How To Wipe Drive Clean!

moonbeep

Hi Folks

I am hopefully selling a PC tomorrow night but want to show the person it working,to wipe it clean afterwards do i go to CMD then type in format c as im selling it without an operating system.

Many Thanks

free4440273

or use http://www.dban.org/

debitcardmayhem

Better yet, format it now , and install Linux just to prove it works from HD and the all the other bits, eg USB, Wifi/Ethernet CD ,done deal. Purchaser may even chuck in an extra £5 for saving him/her the bother.

RussJK

moonbeep wrote: »

Hi Folks I am hopefully selling a PC tomorrow night but want to show the person it working,to wipe it clean afterwards do i go to CMD then type in format c as im selling it without an operating system.
Many Thanks

What price did you get out of curiosity?

moonbeep

RussJK wrote: »

What price did you get out of curiosity?

Hopefully £600 and thats with out the OS!

jayme1

formatting a hard drive does not erase the data

to erase the data use DBAN or active@killdisk on at least a one pass zero setting.

then after that has finished (to prove the computer works to the buyer) install linux on it, you would need to erase the drive tonight as actually erasing a drive can take a long time (100GB HDD can take 90mins on 1 pass zeros)

moonbeep

moonbeep wrote: »

Hopefully £600 and thats with out the OS!

I put it on gumtree with make me an offer and i got one of £50:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

moonbeep

Does anyone know how long it would take to format "c" a 320gb hard drive with very little on it?

Many Thanks

closed

10 seconds, quick format, but it won't wipe the data

if the pc came with a factory restore partition, you could restore it to factory state in about 10 minutes, install ccleaner, tick wipe free space option, then offer it with an os for extra £, and they won't be able to get any data back

[Deleted User]

If you're using Windows Vista or 7 to format the drive, then it will overwrite the data contained on the drive with zeros but only if you choose the full format option which may take some time.