Can I totally clean my pc?

Question

I can format my pc and reload my hard and software but I want to sell it, so can I totally wipe it so there is definatly no info left on the hard drive and if so how?

Answer 1

sure you can, just make sure before you reformat the disk that you remove the partition and then create a new partition, then continue to format the disk. If you want to be even more sure you can run a program called cyber-scrub which will delete all space again.

Answer 2

YES, I agree with Wayne - anyone who tells you otherwise is mistaken (e.g. paulrb8). Ideally, you would write a strong bit-pattern to the disk several times. Good ones are 10101010 (AA in hexadecimal) or 11110000 (F0 in hexadecimal). Such patterns create more uncertainty about the previous contents of each bit. If you do it several times (alternately shifting the pattern by one bit, e.g. 01010101 (55)) there will be no chance of anyone ever getting anything off your disk. For a more practical approach:

1) Try the DP wiper (link below) to munch certain sensitive files.
2) Find out the make of your hard disk and download the utility from the manufacturer (e.g. Hitachi/IBM DFT - stands for Drive Fitness Test). Then do a low-level format (all zeros) of the disk.
3) You can also destroy your partition by using a DOS diskette (Windows 98SE boot disk for larger drives - you will need the new version of fdisk (on Microsoft website) for drives bigger than 64 GB). Type FDISK /MBR a few times (that will wipe the master boot record and confuse the hell out of anyone trying to rebuild your disk). Then rebuild the disk as FAT32 and do FORMAT C: /U from the DOS prompt (that will kill the data on the disk as well as changing the partition type, causing further confusion).
4) Once you've done that, re-install Windows XP (or whatever).

If you follow these steps, there will be almost no chance of retrieving a single file from the original system. Even if there were, someone would have to analyse your disk, generate thousands (possibly millions) of files (each time guessing the original file system, which you've masked) and analyse each file. Then they'd probably end up with a DLL or some other useless file.

Answer 3

depends on how psychotic you are..
the easiest way for the allmost totally psyco, is to create a boot disk.

get to dos, and format C:
then fdisk
delete the partition
then create some new ones.
then format those 7
then delete them fdisk..
then create 1 pig fat32 one. then format it again

nobody normal could get ure info back, the nsa could
this is the easiest way for someone who doesnt really know what they r doing

Answer 4

Program name; "evidence eliminator"

Choose from the options and it will clean and overwrite your old data with a load of random data. This one works I have tested it with various file restoring programs and they all find nothing on the PC when it`s been wiped.

Answer 5

Try Tune Up 2006 its free for 30 days and excellent plus easy to use
Or Chaos Shredder

Answer 6

format the drive twice
if you have a floppy drive and a win 95/98/me startup disk
fdisk it then format it then install OS

Answer 7

if u want to fully format your hard disk just right click on the drives and click format..... but for the drive which contains ur windows u must format it by starting ur system in ms dos mode... mostly it will be c drive (c:)....

Answer 8

you can format it and reinstall everything yes.. BUT there will always be the secret bit on there that the police experts use (which keeps a log of every naughty website and download etc,)... so NO, you cant ever totally wipe it.........

Answer 9

u can do it
use a software to clean wich won't let u get back the inforomation
i know one but it is expemsive norton system work

Answer 10

do a full system restore with the system restore disc, this will return your pc back to factory settings