Giving/selling PCs w fresh OS but I want ALL old files completely deleted

EvilHorace · Post by **EvilHorace** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 1:25 pm

I've got an older PC that I'm going to give to my son as his is even older/slower and I don't need it. I'm also getting a newer, faster laptop so I won't need my older laptop and might sell it on Ebay (or whatever?).

I'll re-do the OSs on both with Win XP but I'm fairly certain that old files can still be recovered by one who knows how. If so, is there a way to be certain that they're not recoverable on a machine that I'd sell to someone else?

DoPeY5007 · Post by **DoPeY5007** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 1:36 pm

I think this would work

Fill the drive with just junk files, so that every file is writen over

Then format it

Then install the OS

nitro237 · Post by **nitro237** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 1:52 pm

There is some freeware program , but I can't remember the name , that writes over your hard drive randomly several times . I'll try to come up with it . Swipe it , or wipe it , or something .

Pugsley · Post by **Pugsley** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 2:00 pm

just look for "thu ultimate boot cd" it has some things on it to do the good formatting.

EvilHorace · Post by **EvilHorace** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 3:13 pm

""the ultimate boot cd"

The Flying Penguin posted that a few days ago. That'll do it heh?

dadx2mj · Post by **dadx2mj** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 3:15 pm

Do a Google search for a program called "Eraser" it is free ware and from what I can tell works pretty good. It will delete a specific file or over write all free space on a given drive with 0's or 1's

wvjohn · Post by **wvjohn** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 3:45 pm

https://buy.cyberscrub.com/W3Trial/w3trial.php

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 4:16 pm

Autoclave HDD Sanitizer. Do a google search.

EvilHorace · Post by **EvilHorace** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 9:25 pm

Hmmm, several more programs.

Here's the Autoclave HDD Sanitizer:
http://staff.washington.edu/jdlarios/autoclave/

Here's Eraser:
http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/download.php

and the one linked above by wvjohn is presently offline.

So the plot's thickening

By chance, has anyone tryed more than one and think one's better than another OR are they all going to be good enough, like .....take my pick?

spigot · Post by **spigot** » Fri Dec 31, 2004 3:30 am

Check out Dban. Simple and works pretty well. - http://dban.sourceforge.net/

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Giving/selling PCs w fresh OS but I want ALL old files completely deleted

Giving/selling PCs w fresh OS but I want ALL old files completely deleted

this one's very thorough