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How Do You Clear Hard Drive & Deleted Files When Selling Old Notebook?

post #1 of 41
6/11/05 at 9:30pm
Thread Starter 
Hi,

I am looking to buy a new notebook asap, so I am selling my current notebook. I have looked into software that completely wipes out everything that is stored on your hard drive, but I want to make sure I get the best software. I know that there are softwares (like what the gov't uses) out there that can retrieve any info, even if I deleted it. I don't have top secret docs, but I do have lots of personal info either stored or that I have deleted. I have also applied for credit cards online, plus I make purchases online. I have just been asking friends if they want to purchase my notebook, because I'm scared to advertise to strangers, just incase they could retrieve any of my info. It sux, that I'm not advertising, because I could get really good $ for my notebook if I actually put ads out there-it's only about 1.5 years old. I see pcs sold online all over, so there has to be a good software that does the job.

Could you guys recommend the best, most thorough software that would let me completely wipe out my hard drive and things I have deleted.

Also, could anyone tell me how to wipe out all my software because I want to re-install all the original discs back on my notebook so it's just like the day I got it.

I would appreciate any advice.
Thx.
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post #2 of 41
6/11/05 at 9:43pm
When you format, you do a high level format. That means that the software that do the format change one bit in each clusters headers to available for writing.

High level format is simply changing that specific bit to allow writing on all clusters. When a cluster is available for writing, it is considered empty. Because of that, some specialized software change all bits to non-writable or if you like more readable so that you can retreive all informations that was on all clusters.

now, a low level format will actually rewrite the sectors, the clusters and will write 0 in each cluster. Low level format is the way the hdd comes out of the factory. It is a truely blank hdd.

To get a low level format utility, grab one from your hdd manufacturer's website ^^;

if you want to only wipe out specific informations, there's a lot of "wipe out" utilities that will actually fill the concerned clusters with zeros (blank). Try out something like http://www.quickwiper.com

I hope this helps ^.-
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post #3 of 41
6/11/05 at 9:46pm
Ultimate Boot CD. Google it. Wipers and a bunch of other useful tools. Free.
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post #4 of 41
6/11/05 at 9:53pm
Darik's Boot and Nuke is the best by far

http://dban.sourceforge.net/
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post #5 of 41
6/11/05 at 9:55pm
Do a low level format.
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post #6 of 41
6/11/05 at 11:51pm
Thread Starter 
Cool, thank you all very much! I will look into those sites and save them for when I am ready to sell. Do they all wipe out things that were deleted recently as well as a long time ago?
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post #7 of 41
6/12/05 at 12:12am
Thread Starter 
Tar--I really appreciate you explaining in such detail, but I'm just a little confused. I keep reading your post over, but I'm having a hard time understanding it. I'm not clear...are you recommending I do a low or high level format? Smilepak sugg I do a low level. No, there's nothing really specific that I want to remove off my hd, I basically want to remove everything off my hd--I just want to sell it as if it is brand new...all my settings restored, all my software, documents, folders, etc gone. But I also want to do the deleted items thing to make sure if I sell it to someone I don't know, they can't retrieve things that I've deleted.

Gosh, I used to think I was computer saavy...until I came to this site! Man, I have a lot of learning to do
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post #8 of 41
6/12/05 at 12:17am
1) First Do a low level format (wipe it to dust)
2) Then re-install windows
3) Then reinstall Drivers and Application Software

READY TO SELL
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post #9 of 41
6/12/05 at 4:37am
Thread Starter 
Thanks happyman. Thx for helping me with a few diff probs in diff threads. This must seem so easy to you, but how do I reinstall windows? I can't look at the software my old notebook came with right now because the box with all the software & drivers in it is stored at my parent's house. Does Dell usually include a windows disk in the box?

Tar mentioned to get a low level format utility from my pc's manuf's website. Do I just download it and then run it?

I'm prob making everything seem so complicated when it's prob not at all.

The ultimate Boot and Darik's Boot sites don't delete garbage that has been deleted. It seems that they just boot the pc. Sorry to repeat myself, but I'm wondering if anyone knows what I'm talking about/: I know there is software out there that could enable someone to retrieve items that were already deleted from pcs. If I sell my notebook to a complete stranger, I'd like to be sure there is no personal info at all anywhere on the pc...even files that have been deleted. Will this low level remove deleted items? If not, does anyone know of any software that can do this?

