How can you clean a desktop of all personal matter ?

Question

Specifically, a windows based system at work - when I plan to change workstations [and don't want others knowing anything about me].

Answer 1

First download CCLEANER this will clean any temp items from ur browsing history and other temp files. Then download Hard disk scrubber to erase anything that u have deleted in the past. In otherwords erase everything first and this program will erase all of the empty space. This way the OS will still run just any file that u have deleted will never show up.

The last thing u can do is reformat.

To download the second program scroll down until u find Hard Disk Scrub v2.1 its under other files.

Answer 2

There are several ways and they vary by level of "clean"

1) Delete all personal information: bookmarks, files, links, cache, recent files list, etc. Kinda hard to do and kinda easy to accidentally leave some stuff laying around. Level of security (1-5): 2

2) Use a tool to help delete your personal data. Do a web search for "delete personal data" -- there are a lot of these and I have never used any so can't make any reccomendations. Level of Security: 3

3) Reformat and Reinstall OS. Basically trashes ALL data on the hard disk. But a lot of data can actually still be recovered, but only through fairly sophisticaed means. Level of Security: 4-5.

4) "Shred" disk and then reformat and reinstall. "Shredding" a disk is an electronic way to really really really delete everything on the disk by overwriting all data with a random stream of garbage or encrypted data or zeroes. Then do "3", format and install the OS. Level of Security: 5+

The higher the security level, the harder the thing is to do. I think your best bet is number "3", format and reinstall.

Answer 3

More information is required to respond to this appropriately. By desktop are you refering to your Windows Desktop or are you refering to your Desktop PC. If you are simply refering to your windows Desktop, just delete what you don't want and create a new user account, log in with the new user account and delete the previous account. If however you are refering to your Desktop PC, the easiest and most secure way is to format your HD and reinstall windows with generic information, as your personal information is stored in so many various portions of your System and registery that it is nearly impossible (not impossible just very difficult if you are not familiar with it) to remove all that information from your system. Where the format and reinstall is fairly painless and will accomplish it completly.

Answer 4

http://www.zisman.ca/simple95/

Answer 5

not so easy
- delete profile ( c:\documents and settings\(user name)
- delete user account from user accounts in control panel
- delete temporary internet files, cache, temp folder
- delete personal folders
- remove my documents and all within its folders