# Need a Bootable Hard Drive Format Tool



## SacredChaos

I need a utility that is bootable that will allow me to format a hard drive. When I use the tool in the windows boot disk it doesnt help. I essentially need to make my hard drive the way it was when I bought it. Something that removes all the partitions and just makes everything default agian. Until I can fix this I am without a PC of my own.


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## DracoManX69

GParted
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/liveusb.php


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## TwoCables

The Windows 7 installer has the ability to delete all partitions.


When you get here, click "Drive options (advanced)"
This is the next thing you'll see.
I believe the partitions are listed individually, so select one, and click "Delete"
Do this until you've deleted each entry (that is, if this drive is the only drive connected to the motherboard!)
When you're done, click "New"
After that, click "Format"
When the format process completes (it takes just a couple of seconds), you can go ahead and quit the installer

If you've done this already, then I don't have much else to contribute.


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## l0max

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php

did you try finding it yourself?


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## DracoManX69

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SacredChaos*
> 
> When I use the tool in the windows boot disk it doesnt help.


Pretty sure the windows boot tool doesn't support creating multiple formats, or erasing formats like ext2/3/4, most likely he needs a clean hdd for a linux/hackintosh setup


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## TwoCables

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *l0max*
> 
> http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php
> did you try finding it yourself?


I see nothing wrong with it if he didn't.


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## Disturbed117

Worst case scenario you could live boot a linux distro as well.


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## SacredChaos

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DracoManX69*
> 
> GParted
> http://gparted.sourceforge.net/liveusb.php


I will try this. Thanks

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TwoCables*
> 
> The Windows 7 installer has the ability to delete all partitions.
> 
> When you get here, click "Drive options (advanced)"
> This is the next thing you'll see.
> I believe the partitions are listed individually, so select one, and click "Delete"
> Do this until you've deleted each entry (that is, if this drive is the only drive connected to the motherboard!)
> When you're done, click "New"
> After that, click "Format"
> When the format process completes (it takes just a couple of seconds), you can go ahead and quit the installer
> If you've done this already, then I don't have much else to contribute.


Everything is greyed out. Can really do anything.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *l0max*
> 
> http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php
> did you try finding it yourself?


Yes, for over an hour. Didn't know if this was what I was looking for or not.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DracoManX69*
> 
> Pretty sure the windows boot tool doesn't support creating multiple formats, or erasing formats like ext2/3/4, most likely he needs a clean hdd for a linux/hackintosh setup


Basically I need my HDD to be at factory defaults because I cant delete or format anything with the windows boot disk. I cant install Windows on my HDD at all for some reason.


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## DracoManX69

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Disturbed117*
> 
> Worst case scenario you could live boot a linux distro as well.


Basically what GParted is, only much lighter and doesn't have restraints of formats of indivdual OSes


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## HardwareDecoder

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DracoManX69*
> 
> Basically what GParted is, only much lighter and doesn't have restraints of formats of indivdual OSes


yup the gparted liveusb is just...... gparted on a barebones linux kernel. Its the best option for sure. Since he doesn't need a whole linux distro + windows tools blow.


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## SacredChaos

Thanks guys! Fixed both my hard drives, now onto install Windows again. Too bad I lost everything during this hard drive fiasco....


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## RoPed

Gparted was unable to deal with an SSD removed from an Acer laptop, and it would not work with either USB wired or wireless keyboards, either, even though the BIOS had no trouble with them. There is a 4th, hidden small partition that seems to control everything relating to the disk. All the partitions, 4 of them, show as having been erased and reformatted. However, when the computer reboots, the SSD has returned to its condition before the Gparted re-partitioning and formatting. Clearly, it's not doing a low level format (of the kind that rewrites all the sectors to 1-0-1-0-1-0).

The same problem arose using Easeus, Windows Disk Management, Cute and Paragon Disk Manager.

So, Gparted is no use to me running on my computer trying to deal with this SSD. If anyone has an alternative to Gparted and the others that actually works please let me know.


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