erasing/formatting the HD.

[bearscubs4life]

I've copied over important apps/files/etc. to my external HD. How do I go about erasing everything on my computer safely before popping in the install discs and reinstalling OSX 10?

I don't want to screw anything up.

Thanks in advance.

 

[WildCowboy]

Just pop in your install disc, and select the "Erase and Install" option when it comes up. The single pass "zero out data" erase option should be sufficient to make sure no data remains on the disk. But if you're paranoid, you can use 7-pass erase...it'll take a lot longer, but it's more secure. (It's even beyond Department of Defense standards for third-party contractors handling classified information.) 35-pass is just plain overkill.