Wipe SATA drive then re-install Dell OS
First time I have worked with Sata...
Dell Dimension 8400 w/Floppy and SATA drive...
I need to rebuild, I have the Dell reinstall CD...XP Home sp2...
I would like to wipe the HD first...FULL of virus and spyware crap...
Normally with IDE drives, I boot from a floppy, then run a little wipe program called GWSCAN...writes "0" 's to all sectors, then I re-install the OS...
This time, when I boot from the floppy, the SATA drive is not recognized so I cannot wipe it...
In BIOS, I have the SATA drive set to "Combination"...
There are also selections for RAID Autodetect / ACHI and RAID Autodetect / ATA...I don't know what those settings
are for...
Boot seqence is Floppy, CD drive, SATA...
SATA-0 is "on"...
How do I proceed with this project...
What do I do to be able to wipe this drive and re-install Windows...
Thanx
Steve
Dell Dimension 8400 w/Floppy and SATA drive...
I need to rebuild, I have the Dell reinstall CD...XP Home sp2...
I would like to wipe the HD first...FULL of virus and spyware crap...
Normally with IDE drives, I boot from a floppy, then run a little wipe program called GWSCAN...writes "0" 's to all sectors, then I re-install the OS...
This time, when I boot from the floppy, the SATA drive is not recognized so I cannot wipe it...
In BIOS, I have the SATA drive set to "Combination"...
There are also selections for RAID Autodetect / ACHI and RAID Autodetect / ATA...I don't know what those settings
are for...
Boot seqence is Floppy, CD drive, SATA...
SATA-0 is "on"...
How do I proceed with this project...
What do I do to be able to wipe this drive and re-install Windows...
Thanx
Steve
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Keep go on the installation, you will get the option delect and create new partitions. The SATA driver shouls be in recovery CD that comes with system when you bought.
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Thanx guys...
Well, I didn't wipe the HD, I just did a normal re-install...
Got the driver from Dell, hit F6 and everything has gone normal...
But, I certainly realize that if I want to continue wiping the HD's of SATA computers, I need to come up with something that will allow me to do the wipe...and Peregian, it looks like you have the right idea...
Confusing part, on my normal IDE wipes, just popping in a boot disk allowd me to run my wipe program...but when I tried to boot into DOS on this SATA machine, the C: drive was not recognized...and I guess that's due to the SATA
driver not being loaded...
Many thanx for the help...
Steve
Well, I didn't wipe the HD, I just did a normal re-install...
Got the driver from Dell, hit F6 and everything has gone normal...
But, I certainly realize that if I want to continue wiping the HD's of SATA computers, I need to come up with something that will allow me to do the wipe...and Peregian, it looks like you have the right idea...
Confusing part, on my normal IDE wipes, just popping in a boot disk allowd me to run my wipe program...but when I tried to boot into DOS on this SATA machine, the C: drive was not recognized...and I guess that's due to the SATA
driver not being loaded...
Many thanx for the help...
Steve
ASKER
I start booting with floppies because I like to run this HD wipe program...get rid of everything and start fresh...I guess it's kinda like a low level format...
Right now I have the computer booted up and reinstall of Windows started, hit F6 for the drivers and now I'm looking for SATA drivers...
I guess that;s the process...but I still haven't wiped the hd...would like to do that...
Toughts???