JimLondon Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 I'm throwing out my desk top computer and want to wipe my hard drive clean,does anybody know the easiest way of doing this. My other option is to stick some targets to it and use it for zeroing (preferred option) but wifey thinks I'm not normal. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old rooster Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 I always take the hard drives out and keep them for a couple of years, you can stick them in a disc caddy at a later stage if you want to interrogate them or once you are sure they don't hold any info you still want whack them with a sledgehammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-wheel-drive Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 I'm throwing out my desk top computer and want to wipe my hard drive clean,does anybody know the easiest way of doing this. My other option is to stick some targets to it and use it for zeroing (preferred option) but wifey thinks I'm not normal. Jim Take it out and put it on the concrete floor and hit it as hard as you can with a big hammer. :good: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 Formatting won't erase anything and it can all be recovered. Destroy the disk if its sensitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old rooster Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 Seems to be a bit of a consensus forming here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_evil Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 Throw it in the incinerator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-wheel-drive Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 Some years ago a friend who was in to computers used wipe discs with a program that filled the disc with X and O binery coad in that way it would over rite any information on the disc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deker Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 download a program called dban (www.dban.org), it will let you wipe the hard disk so the data can't be recovered - well not without a lot of expensive equipment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daks Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 Some years ago a friend who was in to computers used wipe discs with a program that filled the disc with X and O binery coad in that way it would over rite any information on the disc. All data gets minced into unreadable binary, even stuff you put into the recycle bin, some software scambles the binary using more complicated algorithms. But the developers of any format / deletion software can un-scramble the binary making it readable again. Why not just format the drive using the standard method and turn it into an external drive using an enclosure kit, waste not want not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 I say shoot it. Large calibre, many times. It will destroy it and will also be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLondon Posted April 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 I say shoot it. Large calibre, many times. It will destroy it and will also be fun. Yeah that's what I was thinking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aris Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 Just use some disk wiping software. Basically it goes through the whole disk, writing multiple bit patterns to each sector. Different algorithms can be used - depending on how paranoid you are, but really, after doing even a basic wipe, nobody is going to recover anything. If you have state secrets on there - put the disk through a shredder. Most people don't though. dban has been mentioned - there are others too, both free and commercial. Once the disk is wiped, re-purpose it and turn it into an external disk for backups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 I'd keep it and get a caddy as others have said, a spare external drive is very handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiffy Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 i keepe persoanl details like baking info etc on mine, in the past when ive upgraded my computers ive krpt my drives, when ive had one die on me i tend to burn them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aris Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 If they die, they are fun to open up. There are some very powerful rare-earth magnets inside them which can come in handy. Here is a project for you. Get some brass off a spent shotgun cartridge, get rid of all the plastic. Use some epoxy and glue the magnet inside so that it is just about flush with the brass (maybe give it 1 or 2 mm so the brass doesn't scratch your fridge). There you go - a nice new fridge magnet. Your wife will love them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackinbox99 Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 As others have said there are quite a few programs out there which will securely erase all data on the disc and make it unrecoverable. I normally do that with my old drives, then take them to a local computer shop which has an industrial shredder which will physically destroy the drive by shredding it into small chunks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twistedsanity Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 A good friend works for the police and councils recovering data from confiscated computers you would be astounded at what can be got from a wiped clean computer +1 for the big hammer option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IXI KARL IXI Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 + for the hammer option or a target to shoot at. Things can be recovered off a formatted drive. Just take the hard drive out and break it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aris Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 A good friend works for the police and councils recovering data from confiscated computers you would be astounded at what can be got from a wiped clean computer +1 for the big hammer option Some peoples idea of 'wiping' is deleting files or formatting the disk. Yes, that can be recovered. If you wipe each sector with alternating and/or random bits - you will not recover anything. Some people say intelligence agencies can do this - but there is no proof of this, and certainly a local council or even the police would not have the technology to do this even if were possible. I use this software to erase my unused sectors, and properly delete files (when necessary): http://eraser.heidi.ie/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChAoS Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 ++Aris; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackinbox99 Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Some peoples idea of 'wiping' is deleting files or formatting the disk. Yes, that can be recovered. If you wipe each sector with alternating and/or random bits - you will not recover anything. Some people say intelligence agencies can do this - but there is no proof of this, and certainly a local council or even the police would not have the technology to do this even if were possible. I use this software to erase my unused sectors, and properly delete files (when necessary): http://eraser.heidi.ie/ Thats the same software as I use. You can set it to do something like 25 pass military grade deletions etc. No way anyone is going to recover anything from that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aris Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Thats the same software as I use. You can set it to do something like 25 pass military grade deletions etc. No way anyone is going to recover anything from that. Honestly,they wouldn't recover with a simple two pass erase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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