Really basic question/.

[Doh_boy]

It's not something I've ever had to worry about. When you re-install windows does it overwrite all the hdd? I was thinking it should only effect the winnt directory and other such things.

Anyone know?

 

[Doomy]

It's not something I've ever had to worry about. When you re-install windows does it overwrite all the hdd? I was thinking it should only effect the winnt directory and other such things.

Anyone know?

I THINK that if you choose the format hard drive slow option it does, whereas quick format just leaves the contents of whatever is left on your HD to be overwritten whenever you install something after installing windows

 

[PR.]

A Quick Format and a Slow format have one only one difference... The quick one is quick at erasing the contents of your HDD and the slow one is slower as erasing the contents of your HDD.

 

[Xavier]

The quick format overwrites the partition table, deleting record of the files stored in the partition space. The full format option overwrites every byte of space in the partition. Therefore if you don't want your data being undeleted in the future, or it's a new drive then run a slow format which will verify the entire partitions integrity and wipe it clean. Otherwise a quick format will suffice.

Even if you quick format getting your data back is pretty damn hard.

If you want to reinstall XP, and are wondering if you'll lose existing data then remember that you should ALWAYS and without question back up every shred of valuable data on your system drive before reinstalling the OS. Always work on the premise that something could go to ratshit and any remaining data be lost, and you'll never be caught out.

Xav

 

[Doh_boy]

Thanks for the suggestions but she managed to use a command-line system restore (never heard of it before I found it on google) and everything is fine. Basically a friend of mine broke her Windows M.E. install by deleting a few random dll's. The last option was to reinstall windows which shouldn't delete any existing data if I've read certain texts correct. Yes, ideally, if you're installing a new o/s then do it on a clean hdd but since she needed most of the data on the disk that wasn't an option. (ideally you don't go around deleting random dll's!). I couldn't do much since she is in milton keynes and I'm in manchester.