How to Wipe a Laptop

1. Locate the Start menu icon in the lower-left corner of your desktop. In Windows Vista, it will be the circular Microsoft icon.
2. Open the Start menu by left-clicking 'Start' or the Windows Icon. This will open a drop-down menu with a list of all installed programs as well as a Search/Run command line.
3. Using the Search/Run command line, use the command CMD. This will open the DOS shell command prompt or System32 command prompt. The name varies depending on your operating system, but for all intents and purposes it is the same dialog box.
4. Left-click the new dialog box which will have a command line in the format C:\User\ComputerName.
5. Type in the following argument to format your primary hard drive: 'format c: /q.' This will initiate the quick format of your computer that will delete your file structure and data but keep Windows intact.
6. Insert the Windows Recovery CD into the proper drive. You will be using the Recovery CD to write over your deleted data and file structure.
7. Press the CTRL+ALT+DEL keys together (at the same time) twice in rapid succession. This will initiate a quick reset, bypassing the Control Panel. If the Control Panel comes up, choose 'Reset Computer.'
8. Wait for the computer to reset. You will see that the computer will load from the Recovery CD. When prompted, select the 'Format FAT-32' option to write over all of your old files and restructure your hard drive.