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how to wipe everything?

Discussion in 'Tilted Gear' started by Strange Famous, May 2, 2014.

  1. Strange Famous

    Strange Famous it depends on who is looking...

    Location:
    Ipswich, UK
    I have an old laptop I want to re-use for something work related.

    What is the best way to wipe/delete EVERYTHING (maybe not OS, but if I have to I can live with it) from that PC? Is there a killswitch within a PC?
     
    Strange Famous, May 2, 2014
    #1
  2. Plan9

    Plan9 Rock 'n Roll

    Location:
    Earth
    @Martian! @LordEden!

    Also: I'm super paranoid so I tend to replace HDDs when I repurpose computers. Nothing wipes a hard drive clean like smashing it with a hammer and putting the pieces in half a dozen different dumpsters across town.
     
    Plan9, May 2, 2014
    #2
    • Like Like x 3
  3. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    You won't be able to keep the OS while adequately wiping the HD clean of any latent/residual data.

    You're going to have to use something like this to be sure: 29 Free Data Destruction Software Programs (Updated May 2014)

    Afterwards, you're going to have to start from scratch.

    The nerds @Plan9 mentioned should be able to help you with specifics.
     
    Baraka_Guru, May 2, 2014
    #3
  4. THEPRISEINFERNO

    ThePriseInferno Slightly Tilted

    Depends on how paranoid you want to be.

    Assuming Windows, from 'least paranoid' to 'the NSA is after me':

    1 - Create a new user on the machine, delete the old user profile, uninstall all unneeded programs. This 'deletes' old documents, pictures, etc. This might take a while, but it will leave the underlying OS installed which is something you wanted. Data can definitely be recovered if you do this, though, so if you want to *actually* make sure your data is gone I don't recommend this method.

    2 - Reinstall the OS, formatting the drive during install. This will work, and it will make it so that Joe Schmoe User with a data recovery program will have a more difficult time getting to the data, but the data could still be recovered if someone really wants it.

    3 - Format the drive using something like Darik's Boot and Nuke, and then reinstall the OS. This will take a while, but it will actually overwrite each sector with gibberish data instead of simply formatting the disk and depending on how thorough you are can make it almost impossible to recover the data. Almost.

    4 - The @Plan9 method; new hard drive, old one physically destroyed.
     
    ThePriseInferno, May 2, 2014
    #4
    • Like Like x 1
  5. Strange Famous

    Strange Famous it depends on who is looking...

    Location:
    Ipswich, UK
    How paranoid I am... well we are just talking about porno basically.

    Nothing illegal and MI6 wouldnt find anything interesting about me if they did spy on me....
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2014
    Strange Famous, May 2, 2014
    #5
  6. RedSneaker

    RedSneaker Very Tilted

    Now if only the resident nerds could help me move applications from one computer to another as I've lost the install CDs.
     
    RedSneaker, May 2, 2014
    #6
    • Like Like x 1
  7. Zweiblumen

    Zweiblumen Slightly Tilted

    Location:
    Iceland
    If you have to leave the OS then one option you have is to uninstall every application, feature, add-on and plugin (and whatever) that you don't want to keep on that PC. Then do a Windows built in "Disk Cleanup". It's accessible from the drive's properties in File Explorer. When that is done the download CCleaner from Pirisoft (I reccomend it is dl-ed from pirisoft's webpage Piriform - Download CCleaner - Millions of users worldwide!) and use that application to it's fullest potential. One of the options is to wipe all unused HD space or even wipe whole drives, but it can't wipe the drive the machine was booted from.
    Hope this is of some help.

    Yours
    ZB
    PS: RedSneaker it's usually not trivial to move applications between computers. Atleast I don't know any "one for all" method and I usually don't even attempt it.
     
    Zweiblumen, May 3, 2014
    #7
  8. cynthetiq

    cynthetiq Administrator Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    New York City
    Just move the hard drive image.
     
    cynthetiq, May 3, 2014
    #8
    • Like Like x 1
  9. RedSneaker

    RedSneaker Very Tilted

    All I read was "wonk wonk wonk wonk wa wonk" ala Peanuts. Lol
     
    RedSneaker, May 3, 2014
    #9
    • Like Like x 2
  10. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Well, you "can" keep the OS and anything you want on there.
    Just delete or uninstall what you don't want.
    Make sure you empty the wastebasket after. (if you are using windows or I think mac too)
    There are many uninstall programs too...but they are hit & miss as to how good they are.

    Now, this doesn't wipe it...it just indicates to the system that you can put things on those blocks again.
    To wipe it...there are various programs that will do wiping techniques on empty space.
    Depends on how complete you want to be and how long you want to wait.
    Some do 7 overwrites with randomized data...some do more...some are profound, "government" standard...and take days to complete.
    Personally, I use one of the utilities available in Auslogics Boostspeed.

    Now if you don't care about the OS, you can go into the system BIOS...and order it to reformat the harddrive.
    That will definitely wipe it out.

    If you're only as paranoid as you say you are, SF
    Then I'd recommend simply do the delete/uninstall of anything you don't want. Empty the wastebasket.
    Then download a good free wipe app. One thae wipes the unused blocks on your HD...the lowest method should be good enough.
    --- merged: May 4, 2014 4:03 AM ---
    There are various imaging apps out there. Windows may have a decent one, haven't tried it.
    One of the classics is Symantec's Ghost. (but I may be dating myself here)

    What @cynthetiq is saying you can use one of these apps to take an image or snapshot of your whole harddrive.
    Then you can use the same app to reapply it on another harddrive. (**this will restore the whole thing)

    Perhaps, he could recommend a good current imaging program, maybe one that is not too pricey.
    It's been some time for me since I've found it necessary. (I've been doing either from scratch or VM lately.)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 11, 2014
    rogue49, May 4, 2014
    #10
  11. martian

    martian Server Monkey Staff Member

    Location:
    Mars
    Moving a hard drive image from anything other than one VM to a second identical VM is going to probably break a lot of stuff. You'd most likely want to p2v it and then move the VM, since that would be substantially easier and helpfully avoid breaking drivers and system hooks and everything else that you didn't even know your OS has that's critical to making the computer light up and make beeping noises.

    As for cleaning off a hard drive, if you're not paranoid, just format it and reinstall the OS. If you are paranoid, swap out the hard drive and run the old one through a drill press. There are well established procedures for these things.
     
    martian, May 4, 2014
    #11
  12. MSD

    MSD Very Tilted

    Location:
    CT
    To wipe a drive, one pass in DBAN is more than enough. Use the 3 or 7 pass wipe if you're paranoid, and the full Gutman wipe if you want to feel like a spy and waste an enormous amount of time.
     
    MSD, May 5, 2014
    #12
    • Like Like x 3