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Posted: 10/26/2013 7:01:35 AM EDT
How do I do this so I can sell it? I don't have any recover discs or Windows 7 discs to re-install the OS... Want to wipe the whole thing clean so I can get rid of it... Any advice or tips?
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A little google searching will fix you right up..
http://www.pcworld.com/article/254509/free_tools_to_wipe_your_drives_securely.html |
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The lack of recovery disks are your main problem.
Most modern laptops have the recovery built directly into them. I would research that before you start wiping. |
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thanks guys... would like to be able to load everything back on it like it was new when done... I found a few programs that will write zeros over old data in the drives.... maybe this is the way and do a restore for the fresh software?
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Eraser Portable (and Eraser Drop) is/are good for selective wipes, and they can be installed on a USB drive along with a shitload of other useful apps!
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thanks guys... would like to be able to load everything back on it like it was new when done... I found a few programs that will write zeros over old data in the drives.... maybe this is the way and do a restore for the fresh software? View Quote Windows even has a utility built in to do a zero wipe. |
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Windows even has a utility built in to do a zero wipe. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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thanks guys... would like to be able to load everything back on it like it was new when done... I found a few programs that will write zeros over old data in the drives.... maybe this is the way and do a restore for the fresh software? Windows even has a utility built in to do a zero wipe. where would one find this... tried searching with the search box, didn't come up on my laptop |
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I don't know. I do all my masturbating at my desktop.
Oops, mis-read title |
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where would one find this... tried searching with the search box, didn't come up on my laptop View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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thanks guys... would like to be able to load everything back on it like it was new when done... I found a few programs that will write zeros over old data in the drives.... maybe this is the way and do a restore for the fresh software? Windows even has a utility built in to do a zero wipe. where would one find this... tried searching with the search box, didn't come up on my laptop It's a command line utility, MS article |
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Restore to factory settings has worked for me.
Then you have to go through all the updates (or let the buyer do that). |
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Download CCleaner. Wipe everything. Restore windows to default or reinstall (from start menu). Download Eraser - Secure Data Removal (v 5.8.8). Schedule and run eraser to erase all free space. Computer will be clean and ready for you to sell.
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Download CCleaner. Wipe everything. Restore windows to default or reinstall (from start menu). Download Eraser - Secure Data Removal (v 5.8.8). Schedule and run eraser to erase all free space. Computer will be clean and ready for you to sell. View Quote That sounds like a lot of effort, but at work if we repurpose a machine our protocol is to do the OS install twice, all in the name of data protection after using a tool like CCleaner. |
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The DOD lets you smack a HDD with aluminum discs with a hammer and calls it "good" for data protection? That explains soooooooooo much! View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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a ball peen hammer will DOD wipe it for you. The DOD lets you smack a HDD with aluminum discs with a hammer and calls it "good" for data protection? That explains soooooooooo much! I won't even take HDD as turn-ins, not for years. No wipe, no degauss, no overwrite, HDD disposition is on the unit...too much liability for unauth disclosure. |
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That sounds like a lot of effort, but at work if we repurpose a machine our protocol is to do the OS install twice, all in the name of data protection after using a tool like CCleaner. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Download CCleaner. Wipe everything. Restore windows to default or reinstall (from start menu). Download Eraser - Secure Data Removal (v 5.8.8). Schedule and run eraser to erase all free space. Computer will be clean and ready for you to sell. That sounds like a lot of effort, but at work if we repurpose a machine our protocol is to do the OS install twice, all in the name of data protection after using a tool like CCleaner. Seriously? Load the OS twice as a data protection scheme? |
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Seriously? Load the OS twice as a data protection scheme? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Download CCleaner. Wipe everything. Restore windows to default or reinstall (from start menu). Download Eraser - Secure Data Removal (v 5.8.8). Schedule and run eraser to erase all free space. Computer will be clean and ready for you to sell. That sounds like a lot of effort, but at work if we repurpose a machine our protocol is to do the OS install twice, all in the name of data protection after using a tool like CCleaner. Seriously? Load the OS twice as a data protection scheme? While that part is dumb, did you miss the ccleaner bit? I prefer dban for this, but ccleaner will effectively erase a drive if accessed as a non boot drive |
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Restore to factory settings has worked for me. Then you have to go through all the updates (or let the buyer do that). View Quote You have given people your data. Whether or not they attempted to recover it or if there was anything the mattered on the drive is a different story, but you did not erase all your data |
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Why sell the computer?
