can i wipe my HDD with out turning it on?
um hey on my computer i had vista and ubuntu. i was trying ubuntu out and deleted it…but if you delete it it messes up the grub loader i guess. so now when i turn on my computer it say grub loader and "error 17" so it won’t boot. now i want to know: is there a way to WIPE my HDD clean even though it won’t boot??? cause i’m prob. just gonna use Ubuntu Linux now…and use my windows software via wine 
so um thanks 
:P
Tagged with: grub • hdd • linux • messes • quot • ubuntu • windows software • wine
Filed under: All Things Wine
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yeah, if u only want to use ubuntu, then boot off the ubuntu cd, then at the setup, format the hard drive and that should wipe everything out
goto http://www.dban.org/ and download the boot nuke program.
burn it to a disc and load it up in the boot menu.
then just make sure it does at least one pass on the disc then restart with your ubuntu install disc
Here are a few free ones…
Sdelete
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897443.aspx
Dariks Boot and Nuke
http://www.dban.org/
Dariks Boot and Nuke is best one for free to use..
I use a commercial one called WipeIT http://www.accessdata.com
Yeah brother do this
Download a bootable hdd formater like"HDD low level format tool" (get it here http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/HDD-Low-Level-Format-Tool.shtml )and burn it to a Cd.
You could have just ran Ubuntu just from the cd but thats neather here or there
have fun
…Huh…??
Actually every suggestion posted so far requires that the drive be turned on… doi!!!
Maybe if you had strong enough permanent or electro magnets you cluld completely degauss a drive without powering it up
But that really has not much to do with your real issue … does it?