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Original Bios and Harddrive
- Thread starter pinnochio
- Start date
To reset a hard drive to factory defaults.
Use the debug program:- start/run/debug
Type the following, pressing ‘enter’ after each line – be careful to type it EXACTLY, including spaces
F 9000:0 L 200 0 (enter)
a (enter)
Mov dx,9000 (enter)
Mov es,dx (enter)
Xor bx,bx (enter)
Mov cx,0001 (enter)
Mov dx,0080 (enter)
Mov ax,0301 (enter)
Int 13 (enter)
Int 20
Hit enter twice.
To check that you have typed everything correctly type:
u 100 L 12 (enter)
If you need to do it again type q and start over.
Otherwise type g and then enter - You should receive a message - Progran terminated normally.
Now you should be able to fdisk/format.
Kim.
Use the debug program:- start/run/debug
Type the following, pressing ‘enter’ after each line – be careful to type it EXACTLY, including spaces
F 9000:0 L 200 0 (enter)
a (enter)
Mov dx,9000 (enter)
Mov es,dx (enter)
Xor bx,bx (enter)
Mov cx,0001 (enter)
Mov dx,0080 (enter)
Mov ax,0301 (enter)
Int 13 (enter)
Int 20
Hit enter twice.
To check that you have typed everything correctly type:
u 100 L 12 (enter)
If you need to do it again type q and start over.
Otherwise type g and then enter - You should receive a message - Progran terminated normally.
Now you should be able to fdisk/format.
Kim.
crazy888s
Technical User
- Jun 24, 2003
- 144
If you want to just erase everything on a Hard Drive so that it appears fresh, empty, and new....a format will do that. Remember though, formatting (and this also applies to just deleting files) only makes your harddrive appear to be fresh and new. It doesnt actually remove the files! Many people think that formatting a hard drive will permanently erase all the data on the drive. This is not true! Formatting and f-disk are only very low level hard drive cleaning functions. Forensic style software tools can read below the re-formatted level on the hard drive and read or recover enormous amounts of data from a used hard drive. Even formatting a hard drive several times will make very little difference.
If you have confidential information that you need to rid of for good, I would recommend a program such as ERASER. This is (best of all) a free program that will erase your data for good. Here's what the website says:
"Eraser is an advanced security tool (for Windows), which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. Works with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP and DOS.
Eraser is FREE software and its source code is released under GNU General Public License."
If you bought your computer from a store and are looking to put your hard-drive back to it's origional, "store bought" conditions with all of their pre-loaded software... there should be a CD that came with your computer that allows you to do this. Read the manual for your computer if this is the case. All of the instructions should be in there or on the CD itself.
As for the bios, if you're looking to restore it to it's origional conditions...just open the bios settings when your computer first boots up, find the option to "Set Defaults" or something similar, and save it and exit.
If you have flashed the bios before and want to restore it to a previous version (this isn't recommended if the computer works fine)... first, check the version of the current BIOS and compare it to what the origional version was just to make sure you need to. If you dont know what the origional version was, check the website of the motherboard manufacturer to see if they have a version of the origional available for download (I know gigabyte motherboards have this available). You'll need to obtain the origional bios (if it's not the same version as yours) and flash it. Once flashed, open the bios settings and hit "Set Defaults" as described above...and you're good to go.
You're computer now should be good to go!
If you have confidential information that you need to rid of for good, I would recommend a program such as ERASER. This is (best of all) a free program that will erase your data for good. Here's what the website says:
"Eraser is an advanced security tool (for Windows), which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. Works with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP and DOS.
Eraser is FREE software and its source code is released under GNU General Public License."
If you bought your computer from a store and are looking to put your hard-drive back to it's origional, "store bought" conditions with all of their pre-loaded software... there should be a CD that came with your computer that allows you to do this. Read the manual for your computer if this is the case. All of the instructions should be in there or on the CD itself.
As for the bios, if you're looking to restore it to it's origional conditions...just open the bios settings when your computer first boots up, find the option to "Set Defaults" or something similar, and save it and exit.
If you have flashed the bios before and want to restore it to a previous version (this isn't recommended if the computer works fine)... first, check the version of the current BIOS and compare it to what the origional version was just to make sure you need to. If you dont know what the origional version was, check the website of the motherboard manufacturer to see if they have a version of the origional available for download (I know gigabyte motherboards have this available). You'll need to obtain the origional bios (if it's not the same version as yours) and flash it. Once flashed, open the bios settings and hit "Set Defaults" as described above...and you're good to go.
You're computer now should be good to go!
The manufacturers usually have a diagnostic set of programs available on their web sites. One of the dianostic tools ususally provided is a zero fill. Or it may be part of a larger diagnostic set.
Ed Fair
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.
Ed Fair
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.
crazy888s
Technical User
- Jun 24, 2003
- 144
Oh, sorry, here's the web-site for that ERASER program I described:
goodluck!
goodluck!
rockerfellerz
IS-IT--Management
Try "Power Max' from : It has diagnostics and a low level format (zero fill).
If you're going through Hell...keep going... (Winston Churchill)
RocKeRFelLerZ
If you're going through Hell...keep going... (Winston Churchill)
RocKeRFelLerZ
- Thread starter
- #7
Dammn, you guys are good. Thanks a bunch. The reason I ask about bios and harddrive is a Nagging problem with otherwise no quirks/no problems at all PC. With sound card in, I get BSOD at shutdown......for over a year. With card out, its perfection. I could reformat tonight, but I'm almost sure the same problem will happen again. On prior format, the ISA card I replaced, 'caused' PC to hang on load and/or shutdown. The present no frills pci yamaha card prefers the blue screen. Then again, it may not be the sound card, per se. When I took both modem and sound card out, then reinstalled drivers for sound card ( in a new slot ), the bsod went away for 5 days, then I shutdown one night only to watch windows close, But pc is still running. That to me says bios is problem. Then again............
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