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13 Replies Last post: Feb 20, 2008 2:39 PM by mcbarker

STRAC

2 posts since
Jan 23, 2008

Feb 19, 2008 5:44 PM

Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

My folks just bought a new computer and want to donate their old. I was thinking about using an app such as Active@ Kill Disk Hard Drive Eraser to over-write the drive. Are there better alternatives to getting old info off (old tax records, addresses, bank records, etc)of hard drives?

Reply Tags: hard_drive, sensitive_data

AuroraDizon

3,975 posts since
Jul 30, 2006

1. Feb 19, 2008 10:23 PM

in response to: STRAC

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

personally id reinstall the operating system if you have the disc or a recovery partition

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VladTheImpaler1990

753 posts since
Jun 4, 2007

2. Feb 20, 2008 5:04 AM

in response to: STRAC

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

Hey there, and welcome to Pc World

As you asked here i want to ask if you going to donate the computer with a OS on or must the people that get the pc must get there own?

Either way i beleive you should put in your Xp cd into the drive and make it as though you installing a windows but do not install it if you don't want to, i am just directing you to format your harddrive and this can be obtained when you are in your Xp installlation there will come up do you want to partition your drive(or something to do with that), go to that option and then it will give you a option to reformat this will delete every thing off your harddrive, files, folders, programs even your os.

Vlad

kcihtred2

246 posts since
Sep 7, 2007

3. Feb 20, 2008 6:37 AM

in response to: STRAC

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

my dad (who works for the gov), has recovered data off hard drives with many many different wipes. He says the only true way to get it off there is destroying the hard drive (drill press works good) and buying a new cheap one for the old computer. if you tell me the model of the pc we can find you one for cheap.

LincolnSpector

258 posts since
Oct 16, 2006

4. Feb 20, 2008 8:16 AM

in response to: AuroraDizon

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

AuroraDizon wrote:personally id reinstall the operating system if you have the disc or a recovery partition

Reinstalling the hard drive won't destroy the data on it; only make slightly more difficult to retrieve. It's best to wipe the drive (or wipe sensitive files off of it), then reformat and reinstall the OS.

Lincoln

LincolnSpector

258 posts since
Oct 16, 2006

5. Feb 20, 2008 8:21 AM

in response to: STRAC

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

STRAC wrote:My folks just bought a new computer and want to donate their old. I was thinking about using an app such as Active@ Kill Disk Hard Drive Eraser to over-write the drive. Are there better alternatives to getting old info off (old tax records, addresses, bank records, etc)of hard drives?

Hi, STRAC.

Last I checked--and it's been a few years--Active@ Kill Disk is a good choice. See Ditching an Old Computer for details.

Lincoln

lilxkid24

1,540 posts since
Jul 8, 2007

6. Feb 20, 2008 11:36 AM

in response to: STRAC

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

The best way to do this is actually to just pop in the reformat disk, and whipe it out that way. That is probably one of the easiest and most safest way to ensure no data is left on the hdd.

smax013

3,720 posts since
Jan 28, 2007

7. Feb 20, 2008 11:42 AM

in response to: lilxkid24

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

lilxkid24 wrote:The best way to do this is actually to just pop in the reformat disk, and whipe it out that way. That is probably one of the easiest and most safest way to ensure no data is left on the hdd.

Just reformatting a disk is NOT the safest way. Reformatting does not completely "wipe" all traces. It basically just wipes the drive's "index". Data will still be there until it is overwritten with something else...the OS will just not know it is there, unless you use some sort of file recovery program. It is the easiest way, however.

If you want the safest, then you want a secure wipe program that will over write the data with zeros or random 0s and 1s...just like the Kill Disk program that the original poster asked about does.

[soapbox] Backup good...no backup bad!! [/soap box]

lilxkid24

1,540 posts since
Jul 8, 2007

8. Feb 20, 2008 11:51 AM

in response to: smax013

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

ok my bad then but either way i doubt a regular person could pull data up after a hdd has been reformatted by disk unless your a hacker or work with fbi or something.

smax013

3,720 posts since
Jan 28, 2007

9. Feb 20, 2008 11:54 AM

in response to: lilxkid24

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

lilxkid24 wrote:ok my bad then but either way i doubt a regular person could pull data up after a hdd has been reformatted by disk unless your a hacker or work with fbi or something.

You would be suprise what you can get with a standard file recovery program.

[soapbox] Backup good...no backup bad!! [/soap box]

FenderGuy2112

192 posts since
Nov 14, 2007

10. Feb 20, 2008 12:24 PM

in response to: STRAC

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

Hi STRAC,

I'd recommend DBAN ( http://dban.sourceforge.net/ ) to wipe your hard drive. This is amazing and simplistic software; it gets the job done great!

FenderGuy2112

My New Myspace Music Project.

mcbarker

689 posts since
Aug 10, 2006

11. Feb 20, 2008 2:12 PM

in response to: FenderGuy2112

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

Short of physically destroying the hard drive (as someone else mentioned), there's no way that you're going to be 100% sure that data on the disk can't be retrieved. However, you could minimized the chances of anyone retrieving your data by first uninstalling and normally deleting everything but the OS.

Next, install CCleaner (free program). In the Settings, check the "Secure Deletion" box, and choose the deletion method. You can set it to overwrite data up to 35 times. Next, click on the Registry button and scan for issues. "Fix" everything that comes up. Repeat until there are no more issues.

A couple of people have suggested reformatting. Take it one step further if you're still feeling paranoid about your data. Before reformatting, delete all partitions on the hard drive, recreate the primary partition, then reformat the drive, reinstalling the OS if you wish.

It's extremely unlikely that anyone would be able to recover anything of worth at this point, but it is possible. The only other option is to physically destroy the hard drive, and replace it with a cheap new one as someone else suggested.

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

Adama

3,627 posts since
Sep 7, 2007

12. Feb 20, 2008 2:30 PM

in response to: LincolnSpector

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

LincolnSpector wrote:

Hi, STRAC.

Last I checked--and it's been a few years--Active@ Kill Disk is a good choice. See Ditching an Old Computer for details.

Lincoln

Hi, Lincoln. Thanks for the link to your article, it is excellent (I emailed it to my son.) I didn't know you could actually wipe your HD, it certainly makes sense to use something like that if (and when) you get ready to buy another computer. I will keep that in mind.

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mcbarker

689 posts since
Aug 10, 2006

13. Feb 20, 2008 2:41 PM

in response to: Adama

Re: Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

Hi Adama, if you already have CCleaner, it offers the same options in the Settings menu as Active@ Kill Disk : DOD 5220 22-M, 3 passes; NSA, 7 passes; Gutmann, 35 passes.

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

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This Question is Answered

Feb 19, 2008 5:44 PM

Wiping a hard drive of sensitive info

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