How to wipe a hard drive question . . .

May 5, 2016
12:01:56pm

Sooner Cougar All-American

I want to give away an old laptop, but want to make sure all of my data is clean off the hard drive. I've deleted
all my files, but is there some additional step to make sure nothing is retrievable?

Thanks.

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Sooner Cougar

Bio page: Sooner Cougar
Joined: Nov 13, 2001
Last login: Apr 27, 2024
Total posts: 6,317 (64 FO)

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Messages

Author

Time

How to wipe a hard drive question . . .

Sooner Cougar

5/5/16 12:01pm

heavy duty magnets

TheDeek

5/5/16 12:03pm

Yewtin magnets, how do they work?

kunarcougar

5/5/16 12:06pm

RE: How to wipe a hard drive question . . .

Carnac el Magnifico

5/5/16 12:03pm

There are some free wipe programs out there. I don't know if ones better.

fredy

5/5/16 12:04pm

Here are some free ones that will do it.

fredy

5/5/16 12:19pm

^^ THIS ^^ -- Use DBAN

iPatch

5/5/16 12:31pm

put it in the bathtub over night.

riboflavin

5/5/16 12:05pm

Yes. Is it a mac or pc? Can't remember the method on PC, but it's easy on mac.

svenot

5/5/16 12:05pm

Here's a how to instructions

SanDiegoCoug

5/5/16 12:06pm

Microwave it.

swingcat

5/5/16 12:07pm

a soft cloth works well. I like a nice microfiber one myself.

DapperDan

5/5/16 12:09pm

I prefer TP. You don't want it to get a rash.

CDV

5/5/16 8:17pm

If you're actually worried about it, destroy the drive (hammer, bullets etc).

ponys

5/5/16 12:10pm

Is it still recoverable even if you overwrite the entire drive?

phageman

5/5/16 12:59pm

One example: Bad sectors won't get overwritten but are accessible forensically.

ponys

5/5/16 2:54pm

It depends on the level of "wipe" you are talking about

CasualFan

5/5/16 12:11pm

I soaked mine in salt water and took a hammer to it.

Mister P

5/5/16 12:12pm

I have a friend who is a pretty good hacker

fredy

5/5/16 12:14pm

Use a utility boot disk like Hirens

Twin Roots

5/5/16 12:18pm

Ask Hillary!

BlueBuffoon

5/5/16 12:18pm

<< Deleted >>

JoeyJoeJoeJr

5/5/16 12:21pm

Don't just wipe it, destroy it. drill holes in it, shoot it with a gun. a wiped HD can still be recovered.

Kirkintilloch

5/5/16 12:26pm

Hard drives are cheap. Just keep it and destroy it.

El Fuego

5/5/16 12:28pm

I usually prefer to just take the hard drive out and physically destroy it.

VACOUGFAN

5/5/16 12:29pm

<< Deleted >>

Abe Froman

5/5/16 12:34pm

Whatever you do, make sure you wipe it using the back door method - Front door

cougarnerd

5/5/16 12:43pm

Ask Pinkman and Walter White:

ConnCoug

5/5/16 1:49pm

Ask Mitt!

soulcoug

5/5/16 3:07pm

Ask Hillary...she's good at it.

BYUblitzkrieg

5/5/16 5:16pm

ASK HILLARY

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