how to completely wipe memory

[psyche!]

Hello, I'm new here.

After days of searching the web, I have found nothing that specifically tells me how to completely wipe the memory of my laptop.

I have a Toshiba Satellite 2805-s202 with windows ME. I do not have any recovery CDs nor do I have the oem disk, nor do I have the means of obtaining these things because I'm a penniless 14 year old and my mom refuses to pay for those things. I do not care for any of the bundled pre installed software, I just want the computer to be wiped clean of all the installed on it since the day it was purchased so that the things which do not work now (sound, video playback, internet explorer, windows media player, maybe more...) will work.

Is there anyway to do this without the aforementioned disks? If so, could whoever would be kind enough to read this message please tell me how?

[compdoc]

you don't wipe memory, its the hard drive that gets wiped but if you do that you completely clean everything off the hard drive and your computer will be useless unless you install a new windows.

it sounds like you want to reset the computer back to the factory settings, this will clean everything that you have installed and the computer will be just like it was on day one from the factory.

I'm not sure if it is possible with your computer you will need to search the help files on your computer to see if you can do it.

[psyche!]

Another thing that doesn't work...the help program.

[Selwyn]

you could try the syste restore option in system properties.
It may work depending on what has happened to you pc

[psyche!]

That doesn't even open anymore

[Bear003]

I haven't looked at a Windows ME computer for a while so I'm not sure anymore if it has this, but... If you can search or browse to C:\Windows\Options\Cabs and then look for a file called setup.exe If that directory is there and that file is there then you could try what is called a cabs file restore.

Basically it reinstalls Windows only, back over itself including any drivers it may have for the computer from what is called CAB files or Cabinet files. Compressed files that have Windows files and drivers in them. This is about the only option without a restore CD or Windows ME installation CD.

If the Setup.exe file is there then I would recommend trying to backup or save any important information you have on the computer before running this.

Also, you probably want to have run a scandisk on the hard drive to check the file structure before running the setup.exe file.

Scandisk link:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/222469

Hope this helps!

[acejames1]

you could always try a free operating system such as linux or ubuntu or something of that liking not that that is your only option but leave that as a last resort....