Thx.
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post #10 of 41
6/12/05 at 12:14pm
Killdisk.

You can download a free CD image from Majorgeeks.com
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post #11 of 41
6/12/05 at 1:46pm
copy the text below to a text file, then, save as: KILLHDD.bat

copy killhdd.bat file onto a floppy after you do a FORMAT with DOS START UP disk option checked. look for a program called DEBUG.EXE. the program can be found in your winxp installation; do a search for it. when you find it copy it to the floppy disk after you have formatted it. boot the pc using the floopy disk. when you get to the A:> prompt type: killhdd.bat


@ECHO OFF
ECHO BE VERY CAREFUL, KILLHDD.bat WILL REMOVE EVRYTHING FROM YOUR DISK.
ECHO+
IF NOT EXIST %0 GOTO ERROR
ECHO PRESS A KEY TO DELETE ALL DATA ON YOUR HARD DISK, CTRL+C TO CANCEL.
pause >nul
DEBUG <%0
ECHO SUCCESS!
ECHO Computer is HALTED, Hit Ctrl+Alt+Del To Reboot . . .
CTTY NUL
A 100
INT 13

RAX
0301
RBX
0200
F 200 L 200 0
RCX
0001
RDX
0080
P
Q

;REPLACE 0080 WITH 0081 IF YOU
;WANT TO CLEAR THE SECOND PHYSICAL
;HDD, 0082 FOR THE THIRD HDD,ETC.

:ERROR
ECHO YOU MUST TYPE THE FULL FILE NAME (KILLHDD.BAT) TO EXECUTE.
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post #12 of 41
6/12/05 at 4:09pm
yes I've suggested to low level format your drive to completly erase everything ^^

as for utility, the link to fujitsu's erase utility: fujitsu:http://www.fcpa.com/support/hard-dri...utilities.html

note that you CAN ONLY use that specific utility with fujitsu's drive. Fujitsu is one of the most used laptop hdd but I don't know which hdd brand is in the dell laptops (you talked about dell right ^^)

you can also use sabor's techinque if you feel at ease with dos. His technique is good regardless of the hdd's brand.
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post #13 of 41
6/12/05 at 4:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MiR0
Darik's Boot and Nuke is the best by far

http://dban.sourceforge.net/
I second that
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post #14 of 41
6/12/05 at 5:11pm
My less sophisticated suggestion
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post #15 of 41
6/19/05 at 12:44am
Thread Starter 
Thx for all your suggestions!
Urchin...LOL
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post #16 of 41
6/19/05 at 4:39pm
hahaha.. next issue of Sync Magazine is them buying a ton of desktops off of Ebay, recovering data and calling the original owners with the results; they will then donate the systems to a school after really wiping the data out.

Guy was on the Opie and Anthony show and I couldn't believe the stuff they got off!

Also, while doing an audit at a shop that recovers data I can tell you that simple high/low level formatting does not get rid of the data if somebody really wants to get it off. They were recovering data from a refurbised computer for a customer and was getting stuff of from the previous owners and this system had many hig and low level formats due to all the problems the guy has. They also recoverd wedding photos from a formated CF card while I was there... very cool place adn the stories of porn were crazy and sick(lots of child porn turned over to the cops). I learned there that to keep my data safe to keep the hard drive.
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post #17 of 41
6/19/05 at 4:45pm
Actually, a double-magnet pass through is what we used in the military to blank out drives. just a small contraption, one monster magnet above and below, pass the hard drive though it, kabang.
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post #18 of 41
6/19/05 at 4:59pm
Thread Starter 
That's so scary. I am supposed to sell my notebook this coming week. I'm just concerned about someone recovering my social security #, credit card #s, bank acct #s, passwords, along with other personal info.

I've been looking into CyberScrub and AShampoo. Anyone heard of these or other similar software?
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post #19 of 41
6/19/05 at 5:00pm
If your really paranoid then 7 low level formats should wipe even the shadow of your data from the drive.

If your not paranoid then you can just reinstall the OS with one low level format to make sure its a nice clean start.

Electromagnets and special software are over kill unless you are working for the NSA or just really worried about data thieft.

You can create a bootable CD with all the tools for formating or you can just use the OS bootable install CD.
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post #20 of 41
6/19/05 at 5:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CoffeeShark
..pass the hard drive though it, kabang.
The data is kabang or the entire hard drive, not usable anymore?
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