What would I need to do to my computer that would force me to have to do a reinstall?

Boot to the command line and execute "format c:"....

Why do you need to crash it first? Just reinstall over the top of the existing OS.

What would I need to do to my computer that would force me to have to do a reinstall?

Why would you want to do this?:shrug:

I am handing over the laptop to a colleague and the it is 3 years old and running like a dog, so we wanted the IT department to do a clean install.

Just delete the stoopid Windoze partition with fdisk (or boot a CD or floppy that has a partition mgr on it). Then you're back to ground zero.

Delete the win.ini file.

What would I need to do to my computer that would force me to have to do a reinstall?


You don't have to crash it to reinstall. Your two options are either -
1. put in the XP/Vista CD during runtime, and follow the prompts (easy as pie)

or

2. Set your CD as the first boot device in BIOS, and "press any key to boot from CD" when it asks. BTW - this method will allow you to delete the C: partition and make a new one....the other wont.


--------------------------

.....of course, if you wanted to "really" crash your system..........
click on "my Computer", click on your "C:" drive, click "tools"^Folder "options"^"view".........scroll down to the radio button that says "show hidden files" and enable it........scroll down to the checkbox for "hide protected operating system files" and disable it.....click OK or Apply.

A bunch of grayed out files should appear in the C: folder (IE - boot.ini, ntldr.sys, pagefile.sys, IO.sys).

You can either delete a few of those (IE - delete NTLDR -- that should be fun) or try modifying them with notepad (IE -- deleting all the existing boot.ini info, and specifying that it boot something that doesn't exist).

Admittedly, some of it is fixable if you know what you're doing, but it will render the computer inoperable for the time being.

I am handing over the laptop to a colleague and the it is 3 years old and running like a dog, so we wanted the IT department to do a clean install.

WTF. Just hand them the laptop(log a ticket or whatever the hell they want) to have it freshly installed. That's the usual procedure when handing over equipment anyway for most I.T depts.

Even if you just wanted it redone, it is a reasonable request, if they won't do it, that is rediculous. No wonder people have a low opinion of I.T these days...

If you have had data that you don't want to fall into the hands of an aspiring 'colleague' hell bent on recovering any deleted data, then I'd suggest getting a Shredder program on a bootable CD. (Perhaps running a brand of cutdown Linux)

Then you just shred the drive (not Physically shred) Once the drive is shredded, just run some utilities to check the drives integrity then stick in your new flavour of OS. If you are installing it for them then it might require some hunting around for drivers and stuff, however it might be worthwhile asking them if they want to load it. They get to choose what OS they use and you don't have to secure them any software keys.

start -> search -> *.dll
Start deleting at will. If something says it can't be deleted, goto your command line and type in “regsvr32 /u [dllname].dll” to unload it from memory.

Start -> run -> regedit
Start deleting registry keys at will.

Or just tell the IT department the truth. It's their job to do that sort of thing, and they will not be mad (unless you did intentionally break it).

Cheers all. The IT guy might do it but he tends to spend more time on MSN and Ebay so it would safer to add a bit of security. There is a nice selection of methods there, not sure which I will pick yet :)

In your place, if I didn't know how to do it myself, I'd just go and kindly ask the IT to do the reinstall.

C:/run del tree

Pour battery acid on the motherboard. :)

take the hard drive out and soak it in water. let it dry, put it back in and see if it still works. that is something i always wanted to know.

Pour battery acid on the motherboard. :)

take the hard drive out and soak it in water. let it dry, put it back in and see if it still works. that is something i always wanted to know.

He's not trying to destroy the computer. Just cripple the OS

you could always go on the internet and go to as many hacking and cracking sites you can, and go to as many free porn sites you can, and try to amass the most viruses anyone has ever had at one time.

First make sure you have no private information on your computer that can be stolen.

you could always go on the internet and go to as many hacking and cracking sites you can, and go to as many free porn sites you can, and try to amass the most viruses anyone has ever had at one time.

First make sure you have no private information on your computer that can be stolen.

LOL --- or turn off the NIC's firewall under network settings, and stick in the DMZ

just load a trojan

You could try getting it near a strong magnetic field to undo all those domains on the hard drive platters. But you might fry something too.
(Hint: if you see any smoke, remove it from the field)

Why the hell simply not ask for a reinstall? :bugeye:

Why the hell simply not ask for a reinstall? :bugeye:

Why ask sciforums advice on anything? Ftards, look at the responses...

What would I need to do to my computer that would force me to have to do a reinstall?

Remove your antivirus software, then go surfing pornsites like there is no tomorrow lol

Is Windows installed on there at the moment? If so just leave it one for a few hours, its bound to crash soon enough.

Is Windows installed on there at the moment? If so just leave it one for a few hours, its bound to crash soon enough.

that one is actually funny :p

i occasionally find it funny to make the virtual memory `read only`.

You don't have to crash it to reinstall. Your two options are either -
1. put in the XP/Vista CD during runtime, and follow the prompts (easy as pie)

or

2. Set your CD as the first boot device in BIOS, and "press any key to boot from CD" when it asks. BTW - this method will allow you to delete the C: partition and make a new one....the other wont.


--------------------------

.....of course, if you wanted to "really" crash your system..........
click on "my Computer", click on your "C:" drive, click "tools"^Folder "options"^"view".........scroll down to the radio button that says "show hidden files" and enable it........scroll down to the checkbox for "hide protected operating system files" and disable it.....click OK or Apply.

A bunch of grayed out files should appear in the C: folder (IE - boot.ini, ntldr.sys, pagefile.sys, IO.sys).

You can either delete a few of those (IE - delete NTLDR -- that should be fun) or try modifying them with notepad (IE -- deleting all the existing boot.ini info, and specifying that it boot something that doesn't exist).

Admittedly, some of it is fixable if you know what you're doing, but it will render the computer inoperable for the time being.

This was harder to do than I thought it would be. But I followed this one in the end and trust me the computers fucked.

Cheers

This was harder to do than I thought it would be. But I followed this one in the end and trust me the computers fucked.

Cheers

Yeah but I could still use a disk editor (http://www.google.com/search?q=disk+editor) on a boot floppy or flash drive to retrieve your data from the hard drive. You should still run DBan (http://dban.sourceforge.net/) or KillDisk (http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm) on the drive.

I suggest you run mallet, just to be sure:

http://www.geoffswoodwork.co.uk/tools/mallet.gif