Clean-Out Personal Data from Works Laptop

[Grumpy_Old_Duffer]

I work from home & am supplied a Laptop by my company for work. I do use it during the day/evening for my own use (i.e. Web Browsing, Online Banking, Web Based Email etc. etc) and I want to know how I make sure all personal information is removed (i.e. from Temporary Directories; Cache etc. etc.), as I have to hand the Laptop back in a week or so as the company is supplying a new one.

[albertross]

Try all three of these, in this order..

www.ccleaner.com

http://www.deletehistoryfree.com/ (thks to maforduk)

http://www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/

http://www.theabsolute.net/sware/#Clndisk

If you want to wipe the HD completely, you could use this freeware:

http://www.cbltech.com/data-shredder.html?id=3

[leesmithg]

Originally Posted by Grumpy_Old_Duffer

I work from home & am supplied a Laptop by my company for work. I do use it during the day/evening for my own use (i.e. Web Browsing, Online Banking, Web Based Email etc. etc) and I want to know how I make sure all personal information is removed (i.e. from Temporary Directories; Cache etc. etc.), as I have to hand the Laptop back in a week or so as the company is supplying a new one.

Download a trial of window washer from here

Set you cleaning to NSA standard and make sure you select add bleach.

Once you have done a complete run reboot and then open it again and run the 'wash clean space' overnight (as it takes time) to wipe anything left over.

Reboot when done and uninstall it.

Hand back laptop.

[Grumpy_Old_Duffer]

Guys,

Will these process's wipe ALL data? I don't want to wipe off Business files just my own personal information.

[albertross]

In my post the first section wipes history, temp data only, so is perfectly safe to use..


The last one, (cbl data) one does wipe all data, so don't use that one, unless your IT department can rebuild it easily.

[Browntoa]

yes, they will do what you need, just delete any personal files that you want to remove and run the programs, what these do( mainly the last one) is delete all traces so that they cannot be recovers afterwards..

it will do no damage to anything else and it will all still work afterwards

[leesmithg]

Originally Posted by Grumpy_Old_Duffer

Guys,

Will these process's wipe ALL data? I don't want to wipe off Business files just my own personal information.

It cleans free space.

Does not wipe stuff you don't wish it to wipe.

It' wipes browser history, cache, surfing etc.

When it cleans your cache, history etc it writes data across these files, as even though you may delete things, they technically don't get deleted they get hidden, thats why there are data recovery software apps around.

With this in mind if stuff you have deleted you wish never to be recovered thats why you use such apps to write across the files with random key strings so they become unusable.

However there is also methods of electronically removing items but the one I use isn't available as a trial.

[Quincy]

Originally Posted by leesmithg

Download a trial of window washer from here

Set you cleaning to NSA standard and make sure you select add bleach.

Once you have done a complete run reboot and then open it again and run the 'wash clean space' overnight (as it takes time) to wipe anything left over.

Reboot when done and uninstall it.

Hand back laptop.

You might aswell get www.ccleaner.com Ive got Washer its ok but you have to pay for it and well unless the Gov want to look at the HDD there isnt much point in getting Washer.

[leesmithg]

Originally Posted by Quincy

You might aswell get www.ccleaner.com Ive got Washer its ok but you have to pay for it and well unless the Gov want to look at the HDD there isnt much point in getting Washer.

Hence you download a free trial.

Washer is good, very good actually, far better than adaware crap cleaner.

Guy wants to delete all his lesbo pr0n as we all do before his guvnor gets the ump.

[Quincy]

Originally Posted by leesmithg

Hence you download a free trial.

Washer is good, very good actually, far better than adaware crap cleaner.

Guy wants to delete all his lesbo pr0n as we all do before his guvnor gets the ump.

Maybe he would be better off giving me the laptop to have a look at