies lads and Cam - welcome back aboard hope things are good with you.

Formatting is not the problem ,its getting this mystical partition that cant be found with FDISK visible so it can be killed- although the partitionmagic one sounds like a good idea.

What i might try is formatting from the xp setup, and then once installed see what happens when once I enter the disk management options (hoping it will appear like!)

Andy

 

[cam]

things are sound mate cheers

PM is free for a trail so you can D/L just to see if it see the partition if it does your laughing and if not you aint lost anything

 

[moonie]

search for this freebie on google

Autoclave v0.3

it wipes everything including all partitions and runs from a floppy if need be.;o)

 

[turpieaj]

sounds great moonie - need to create a bootable cd for it tho as the lappy doesnt sport a floppy!


Andy