G
Guest
I have a new computer, but I want to clear the information off of this one
before donating it. How do I do this?
before donating it. How do I do this?
K
Ken Blake, MVP
It depends on how paranoid you want to be. Note the following.
1 When you delete a file, it normally goes into the recycle bin. That
gets rid of it in one sense, but it can be retrieved from the recycle
bin, if the bin hasn't been emptied.
2. Once you empty the recycle bin, you can no longer retrieve files
from it. However a deleted file is still on the disk --just the space
that it used is now marked as available. There exist many different
undelete programs that can still recover the file, until the space is
rewritten.
3. Once it's gone from the recycle bin, you can make the file much
more difficult to recover by using one of the many available programs
that overwrite deleted files multiple times.
4. Even if the space has been overwritten multiple times, there are
sophisticated (and usually very expensive) data recovery techniques
that can still, at least sometimes, find remnants of the deleted file
and recover it.
5. Because of that last point, the US government does not rely on any
software techniques when getting rid of really sensitive data, but
physically melts the drive in a furnace.
You'll have to decide for yourself to what lengths you want to go.
Personally, I would probably just reformat and reinstall Windows..
R
rawebadvert3
The files are always there even when you format it. Normally when a
file is deleted a bit is added next to that record. There are two ways
to get rid of the data is to use debug and that depends on the system
you have. I know Dell has a debug command somewhere on their website
that blows away the file table. But that is only for Dell systems
other systems will have their own debug commands. If your lazy like me
I would just fdisk it which also blows away the table. Format as I
said will not work to safegaurd your data.
www.resumewritersguide.com
21 Years of High Tech experience in 32 Bit OS Development, Test, QA,
and Support. Experienced Writer of High Tech, and Teacher Resumes.
file is deleted a bit is added next to that record. There are two ways
to get rid of the data is to use debug and that depends on the system
you have. I know Dell has a debug command somewhere on their website
that blows away the file table. But that is only for Dell systems
other systems will have their own debug commands. If your lazy like me
I would just fdisk it which also blows away the table. Format as I
said will not work to safegaurd your data.
www.resumewritersguide.com
21 Years of High Tech experience in 32 Bit OS Development, Test, QA,
and Support. Experienced Writer of High Tech, and Teacher Resumes.
B
Bruce Chambers
Melinda said:
To protect your personal information and data from any future users
of average skills, you should, at the very least, format the hard drive.
You can do this using the original Installation CD. Simply boot from
the WinXP installation CD. You'll be offered the opportunity to delete,
create, and format partitions as part of the installation process. (You
may need to re-arrange the order of boot devices in the PC's BIOS to
boot from the CD.)
HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
If you wish to do a more thorough job of protecting your personal
data, WipeDrive
(http://www.whitecanyon.com/wipedrive-erase-hard-drive.php) meets U.S.
DoD standards for securely cleaning surplus unclassified hard drives,
and could be used before formatting and reinstalling the OS and
applications.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
S
Stan Brown
Sat, 02 Jun 2007 12:27:37 -0600 from Bruce Chambers
I haven't tried this recently, but if I recall correctly there's an
option for a "quick format". Quick format leaves most file chains
intact, so you want full format.
But I would definitely go beyond any kind of format and use some sort
of data-wiping utility, such as the one Bruce mentions. Or just
remove the hard drive.
I haven't tried this recently, but if I recall correctly there's an
option for a "quick format". Quick format leaves most file chains
intact, so you want full format.
But I would definitely go beyond any kind of format and use some sort
of data-wiping utility, such as the one Bruce mentions. Or just
remove the hard drive.
R
rawebadvert3
This forum discusses some of their methods. Again using software apps
to do the job may or may not work depending on the program. Oviously
destroying the HD or magnet is the best but you will wipe out the
electronics also. There are programs at compusa and fryes that will
destroy data, but it is also easy to get programs out there to look at
your records even after a format. Useing the programs can't hurt and
will do the job, but you also need to use fdisk and or debug if you
can get the correct script from your system manufacturer at the end to
insure all data is lost..
http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/Help-wiping-hard-drive-ftopict182786.html
to do the job may or may not work depending on the program. Oviously
destroying the HD or magnet is the best but you will wipe out the
electronics also. There are programs at compusa and fryes that will
destroy data, but it is also easy to get programs out there to look at
your records even after a format. Useing the programs can't hurt and
will do the job, but you also need to use fdisk and or debug if you
can get the correct script from your system manufacturer at the end to
insure all data is lost..
http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/Help-wiping-hard-drive-ftopict182786.html