The easiest way is to reformat your hard drive and then reinstall XP. Then 
use Windows Update to install any critical updates. If you are doing this 
for security purposes, be aware that files can be extracted from a 
reformatted drive by someone who has the knowledge and inclination. A good 
"wipe" is needed to give a reasonable level of security although even that 
can be compromised.

If you don't want to do a reinstall of XP, you can do a reasonable cleaning 
by using the add/remove function in Control Panel to remove all programs 
except those that are part of the OS. Then use 
start/programs/accessories/system tools/disk cleanup. There will still be 
some left over folders and files that are not part of the OS as well as some 
registry entries. You could use Windows Explorer to go through the drive and 
delete known left behind folders. But, you will never clean the drive as 
well as a fresh install of XP following a reformat.

Tom Mayer

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Veronica" <[log in to unmask]>



How can I clean off a hard drive?  I would like to delete everything except
Windows XP Operating System.

Thanks,
Veronica

 

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