How do I wipe a Hard Drive

samtheman1k

Astuteboy wrote: »

I remember a few years ago when I was at Manchester University doing Computer Science, someone from Greater Manchester Police's related unit came in to give a lecture on something (can't quite remember what).

Their advice was if you want to be sure the data can't be recovered, you should format your drive 7 times. I don't know what that's based on, but it's stuck with me! Not sure it would apply today with increased capacities and so forth (this was about 9 or 10 years ago).

That is really bad advice, formatting a drive will not delete the actual data, use a shredding program only.

womble51

Thanks for all the replies and the advice, I want to pass this computer to a family member and whilst I have no worries about them I can't control who might be the next owner.

closed

reinstall windows (from factory restore partition if it has one), then wipe free space with ccleaner (all boxes ticked)

or dban it, and install windows from system recovery cd.

stilltheone

linhug wrote: »

You cannot remove everything from a hard drive. Anyone with even the basic
computing skills can bring it back. I would keep it and get family member a brand new one they are quite inexpensive these days

Nonsense and scaremongering.

stilltheone

rmg1 wrote: »

There's also HDGuru (I think that's right). It basically restores your drive to "out of the factory" clean and you've no chance of recovering anything from it. Can't remember if it's free though.

HDD Low Level Format Tool

redped

linhug wrote: »

You cannot remove everything from a hard drive.

You can with a sledgehammer

spud17

Why destroy a perfectly good drive? If you want to keep it, wipe it and put it in a caddy for backups etc. This is a money saving site.

As has been said before DBAN or Active Killdisk.

diable

Wipe it then copy a load of midget !!!!!! on it and give it to your family member ;o))))

Oliver14

linhug wrote: »

You cannot remove everything from a hard drive. Anyone with even the basic
computing skills can bring it back. I would keep it and get family member a brand new one they are quite inexpensive these days

What total Rubbish there are numerous ways to properly delete a Harddrive and to make any possible Data recovery impossible.

diable

If you have p0rn on it then I'd use a Kleenex.....................






Sorry ;o))