Clean a PC before selling?

[David]

Oh great, another curt poster to this NG, like it needs another.

 

[John John]

but it really doesn't matter
since my response was for
the benefit of the o.p.

Was it meant for comedic relief or what? I hope so because it contained
absolutely no useful information to the question asked by the OP, but as
far as jokes go that was one of your best ever!

John

 

[dennis@home]

Thanks for the info - http://dban.sourceforge.net/ for those that want it
too.

Apart from the fact that its impossible to guarantee to erase a hard disk of
all information using /any/ software you can get.
The mechanical tolerances mean that the erase head can never be guaranteed
to actually pass over the entire track and will not leave some remains at
the edge of the track which can be read if someone wants to put in the
effort.

The claims made by software writers are not really justified and any disks
with secrets on them should be physically destroyed.

 

[dennis@home]

Using DoD compliant s/w gives
a false sense of security ?

It sure sounds like it.
See my other post about the mechanics of disks and you will understand why
software is no good for real secrets.
I doubt db knows a way to do it either so don't expect a sensible reply on
how to do it.
However I doubt if any private individual has any data worth dismantling a
disk to recover so a quick wipe will do.
A business is a different matter as accounts and personal stuff should be
destroyed by physically destroying the disk as the MoD does.

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

providing your 3 cents where
none has been asked, is in it
self a problem with your ego.

frankly, you are so busy trolling
upon everyone's response to the
o.p. that you have not posted a
response directly to "jim" and
his question.


--

 

[John John]

It sure sounds like it.
See my other post about the mechanics of disks and you will understand
why software is no good for real secrets.
I doubt db knows a way to do it either so don't expect a sensible reply
on how to do it.
However I doubt if any private individual has any data worth dismantling
a disk to recover so a quick wipe will do.
A business is a different matter as accounts and personal stuff should
be destroyed by physically destroying the disk as the MoD does.

No one has ever been able to recover data from a properly wiped disk,
Dennis, no one. What you say was deemed to be "theoretically" possible
about 25 years ago or more, but even then no one ever succeeded in
recovering data from a wiped drive. Today's class of drives are
completely different from drives of 25 years ago and it would be even
more difficult to recover data from a wiped drive than it was 25 years
ago. The facts are that no one can recover data on a wiped drive.

John

 

[Dustin Harper]

Yes, if they are that sensitive, destroying the hardware is the only way.
With enough money, you can recover data from any hard drive.

 

[NoStop]

I really don't see that as being practical. I can tell you what I'd do -
boot a Linux Live CD then use 'shred' on all the partitions - then
reinstall the OS, or better yet, install it and a Linux dual boot.

Better yet, forget the dual boot and just install Linux.

Cheers.

--
An HONEST Vista Ad:

The Rolling Stones Love Vista:

Frank - seek help immediately! Visit ...
http://www.binsa.org/

 

[NoStop]

Apart from the fact that its impossible to guarantee to erase a hard disk
of all information using /any/ software you can get.
The mechanical tolerances mean that the erase head can never be guaranteed
to actually pass over the entire track and will not leave some remains at
the edge of the track which can be read if someone wants to put in the
effort.

The claims made by software writers are not really justified and any disks
with secrets on them should be physically destroyed.

What a bunch of paranoid misfits around here. Who do you think is going to
purchase his crap box? Do you think for one minute they'll have the skills
to try and sniff out his shit on the hard drive? Most Windoze users can't
get past figuring out how to click their mice around the Windoze "wizards".

Cheers.

--
An HONEST Vista Ad:

The Rolling Stones Love Vista:

Frank - seek help immediately! Visit ...
http://www.binsa.org/

 

[DanS]

frankly, you are so busy trolling
upon everyone's response to the
o.p. that you have not posted a
response directly to "jim" and
his question.

Not trolling. Just pointing out what I
believe are incorrect statements made.

Also, there was no need to repeat the
options that were already offered within
several replies prior to my post.

 

[John John]

No one has ever been able to recover any data from a properly wiped
drive. No one ever with any amount of money. It is nothing more than
an urban legend.

John

 

[David]

FWIW

http://blogs.computerworld.com/node/5687/print

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Remove the hard drive, smash it with a hammer, replace it with a new one.
That's the only way to be 100% sure.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Saucy]

Remove the hard drive, smash it with a hammer, replace it with a new one.
That's the only way to be 100% sure.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

If you wanted to clean ALL traces of your activity from a PC before
selling it or giving it away, what would be the best way to do that
without a format and complete re-install of the OS?

