How Can I Wipe My Hard Drive?

pappa_golf

internet options (cog) delete browsing history INC passwords and form filling then run CC cleaner.


windows 8 factory restore http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/restore-refresh-reset-pc

esuhl

The best thing to do is probably to "reset" Windows (i.e. wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows -- as if you'd just bought it). Instructions are here:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/restore-refresh-reset-pc

(Oops Pappa G beat me to it! I type too slowly!)

A dedicated and skilled hacker could probably recover some of your personal data. But assuming you trust your friend enough to know that they wouldn't go to such extreme efforts, then that's probably sufficient.

Running DBAN (as above) would more securely wipe the hard drive BUT it would prevent you from reinstalling Windows from the recovery partition. There may be ways around this using recovery disks, etc., but check first if you're thinking of doing this.

The most secure method would be to physically take out the hard drive and smash it to pieces, and replace the one in the laptop. Again, you'd have the problem of reinstalling Windows, but this would be (close to, if not) 100% secure.

googler

Why is there always someone or two on these threads rabidly keen to smash things?

OP, if you want to guarantee your buyer doesn't get the data on your HDD, take the HDD out of the laptop and either sell it to your friend on the basis that they will install their own, or replace it yourself with another drive, and install a clean operating system.

Then KEEP THE DRIVE you took out. Use it as a backup drive, extra storage, whatever, but - there's no need to waste a perfectly good hard drive. There's no need to smash it, just keep it.

pappa_golf

by the questions asked , I don't think the OP has the knowledge to change a drive and reload windows , and I am struggling to think where they would get a new copy of "bing"

forgotmyname

If its my website i keep your data forever. data protection? Depends on which countries laws you want to abide by.

It will be hosted where data protection is lacking.

Ive had people try to kill drives by dunking them in water, thats no good because quite
often they come out working 100%.

The vent hole is small and usually water wont enter. The electronics are usually fine as long as its not powered up when wet.

Dry the board and it works.

pappa_golf

cook well in a micro wave tho


is this why you have to wair a foil hat

googler

pappa_golf wrote: »

by the questions asked , I don't think the OP has the knowledge to change a drive and reload windows , and I am struggling to think where they would get a new copy of "bing"

I would encourage them to learn. I would point them at resources to teach them, if they show further interest.

In this age of recycling and conservation of resources, I think it's irresponsible to be encouraging folk to smash up perfectly good hard drives.

pappa_golf

yes they could always follow plan a:


however it would not remove their presence from the internet

googler

bluelass wrote: »

No I don't want to rejoin any site under a different identity or have anything I might want to hide. I might be selling me current laptop to a friend and obviously don't want them to retrieve any bank details etc.

You may well trust your friend not to look on your HDD with forensic detail, but what about when they tire of this machine, and move it on to someone else?

Take the HDD out and keep it. If your friend doesn't want the machine without an HDD, and you can't fit a new one and load an OS, then there's plenty of folk on eBay and Gumtree etc. who will buy it without the drive.

Did it come with install disc(s) for the Operating System and/or other software?

henm2

Keep it simple. Just use DBAN booted off a flash drive to clear things securely on your hard drive. Apart from DBAN http://www.dban.org/download you will also need Rufus https://rufus.akeo.ie/ to load DBAN on to the flash drive. No need to drill and throw away a hard drive.