donating old computer

[Pat Jennings]

I wish to donate a computer no longer in use. Before doing so, how do I
erase or format the disk, eliminating all files and then loading back an
operating system?

 

[philo]

I wish to donate a computer no longer in use. Before doing so, how do I
erase or format the disk, eliminating all files and then loading back an
operating system?

it depends which OS you want to get rid of
and which OS you want to reload

if you merely wish to erase then reload win98 however
just format the drive,
then reload

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I wish to donate a computer no longer in use. Before doing so, how do I
erase or format the disk, eliminating all files and then loading back an
operating system?

To protect your personal information and data from any future users
of average skills, you should, at the very least, format the hard drive
and reinstall only the OS and those applications whose licenses are to
be included in the transfer. If you wish to do a more thorough job of
protecting your personal data, WipeDrive 2.2.1
(http://www.accessdata.com/Product07_Overview.htm?ProductNum=07) meets
U.S. DoD standards for securely cleaning surplus unclassified hard
drives, and could be used before formatting and reinstalling the OS and
applications.

A search of Google will also undoubtedly turn up a few more options.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Harry Ohrn]

If you are worried about security just install a copy of Linux. That will
essentially render the previous info on the drive unrecoverable without
specialized software. Other than that just do a clean install of the
operating system. As this is an XP newsgroup I'm assuming you will be
reloading Windows XP. Go here to learn how to do a Clean install
http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPHome/installxphome1.htm

 

[Dennis M. Marks]

The organization will probably reinstall the operating system to protect
themselves from items that may be left on the hard drive. I would just
reformat the hard drive and let them handle the reinstallation. This was
told to me when I donated a computer to "Computers for Schools".

 

[Vanguard]

I wish to donate a computer no longer in use. Before doing so, how do
I erase or format the disk, eliminating all files and then loading back
an operating system?

http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/
It's free.

To boot from a floppy to wipe all drives:

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN"): A self-contained boot floppy that
securely
wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and
completely
delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it
an
appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.

 

[Johnny Lingo]

http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/
It's free.

To boot from a floppy to wipe all drives:

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN"): A self-contained boot floppy that securely
wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and
completely
delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an
appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.

Out of curiosity, why would any normal user need "emergency data
destruction"?

 

[Harry Ohrn]

Out of curiosity, why would any normal user need "emergency data
destruction"?

Define "normal user" ;-)

 

[Vanguard]

Out of curiosity, why would any normal user need "emergency data
destruction"?

Contact the author at the sourceforge.net site to ask him what he meant
by that statement.