Press D to delete an existing partition, or press C to create a new partition.
Jot down network and computer configurations.Disconnect network and Internet connections.If you want to permanently wipe your hard drive by completely overwriting hard drive data, check out WipeDrive. Even after reformatting the hard drive, deleted files can be easily recovered. Warning - A simple hard drive reformat with Windows XP will not permanently erase your data. Likewise, users can reformat a hard drive with Windows XP to remove viruses or errors and return a computer to its' 'out of the box' settings. It is important to reformat the hard drive before selling, donating, or returning a computer to an employer. Need to reformat the hard drive in Windows XP and start with a clean slate? Reformatting a hard drive prepares the disk surface to accept and store data. For step-by-step instructions on how to format newer versions of Windows, click here.