Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Technology Corner: Wipe Hard Drive


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Charlie D.

Golden Triangle-E. Texas

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Posted: 01/17/12 07:55am

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What is the best way to wipe a hard drive clean on a computer before I give/recycle it?

I have manually deleted everything I could and reverted it back to a current time but I don't feel like I have done enough.

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Big Katuna

Deland, FL

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Posted: 01/17/12 08:19am

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Hammer? Seriously, after watching 60 Minutes segment about third world countries harvesting data on scrap US hard drives, I would take the cover off and smash the disk.

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SCClockDr

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Posted: 01/17/12 08:19am

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I used a large (4lb) hammer & anvil to do the deed on some old 5 1/4 full sized HD's. They were amazingly sturdy, I was well warmed when through. LOL

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Photog101

Garden City, Michigan

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Posted: 01/17/12 08:26am

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Lo-Level format is the only real way to "0" out the drive. But I use a 20# sledge.

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magicbus

LBI, NJ or Nantucket, MA

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Posted: 01/17/12 08:26am

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I never recycle the hard drive - I destroy it as it is simply easier. If you are giving the PC to someone who is going to reuse it you need to be careful if it is a Dell and keep the HD. I have yet to figure out a way to install a new hard drive in a Dell (needs matching serial number with the CPU) without their installation disks (which they seem too busy to send).

Dave

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shum02

Burlington ON CDA

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Posted: 01/17/12 08:27am

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Big hammer.

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Chris Bryant

DeLand, Florida, USA

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Posted: 01/17/12 08:30am

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Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN") is a self........ for bulk or emergency data destruction.

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1995brave

San Antonio, TX

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Posted: 01/17/12 08:33am

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Use BCWipe, same program used by government to clear unwanted information from computer hard drives. You delete your information and then run BCWipe on the hard drive. It runs 1s and 0s on the clear space of the hard drive 5 times, and depending on the size of the hard drive it can take over 24 hours to complete.