What is the best way to securely erase the hard drive on a computer I want to dispose of?

Answer 1

I work in Computer Security for the Air Force and the program we use to completely and securely remove all data from a harddrive is Wipedrive: http://www.whitecanyon.com/wipedrive-erase-hard-drive.php?gclid=CKC2tKifj4sCFQtpGAodHh6eWQ
Unfortunately it's about $40, but it's the most effective software I know of. The program completes 3 wipes of your hardrive and is pretty simple to use.

Answer 2

Formatting the hard drive will NOT erase all the data on the platters inside a hard drive. There are special data recovery tools that can be used to extract the data.

If you really want to erase the data then you use a special tool called kill disk. It will write zeros to the hard drive platters and erase all evidence of data. It is recommended that you run kill disk twice.

Kill disk comes in two forms. CD & floppy. It's free and we use it all the time for customers wishing to erase all data before selling their PC.

Also you can find kill disk on the ultimate boot CD.

Imagine this. Thinking a format will erase data.. Yet law officials can still extract data and convict people from a hard drive that has only been re-formated. They have a way to to it.

All else fails... HAMMER

http://www.killdisk.com/
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html

Answer 3

I had the same problem. We salvaged parts of the PC to give to people we know who "customize" their computers and then we beat the crap out of the hard drive with a screw driver and hammer. I tried formatting and erasing it but I felt un easy about it still... since I live in an apt complex and anyone can easily acess my trash before it is picked up. They say the police can retrieve anything off a hard drive in most conditions even if it has been erased... well if the police can do it whose to say the criminals haven't picked up on ways to do it too? No matter what you do to erase it, destroy it for good however you see fit!

Answer 4

Do a full format of the hard drive. That will erase everything on the drive, even the master boot record and the partition table.

Answer 5

Place it on a bulk eraser.

Since the hard drive is magnetically, the bulk eraser will permanently destroy the data on the hard drive. It's what I use to erase reels, video tapes, audio casettes, 3 1/4 inch beta, and hard drives. Works every time...

Answer 6

here is your answer! aevita is the only company i know of that offers a free download, the others want$. just type in erase hard drive free. then choose the free one from aevita. it will take u to download .com. then download it and u are good to go. this way is much faster and easier than re formating. good luck!!

Answer 7

If the hard drive is in good codition save it and use it to back up files to. Our land fills are filling up to quick. If not, whack it with a hammer a few times then toss it into a large body of water.

Answer 8

in case you're commencing off over clean with dwelling house domicile windows. purely put in the dwelling house domicile windows installation disk in objective tension then restart computing device. Hit F8 key as computing device is purely beginning. there will be a record of somthing quite approximately have been to boot your computing device from. With a keyboard come to a selection on your cd rompersistent with the dwelling house domicile windows disk in it. some video reveal gadgets will pop up... bla bla bla... as quickly as you get asked some element approximately "in case you're able to you come back to a selection directly to place in dwelling house domicile windows press enter". It then supply you an option to partishion your no longer easypersistent. it supply you some ideas approximately which partishion you're able to return to a selection to place in dwelling house domicile windows on. purely click what ever this is that deletes the partishions. Then after that create a partishion and reformate your no longer easypersistent. purely fallow the onscreen ideas and ensure you learn each and each element till now doing a sprint element. And dont undertaking approximately braking your computing device. in case you fairly screw it up this is consumer-friendly to repair via ability of a profeshional. Sorry with regard to the spelling.

Answer 9

Either format the harddrive following this guide http://www.ehow.com/how_6026_format-hard-drive.html
or just remove the drive and mess it up with a hammer or other blunt/sharp object....

Answer 10

Sledgehammer