How can I delete everything on my PC?

Question

I am getting ready to sell one of my PC's, & would like to delete everything on the hard drive & data in my browsers before I do. How can this be done?

How do I reformat it, & what will that do?

Answer 1

You'll have to use a program that writes over every sector on your hard. Here's a freebie available through pcword http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,22920;order,1;page,1;c,All%20Downloads/description.html#

Answer 2

There is software you can buy that claims to sterilze your hard drive, but I have a free technique (which I used successfully) that I will tell you here.

WARNING: This will take time -- the better part of a weekend, but it works and you will have some fun stuff left over (if you want to do a little extra)

First, a lesson in file management. When you "delete" a file, nothing is removed. The disk contains an index that holds the file name and other data, including where on the disk the file can be found. When you "delete", the first letter of the file name is moved to the end of the name and the new first letter is one of the non-typable characters you are not allowed to use in file names. It now signals that the file is to be ignored and that it has been removed. In actual fact nothing has been removed, it is still all intact. This is why you can "recover" deleted files.

The trick you want to learn is how to overwrite all the files with something else that is meaningless. Here is what I did.

(1) I went searching the internet for pictures. Photos, art, sculpture, gardens, waterfalls, anything and everything. I filled 3 CD's with images that caught my imagination.

(2) I executed a destructive reboot of the hard drive, reloading only the most basic stuff -- I did not reload internet, virus software, not third party --- only the most fundament microsoft recovery.

(3) With the recovery data loaded, I now go into the add / remove programs and take out all the big, memory consumption stuff -- printer drivers, photo managers, advetinsing how to get started on the internet -- etc. The goal is to open up as much room as you can --- without taking apart the operating system itself. ...

(4) Now the good stuff.... on the desktop, create 26 (or more if you want) empty folders. folder A folder B folder C ... folder X then Y then Z . From the CD's, load the pictures into the MY Pictures area.

Cntl-A all the pictures and execute copy to -- moving the pictures to the dummy files you created on the desktop. (You can stack the functions. You do not have to wait until one finishes before beginning the next.) To stack the functions, start the copy to file A, immediately start copy to file B, then start file C , etc. Go away for a couple hours and let the computer do what is going to do...

When you come back there sould be an "out of memory error" type message on your screen. ( If it is not there and you have copied all the pictures you will have to make additional empty files and repeate the loading with pictures to the new files.)

When you have the error message, go to control panel / performance and maintenance / and "analyze" the defrag option.
If everything to this point went the way it should, you will have overwritten every cell on the hard drive (plus-minus a couple hundred K) with picture data. this last step will tell you that. All your personal material is buried somewhere underneath all that. If you do not have a full disk, create some more blank files, fill them with pictures and continue until you run out of room.

Finally, reload the (only) recovery data that you did before. This time do not remove the printer driver, the games, the photo manager, etc .. --- leave them. You computer is ready to sell, personal information covered up, and as the new user creates their own files, their data will be another layer over your pictures ...

Now, about those CD's with all the pictures: When you get your new machine, load the CD's into My Pictures, and use them as a sscreen-saver slide show ...

Hey -- it works! One rainy weekend and you have a "clean" machine. Yes, the pictures will still be on the drive, but that was free access from the internet -- who cares ? Only graphic data is there. Your personal stuff was overwritten.
= = = = = =
When I started this answer, I was the first. By the time I finished typing the above, 20 had snuck in ahead of me. looking at their answers I must add the following:

While their answers work --- the index and other stuff is destroyed, the magnetic image of you data is still on the disk media. I can take software -- independent of microsoft operating system and take control of the disk stepping motors. I can read the entire disk track and sector, byte for byte. All independent of the index -- I will see all the new and all the leftovers .... Even with the index destroyed, I will be able to read (most, if not all) your files.

Overwriting is the only sure thing. Replace what is there with something else. Then, if you want to use something like kill disk, feel free.

Whatever method you choose, if it does not overwrite the disk, there is bound to be residuals, and those data bits are retrievable. I have done it (back in the days of the old Apple II +)

First overwrite the entrie disk to make sure you cover as much as you can, then go do the other stuff if you want ...

Good Luck --- Good Bye

Answer 3

Use your Windows XP Recovery disc. Insert the disc> the computer will ask if you want to boot for the disc> hit any key to boot from cd when prompted to do so>Windows Setup will do some things by itself and then about 5-10 minutes later it will ask you some questions like a license agreement and other stuff>when you reach the part where it asks you what partition you want to install windows on to>you will want to delete the partiton w/ data on it>from there it will guide you through 3 steps to delete all data on that partiton. Once that is complete and there are no other partitions w/ data you can take the disc out and shut off the computer.

Answer 4

the easiest way is to either get a bootdisk (e.g. from bootdisk.com) boot with the floppy and enter the command 'format c:' and accordingly for any other partitions u have, alternatively, u can download a linux live-cd like knoppix or ubuntu and boot with these and then select from the admin menu format harddrive, or actually the best would be to just buy a new HD an replace it ;) data can only be recovered from ur harddrive as long as no new information has been writen on it, then it might still partially still possible but at very high cost as specialized devices are necessary and the drive has to be opened up...

Answer 5

Dear fellow member,

Many people do not know this but the best way is to format the system and do a full system re-install, FORMAT it again one more time and re-install again or use your system recovery CD's from your manufacturer if it is a major brand. This way your data cannot ever be re-covered from the first time you formatted the system.

If you don't want this route and you're using Windows XP, use the User create new profile under Control Panel and make that person Administrator, delete your profile and you're done.

Data can always be recovered (If it is THAT critical) after a first format.

Kind Regards,
Ben

Answer 6

The Best and Safe way to delete Everything on PC is, Place your Boot Floppy Disk in Floppy drive and restart your system so that it boots through floppy drive after that (booting) type Fdisk and press return key you will be seeing new menu you can delete all partitions in that. So that your disk is completely erased. This method is old one but best one.

But you want in latest style, then place your boot CD in your system and restart your system so that it boots from CD after booting from CD you will face some installation procedures there you can delete all partition information and format it so that all the information is erased.

So that you can sell your computer safely !!!

Answer 7

You have to know that once you delete or format the disk, it's still have some data on it and Professionals can easily restore the data from your hard disk. My suggestions to you is when you format the disk, reinstall the Windows, for security. Once the new Windows will install it's hard for any professional to get your old Data. Because when they will try to get some pieces they will get what you will have after new installation. Is that make any sense to you?

Answer 8

use Kill Disk to erase data from your hard drive. it deletes everything off from the hard drive that even a get back data program cannot get it back. it is a free software and can downloaded off from the internet
there is one another way to delete all the patitions and create other partitions and format your hard drive.
P.S. a simple format of the hard disk does not deletes data off from the drive, it just deletes the partition table and data can be accessed using the softwares made for this purpose.
I support Kill disk software.

Answer 9

I've been told even formatting isn't secure if someone really wants to recover the info they can. There are products available for supposedly making it impossible to recover the data.

A foolproof way is to remove the drive from the computer.

Answer 10

You can re-format your hard drive,, but this will only make the data inaccessible,, not gone,, the only way to REALLY do that is to get software that will overwrite the entire HD with 0's.