how to clean my hard drive before giving my computer away?

Answer 1

If your computer came with a RESTORE disk, then use that. Pick the FORMAT option.

You see, not only is your computer WIPED, but your computer will be useful to the people that you donate it too.

Answer 2

Formatting or repartitioning a drive will NOT irretrievably erase data on your drive. With the right tools, recovering the data is childs play.

Although there are some utilities that purport to "wipe" a drive to DOD standards it is still possible (although rather difficult) to recover data after running these utilities.

FYI, the DOD does NOT allow these "wipe" utilities to be used on drives that held classified data. The ONLY DOD approved method of securing a drive from recovery is physical destruction. I worked in a secure DOD facility at one time and we had a large anvil and sledge hammer that we used to smash drives that were being pulled from service. Once a hard drive entered that facility, if left in pieces. Even if the box that it came in was never opened, we had to destroy it. The only exception was if it was shipped to another secure facility and transported by a classified courier. To give you an idea how anal the government is on this, a semi brain-dead lieutenant brought his personal laptop into the facility once, in direct violation of the rules. We had to pull the hard drive from it and destroy it.

OK, all that said, one of those third-party wipe utilities should be fine for the average user. However, if you're really paranoid about recovery then you'll need to destroy the hard drive to guarantee that nothing can ever be recovered.

Answer 3

There is a program called "Incinerator" for download free online. This pads deleted programs and files with random bits so people will have more difficulty deciphering what you've had on your computer or what important documents you want to keep private.

However, there is still a chance some hacker can access data, no matter how many precautions you take. So if you have really vital information you don't wish to share, or incriminating evidence (I hope that this one isn't true, I don't wish to help pedophiles and/or criminals), you must remove your harddrive. Sell or give away the rest of your PC but keep and/or destroy your harddrive. This is the only REAL way to make sure no one will access sensitive data.

Answer 4

Note:Your Computer Will Not Have an Operating System

Open the MS-DOS Prompt

Type Format C:

yes

it should clean the hard drive

What are you doing with the computer? If you don't want it...

Answer 5

Depends on how clean you want it. Most methods of file erasure and even basic formatting can be undone. If you want to ensure your files are not found and accessed, you need to use a disk wipe software, like Darik's Boot and Nuke - http://dban.sourceforge.net/ - otherwise, if you don't care about this possibility, then just delete the files

Answer 6

maximum hardchronic vendors provide a formatting application for his or her device. those are downloadable and may want to run from a replica of homestead windows placed on a reminiscencechronic, a CD or perchance a floppychronic if one is put in. See what your BIOS will boot from.

Answer 7

Reformat the drive, load it up again with data, (maybe you can download a movie or two), then wipe it again. Repeat seven times. Clean and fresh, with zero possibility of your original data being retreived.

Answer 8

You need to format the hard drive, BUT it wont work anymore unless you reload the operating system

Answer 9

SysInternals has a free disk wiping that is DOD approved. Price and performance is great!

Answer 10

Use killdisk
http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm
click: Download Free version