killinhippies
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reformat it
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Samuel Adams
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If you would like to erase and wipe all information from your hard drive, I reccommend you use Active@ KillDisk. This powerful and compact DOS software allows you to destroy all data on hard and floppy drives completely, excluding any possibility of future recovery of deleted files and folders. This is security software for unrecoverable data elimination for any computer capable of booting in DOS mode from floppy drive. It uses access to the drive's data on a physical level via BIOS bypassing logical drive structure organization, thus it does not matter operating systems and file systems located on the machine, it can be DOS, Windows 95 / 98, Windows NT / 2000 / XP, Linux, Unix for PC. Active@ KillDisk conforms to US Department of Defense clearing and sanitizing standard DoD 5220.22-M. You can be sure that once you clean up with Active@ KillDisk, sensitive information is purged out forever. We highly recommend you to run this FREE utility for the hard and floppy drives you want to dispose of, recycle, re-use, sell or donate to somebody.
Please note: If the CIA or FBI is after you, destroy the hard drive. It is possible to recover data even if it has been erased and written over many times.
Reformatting doesn't delete any data folks. It just installs the O.S. over what is already there and the data that it doesn't overwrite can be easily recovered.
http://www.killdisk.com/
http://www.download.com/Active-Kill-Disk-Hard-Drive-Eraser/3000-2092_4-10188745.html?tag=lst-0-2 |
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Mattfox14
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You could format if 6 times to make sure its all gone, or install ubuntu.
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ikswolro87
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you have to reformat the disk and that should erase everything..
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Jorge
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Get the hard disk out of the computer, apply a sledge hammer.
Seriously.
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sugarlipsx100
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Did you ever want to erase everything on your computer? This is a program I found that does that for you quickly and easily.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Did-You-Ever-Want-to-Completely-Erase-Everything-on-Your-Computer?&id=56657 |
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Ms G
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You can buy a cd-rom called drive cleaner and it will clean out everything.
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Tony
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Control panel > Remove programs.
But it is best to reformat it so you do not miss a file that could have personal information on it, hell I wouldn't even donate it for personal safety, you put a lot at risk.
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Tina
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Your computer should have a CDhard-drive disk! insert the cd.....turn off your computer....and when you turn it on this question will pop-up and you press enter =]
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sxpr08
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Try ccleaner, (free) with at least 3 pass overwrite.
http://www.ccleaner.com/
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tommytwotone_09
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well there's always the magnet approach
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Cluster
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Just do a complete re-install from fresh mate put any proggies you want on their like microsoft office. but just name the computer as user don't put a name on their then sell it thats what i do with mine.
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tlbs101
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Format the drive -- but only from the operating system command (explorer icon, button, command, etc.)
Do NOT format the drive from the BIOS, because whoever gets it next will have to take it to the geek squad to have the operating system re-installed.
.
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chocobear_20
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Take it to the scrap yard and let the big magnet pick it up. There'll be nothing left on your hard drive.
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dannyboy
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you need it reformatting. this will erase everything and it will be as good as new. so you will only have the basics like my computor and my documents.
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adot444
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If you don't already know how, you should take it to a professional because it can be complicated if you don't understand it. HOWEVER, to avoid having to pay for it, just remove the hard drive and destroy it, or use it as a secondary drive in your other computer. The place you donate it to will not mind at all; hard drives are cheap.
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royer
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i agree with samual adam ...
even if you reformat a computer expert could still recover your "deleted" files.
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G.I.R
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computers usually comes with disk, the one that has the operating system on it. reinstall the operating system and when it ask if you want to format the hard drive click yes. then the program will take it from there. If it didn't come with a disk take it somewhere where they can do it for you, sometimes they will do it for you if you donate it, but either way the memmory will be erased before they resale it. its requirered
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MichWoodsman
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Step 1: Pour some gas on the woodpile out back.
Step 2: Place your PC on the woodpile.
Step 3: Throw a lit match on the woodpile.
Step 4: Bring melted plastic to Goodwill.
OR
Get your hands on some good software that will wipe you system clean.
Hope this helped.
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Bill
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Go to your hard drive manufacturer's web site and download a free bootable disk (Western Digital, Seagate, Fujitsu and all the rest have them somewhere in the support section) that includes a low-level format utility. A low-level format will remove data, formatting and partitioning . . . basically put it back to the way it was when it shipped from the hard drive manufacturer's facility to the computer builder's location. If that's not good enough for you, get a high-speed drill with a 1/4" titanium bit and drill three holes, each evenly spaced and about 1" off from the the center of the drive and then donate it "as is", with a completely screwed hard drive.
41 years of IT experience |
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creskin
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My answer would be similar to Samuel's.
You want to use a software product that ensures that nobody can unerase or unformat your data, and use your personal information against you.
There is a cost involved with these programs.
One program that I use in my business is Blancco.
http://www.blancco.com/eng/hom
e/
This takes a while because it actually overwrites the areas that contain data 5 times. Therefore your data is now gone.
If you dont want to spend money, remove the hard drive from the computer, and donate the remaining portion of the computer. They can buy another hard drive.
Before you throw away the hard drive, drill a hole with an electric drill all the way through from the top through the bottom. This makes sure that the hard drive is damaged to the point that no data can be restored.
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Jim
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You can get a nifty free utility called ERASER that will do the job nicely:
http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/
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Michele C
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use DOD overwrite it will write 01010101010 as many times as you like
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Karel F
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Hello,
There is really no way of completely erasing your data to the point where it's impossible to recover, however the average person won't be able to recover data from a reformatted drive. To be on the safe side, however, your best bet is to take out the hard drive and destroy it (physically). Hard drives are relatively cheap these days. I think you can get an 80 GB for around $60. It's worth it if you don't want to risk anything.
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D L
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Like others have said, you can't delete information entirely with one simple program, or action, yet
I've been going over a lot of info and the advice is the same:
Either you overwrite (fill your hard disk with data until it pushes out the one already there) it or you destroy it.
Get a free program that you can copy on a floppy or cd disc which you will then insert in the computer who's hard drive you want to erase, and run the program.
It will go through formatting and filling your disk several times with meaningless data (lots of 1s and 0s).
After that, you may feel safe enough.
Some info is still recoverable at that point but only by good hackers.
If you don't feel you're in such danger, these programs give some pretty good results. Many are free
Like this one: http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/download.php
If you need super security, ask the CIA ;-)
Good luck!
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