PC Hard DRive

[HomerJSimpson]

I've an old Dell tower unit to get rid off. I've transferred all the files I want to keep but need to know how I can remove all details that remain like bank details etc that I've used when I've been internet shopping. I need it to be as clean as possible before I get rid but have no idea it its possible or how to do it.

Any practical advice gratefully received

 

[guest100718]

Do you still have your windows install disks? Easiest way would be just re install and choose format during the install. However....this doesn't truly delete everything, its still possible to retrieve data from the disk using various tools. The only true way is to do full wipe where you re write every block with random 1 and 0s and this can take a long time...

There are other things out there, check out http://www.dban.org/ this is an all in one "boot and nuke"

 

[stevie_r]

I've an old Dell tower unit to get rid off. I've transferred all the files I want to keep but need to know how I can remove all details that remain like bank details etc that I've used when I've been internet shopping. I need it to be as clean as possible before I get rid but have no idea it its possible or how to do it.

Any practical advice gratefully received

Remove hard drive from tower, set about it with a pick axe

 

[woody69]

Take out HD and drill several holes through it.

 

[Sharktooth]

Remove hard drive from tower, set about it with a pick axe

Gary Glitter could have been doing with that advice before he popped into PC World with his computer a few years ago

 

[brendy]

To truly kill it homer, hammer a nail into the top cover and submerse in a bucket of salty water for an hour or two.

 

[Khamelion]

Wrap several coils of wire around it and connect to a car battery, or drill a couple of holes in it, fill with lighter fluid and set alight. Squashing it with a hammer may stop it working, but unless the platters are destroyed data can still be retreived.

If you have a cross shredder, open up the drive, remove the platters and shred.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

It rather depends on whether you are going to pass the machine onto someone, or if you just want to make sure your data is safe.

If safe data is all you need, then a drill will do the job, I get a lot of old dead hard drives and I chop them up with an angle grinder (great for working out any frustrations you may have), However it might be worth keeping it intact as it is a useful backup of your stuff, albeit historic, but if your new PC fails and you havnt backed up, then you might need it.

If you want to pass the machine on, then its a different kettle of fish, as you would want to retain the operating system and drivers, just lose your data.

PM if this is the case

 

[woody69]

You other option is to take it out of the machine, keep it and turn it into an external HDD using an enclosure i.e.

http://www.espow.com/product_info.p...ogleshopping&gclid=CIy6qt3b97YCFdHLtAod_S8Ang

 

[DappaDonDave]

You other option is to take it out of the machine, keep it and turn it into an external HDD using an enclosure i.e.

http://www.espow.com/product_info.p...ogleshopping&gclid=CIy6qt3b97YCFdHLtAod_S8Ang

I did that with a 2.5 IDE which was cost effective because the case was about £2.50. You could get a more reliable HDD for the price of that enclosure!

As stated above, if you're getting rid just smash the fecker to death. If you're selling... I'd smash it to pieces and sell without anyway.

 

[GreiginFife]

Or format to RAW and back to NTFS again if you need or want to use it (to pass/sell it on for example)