How do I clean off all personal information on a computer I want to donate?

Question

This is an E-machine with Windows '98

Answer 1

You're gonna have to replace the entire harddrive in order to destroy everything. That's the only sure way.

Answer 2

You can format the hard drive and reinstall the operating system, but the only way to be 100% sure that no information is on the system or can be recovered is to replace the hard drive. You'll want to destroy the old one, meaning drill a hole in it or cut it in two instead of dropping it in the trash.

Answer 3

You did not say what operating device you're employing yet i visit anticipate XP. i exploit a application talked about as cipher which comes with living house windows. To wipe each and each and every of the loose area on yourchronic (which may make sure that any residual files is lengthy gone) you are able to: commence>all courses>upload-ons>command instantaneous at the same time as the DOS window opens, variety: cipher /w:c: this can sparkling off each and each and every of the loose area at thechronic. playstation : I defy those who say that they could get files from thechronic after this wipe: that's very nearly not accessible!

Answer 4

Depends on whats on the hard drive. If theres private info on it, you're best formatting it several times and using a specialised piece of hard drive cleaner software.

Otherwise format it just once should be ok.

If you're paranoid, just remove the hard drive as this is the only way to guarantee the security of your data. If you do this, then obviously keep the hard drive safe or open it and smash the plate(s).

Ant...

Answer 5

Don't remove the hard drive... that's unnecessary.

Formatting alone doesn't completely obliterate all traces of files... but there are MANY programs out there that will. They repeatedly write random sets of data to the hard drive to remove any magnetic ghost image. They usually make MULTIPLE passes over the hard drive to ensure full erasure. Variations of these patterns are even used by the US Government to wipe it's hard drives. Just google "Eraser".

Leave the hard drive be. Erase the drive thoroughly.

Don't listen to those who tell you to drill a hole in it, chop it up, set it on fire, encase it in 20 feet of concrete, and burn your house down. It's uneducated, unnecessary lunacy.

Srsly people.

Answer 6

Transfer all personal data that is in your My Documents folder to a disk. (format the disk first) You also may want to create an email message that contains your all of your personal data that can be dealt with at a later time. Be sure to check all "bookmarks" and the like and delete any data that is "yours".

Answer 7

The computer should have come with a set of "Restore" cds. Run them. That will bring the system back to "box fresh" and remove all of your personal data.

Answer 8

You can get programs that write zeros to hard drives off a floppy drive or other insertable boot drive.

Try searching for [write zeros hard drive] on download.com. I used one called Kill Disk (or possibly Killdisk).

FORMATTING DOES NOT REMOVE TRACES OF DATA FROM A HARD DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!

Therefore all answers including this "advice" should be "thumbed down".

If you want to provide an OS on the PC, zero it *all* and then install the OS ontop.

Answer 9

Reformat the HD. But even that is iffy. I've know of personal information acquired from a hard drive even after it was reformatted. Best thing to do is destroy the HD.

Answer 10

replace the HD and yes clean everthing that you think is a personal information and things that you don't want other to no about