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View Full Version : How do you wipe the Hard drive?


gamerz
May 28, 2008, 11:00 AM
I am selling my computer, but when I sell it I want to wipe the hard drive so it only has the
OS left on it.
Does any one no how I can do this?

Thanks.

progunr
May 28, 2008, 11:06 AM
What type of computer, and what operating system are you using?

If you have gone through, and deleted everything personal, and emptied the recycle bin, you can use a program called CCleaner.

If you do a Google, it is a free download and is very effective in over-writing all the blank space on your disc.

If you have the System Recovery option with your computer/op sys, I recommend you recover to out of box state, and then run the CCleaner as a back up.

Good Luck to you!

gamerz
May 28, 2008, 11:15 AM
I have Microsoft Windows Xp home Edition.

progunr
May 28, 2008, 11:54 AM
Do you have a recovery partition installed?

Scleros
Jun 6, 2008, 10:04 PM
The most secure is erasing the drive and then reinstalling the operating system.

I use Active@ Kill Disk Hard Drive Eraser (http://www.killdisk.com) - the free version. It's a boot floppy/usb drive/CD that overwrites the entire drive with zeroes. For additional security, there is also non-free version that will overwrite a drive in sequences of patterns designed to eliminate any residual magnetic traces of the data.

gamerz
Jun 23, 2008, 10:31 AM
The most secure is erasing the drive and then reinstalling the operating system.

I use Active@ Kill Disk Hard Drive Eraser (http://www.killdisk.com) - the free version. It's a boot floppy/usb drive/CD that overwrites the entire drive with zeroes. For additional security, there is also non-free version that will overwrite a drive in sequences of patterns designed to eliminate any residual magnetic traces of the data.
How do I reinstall me op system... (I don't have the disks)

JBeaucaire
Jun 23, 2008, 12:15 PM
My computer has a recovery partition on it. Does yours? The manufacturer of your computer can probably provide you with discs (downloadable,maybe?) to activate the factory restore of your computer back its mint condition the day you brought it home.

That's the best way.