You forgot the plasma furnace .. a plasma furnace will turn the smashed
remains into inert dust. After smashing the drive with a hammer it should be
thrown into a plasma furnace.

[New capabilities come with plasma furnace]
http://media.www.iowastatedaily.com...lities.Come.With.Plasma.Furnace-1093382.shtml

Saucy

 

[Bruce Chambers]

If you wanted to clean ALL traces of your activity from a PC before selling
it or giving it away, what would be the best way to do that without a format
and complete re-install of the OS?

A format and reinstallation would be the bare *minimum* precaution.

To protect personal or business information and data from any
future users of average skills, you should, at the very least, format
the hard drive. If you wish to do a more thorough job of protecting the
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

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Shenan Stanley]

If you wanted to clean ALL traces of your activity from a PC before
selling it or giving it away, what would be the best way to do that
without a format and complete re-install of the OS?

I'd either replace the hard disk drive and keep mine (the new hard disk
would have nothing on it) *or* I would use something like Darik's Boot and
Nuke to completely blow away everything on the hard disk drive.

I would then provide those who bought the system with the method to restore
the system to it's 'as purchased originally' state (like a Windows XP CD and
whatever applications they should get CD) and some short set of instructions
on what to do to install the OS/apps if any back on the machine.

Either way I know that what they got was nothing I am concerned over and
they know whatever they got is clean and legitimate. They get to do what I
always recommend anyway - clean install a used system - and they know they
can do that whenever they need to in case of a problem. They actually get a
complete system.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Freaky wrote:

PS crossposting is not appreciated.

What?

I would much rather an unsure user (or better yet - a 'sure they wanted to
post in multiple groups' user) post in multoiple groups using crossposting
rather than multiposting. This saves the poster and end-users time in the
long run.

 

[dennis@home]

No one has ever been able to recover data from a properly wiped disk,
Dennis, no one. What you say was deemed to be "theoretically" possible
about 25 years ago or more, but even then no one ever succeeded in
recovering data from a wiped drive. Today's class of drives are
completely different from drives of 25 years ago and it would be even more
difficult to recover data from a wiped drive than it was 25 years ago.
The facts are that no one can recover data on a wiped drive.

How would you know that no one has ever recovered data?
The fact is that even modern disks have tolerances and you cannot guarantee
to position the heads during a wipe in such a way that a ring of un-wiped
data is left. Now you may claim no one has ever read such a ring but there
is no way you can prove it. The sort of organisations with the resources and
the /need/ to do so are not going to talk to you about it.
So the facts are, I have stated a "theoretical" way of getting data back and
you have stated that no one has ever done it.
Its up to the person responsible for the data to determine if the $50 it
costs for a disk is worth the risk.

PS:
As I said the military destroy the disks with important stuff on and I have
been there when they collect them up and leave you with a room full of
computers without disk drives.

Also if you have any personal data on me I expect you to destroy the drives
or I will bring a prosecution under the data protection act (UK) for not
using due care.

 

[PD]

You can't. Even with a format, data recovery software can retrieve
files. The only way to make sure there is nothing left of your activity
is to wipe the hard drive (Darik's Boot and Nuke is free; Acronis Disk
Cleanser is good but not free) or smash it with a sledge hammer.

Fer crissake, m'man... the guy doesn't have to worry that the CIA is
gonna get ahold of his computer and scour it for details!

Folks who ask these kinda questions are giving their computer to an
ordinary person who is clueless - not to add, probably disinterested -
when it comes to things like that.

 

[DarkSentinel]

Fer crissake, m'man... the guy doesn't have to worry that the CIA is
gonna get ahold of his computer and scour it for details!

Folks who ask these kinda questions are giving their computer to an
ordinary person who is clueless - not to add, probably disinterested -
when it comes to things like that.

Out of all the responses, I have to agree with this one the most. I know
data is recoverable. I inadvertently fdisk'd my music drive. Had a drive
failure, and XP setup showed my external drive, long story. Luckily was able
to restore all 160GB of MP3's...hehehe

Anyway, as this poster states, the overwhelming majority of people have ZERO
interest in what was on the drive previously. I got my current system from
eBay. Could I have gotten the info from the previous owner. Probably. Did/do
I want to? Hell no. To the OP. Just wipe the drive, and sell it.