Question: If you're giving away a computer, what's the best way to wipe it clean for good?

(Posted by: Anonymous on 2010-02-08 13:45:46)

I mean totally clean. No "fragments " of junk left over, no bank account numbers, email addresses, etc. I don't like to have my information floating around. Is there any software that will destroy even the little fragments that I know remain even after a reformat? If possible, I'm speaking software- wise only...it's no good if I take the hard drive out and smash it, for instance. Can't give it away, then. Thanks for the suggestions. I've looked at the Dban...the issue is, one of the hard drives is basically a "recovery drive " because they no longer included dvds/ cds with computers anymore. Instead, it's built into another partition of the hard drive or there is a second hard drive. So that is very much needed to reformat windows.

Posted by: Radio:ACTIVE on 2010-02-08, 13:54:33

Completely re-install the software i.e Windows 7 etc using the disc that should have come with it

Posted by: Ben on 2010-02-08, 13:51:41

Software wise, dban.org/ Or you could just get a strong magnet and wave it around the hard drive a few times. Won't mess anything up but it will erase all the data.

Posted by: Linds on 2010-02-08, 13:52:33

If you want to do more after reformat then you have to take it some place where they do a total wipe. But in general reformat does a really good job and the only way for a person to recover any data would be with recovery lost data software. Now I have used one that was actually bought and the only things it ever recovered with music and pictures, documents were more of a hit and a miss, meaning they were even readable for the most part. So I would say that your fine. I really wouldn't worry about it.

Posted by: Joe on 2010-02-08, 13:56:04

Use DBAN, as Ben suggested. Don't bother trying anything with a magnet. Modern hard drives are pretty well shielded. If you could even find a magnet powerful enough to get through the shielding, it would render the drive useless. dban.org/ ORRRRRRR..... If there's a recovery partition, you could run it to "go back to factory " settings, then install and run something like "Eraser " from: eraser.heidi.ie/ and use it to "overwrite free space ". That way, you're giving away a usable system, but have cleared out any personal information. (This is a lot more work than DBAN. But you might want to do it if you're giving the PC away to a friend and want it immediately usable.)

Posted by: Andi on 2010-02-08, 13:59:39

Well, if it has pre installed operating system, you just reinstall the OS. Usually when you start your laptop you have to press ALT+ F10 or something like that and you will find the option for restore. If you dont have an OS, then it is better to find a software who not can write 0 or 1 on every bit from HDD, usually it came as a boot-able CD. Is not enough to format the HDD, you have to write something else on it.

Posted by: cammie c on 2010-02-08, 14:09:47

To completely get rid of data is to formatt the hard drive remember formatting the hard drive will get rid of everything so if your giving the computer away the people you are giving it to will have to install an operating system on it like. windows xp , windows vista , windows 7 you get the idea and rubbing a magnit over the hard drive wont do much apart from possible messing up the hard drive so much that it cant be used ever again. thanks hope that helped