Ubuntu
gparted package

How do I wipe a disc?

Asked by Steve Lake

Following on from question 56352, I've managed to boot up my PC by temporarily installing the SCSI HDD from my old PC. However, I'd ideally like to use Ubuntu (I have 8.04 running) to now clean the new SATA discs. I have 2 - both 500GB - which have become corrupted but hold a useless grub file on them and they've been preventing me from doing a clean install; the CMOS setting changes to force booting from the DVD drive seem to be ignored.

I'd then like to re-install Ubuntu from scratch.

Oh, yes - just to add to the fun, I can't currently get on-line (problems getting the wireless connection working)

Does anyone have any ideas how I can clean these 2 HDDs?

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marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#1

Boot from Ubuntu live install cd and use gparted

Menu System → Administration → Partition Editor

Hope this helps

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plutino (plutino) said : 		#2

Or you can get the GParted live disk/USB at http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php

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Steve Lake (steffanllyn) said : 		#3

Thanks for the suggestions. Sorry if I didn't make the essential nature of my problem clear above; the basic difficulty is that I CAN'T boot from CD/DVD! I'm doing everything I (and you all) can think of to force this to happen - but the machine isn't doing it!

The motherboard in question (Gigabyte GA-M52L-S3, rev 1.0) even provides an option (via pressing F12) to set the first boot device; the instructions on this screen say to use the cursor keys to select the appropriate device (works) and then press 'Enter' to use that selection to reboot (doesn't work). I've now contacted the manufacturer for a solution to this problem, but in the meantime I'd be grateful for any advice on how to wipe the 2 corrupted discs so I can start again with a clean install.

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Kyle Martin (martikj2-deactivatedaccount) said : 		#4

If you have another computer and a pen drive handy, you can actually create a LiveUSB rescue disk. It actually works better than CD's, smaller, faster drive access, and doesn't eat into a laptop battery as much as optical media. Handy link: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

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