2006-07-31 13:28:49 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Security
It depends on what you're planning on doing. Are you going to give this computer to a charity, or are you going to simply throw away the computer?
If you're going to give away the computer to charity, I'd recommend that you wipe the harddrive using a 3rd party bit of software. If you have a PC, then I'd recommend that you use something like the freeware linked to as my first source. To be warned, it can take ages to truly wipe a harddrive to the point where data can't be recovered (read: a day or more).
If you're throwing away the computer, then either do what has already been suggested, by drilling a hole into the hdd, or my personal favorite - take an axe to the hdd. Make sure that you go through the platters in the disc. This will make is unrecoverable to all but the most persistent of people - the ones who would be willing to spend $1000s to recover what's available in a clean-room.
Another thing, a lot of the newer laptop HDDs actually use glass as their platters, allowing you to destroy them by simply throwing them good and hard onto a concrete or asphalt surface (don't do it inside though - you can easily tear up linoleum and carpet and crack tiles.
2006-07-31 13:40:35 · answer #1 · answered by Nate 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need a utility that can run from a boot disk (i.e. from DOS) and purge files, or a Windows program that can somehow delete and purge files at the same time. The purging process essentially consists of writing zeroes over the data. Try this list, although they may only work for small sets of already-deleted files:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/collection/collid,1231,order-1;c,downloads/files.html
A large magnet might work as well :-)
2006-07-31 13:38:16 · answer #2 · answered by jacinablackbox 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
.
1. Remove the hard drive (formatting doesn't really work 100%)
2. Take harddrive to garage, and pound repeatedly with hammer until you are rid of all your pent up anger about having put all that stuff on the hard drive you don't want anyone else to ever see.
3. Take shovel from garage, and bury that booger 6 feet under! ha ha ha ha
4. Breathe
stw
; p
2006-07-31 13:40:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Remove the hard drive and drill a hole in it.
Discard.
2006-07-31 13:34:30 · answer #4 · answered by abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had the same problem so I took out the hard drive and took an axe to it no more problem. Then took it to the recycle bin at the dump.
2006-08-01 05:27:28 · answer #5 · answered by twentyeight7 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
reformat it
2006-07-31 13:35:33 · answer #6 · answered by Delfin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