Run it into the ground, it doesn't take much. Hook it up to your tv and use it as a media computer Netflix box etc. |
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That sounds like a lot of effort, but at work if we repurpose a machine our protocol is to do the OS install twice, all in the name of data protection after using a tool like CCleaner. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Download CCleaner. Wipe everything. Restore windows to default or reinstall (from start menu). Download Eraser - Secure Data Removal (v 5.8.8). Schedule and run eraser to erase all free space. Computer will be clean and ready for you to sell. That sounds like a lot of effort, but at work if we repurpose a machine our protocol is to do the OS install twice, all in the name of data protection after using a tool like CCleaner. Maybe, but if you want to sell a cleanly wiped computer you will have to overwrite the free space. Just using CCleaner or reinstalling windows does not remove deleted files in free space. Try it sometime... Reinstall or restore windows or use CCleaner, then download a program like Recova.... You'll see. To be forensically clean it is recommended to do a 7 pass overwrite. |
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Your Win7 recovery partition is on the same hard drive you are trying to wipe. Selling a laptop without Win7 on it will likely drastically reduce the value.
If you don't mind this then DBAN is fine. If you do, you can reinstall/restore from the restore partition, which will overwrite most of your current data. Then as mentioned, use CCleaner but make sure you select the correct setttings (wipe free space, wipe cluster tips, etc). It's reasonably safe. A key component is configuring CCleaner properly. A lot of folks run it as it comes, which doesnt do everything you'd need. Even DBAN won't overwrite bad sectors, which "could" contain sensitive data and "could" be read by someone with the knowledge and gear. If it were mine, I'd use Killdisk or DBAN, then load a free Linux OS on it before selling. |
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Maybe, but if you want to sell a cleanly wiped computer you will have to overwrite the free space. Just using CCleaner or reinstalling windows does not remove deleted files in free space. Try it sometime... Reinstall or restore windows or use CCleaner, then download a program like Recova.... You'll see. To be forensically clean it is recommended to do a 7 pass overwrite. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Download CCleaner. Wipe everything. Restore windows to default or reinstall (from start menu). Download Eraser - Secure Data Removal (v 5.8.8). Schedule and run eraser to erase all free space. Computer will be clean and ready for you to sell. That sounds like a lot of effort, but at work if we repurpose a machine our protocol is to do the OS install twice, all in the name of data protection after using a tool like CCleaner. Maybe, but if you want to sell a cleanly wiped computer you will have to overwrite the free space. Just using CCleaner or reinstalling windows does not remove deleted files in free space. Try it sometime... Reinstall or restore windows or use CCleaner, then download a program like Recova.... You'll see. To be forensically clean it is recommended to do a 7 pass overwrite. My laptop is incredibly personal... If I was to sell it, no matter who the buyer was, I would want all of my pictures, finance, and personal info to be removed. Not that I am paranoid, but that is just the way I would go about it. That's all. |
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While that part is dumb, did you miss the ccleaner bit? I prefer dban for this, but ccleaner will effectively erase a drive if accessed as a non boot drive View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Download CCleaner. Wipe everything. Restore windows to default or reinstall (from start menu). Download Eraser - Secure Data Removal (v 5.8.8). Schedule and run eraser to erase all free space. Computer will be clean and ready for you to sell. That sounds like a lot of effort, but at work if we repurpose a machine our protocol is to do the OS install twice, all in the name of data protection after using a tool like CCleaner. Seriously? Load the OS twice as a data protection scheme? While that part is dumb, did you miss the ccleaner bit? I prefer dban for this, but ccleaner will effectively erase a drive if accessed as a non boot drive "I was just following orders" |
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You have given people your data. Whether or not they attempted to recover it or if there was anything the mattered on the drive is a different story, but you did not erase all your data View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Restore to factory settings has worked for me. Then you have to go through all the updates (or let the buyer do that). You have given people your data. Whether or not they attempted to recover it or if there was anything the mattered on the drive is a different story, but you did not erase all your data I have wondered about that but not worried about it. |
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Nuke the hard drive with DBAN. Let the buyer worry about installing an OS. |
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Drives are cheap, buy a new one and destroy the old one if you had important data on it.
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While that can be "no big deal" it can also be a "deal breaker". Depends on the terms of the sale. YMMV. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Nuke the hard drive with DBAN. Let the buyer worry about installing an OS. While that can be "no big deal" it can also be a "deal breaker". Depends on the terms of the sale. YMMV. This is true...for sure, let the potential buyer know beforehand. Personally, if I was to buy a used laptop the very first thing I would do is nuke it again, then do my own OS installation. But then, I'm a suspicious old fart |
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This is true...for sure, let the potential buyer know beforehand. Personally, if I was to buy a used laptop the very first thing I would do is nuke it again, then do my own OS installation. But then, I'm a suspicious old fart View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Nuke the hard drive with DBAN. Let the buyer worry about installing an OS. While that can be "no big deal" it can also be a "deal breaker". Depends on the terms of the sale. YMMV. This is true...for sure, let the potential buyer know beforehand. Personally, if I was to buy a used laptop the very first thing I would do is nuke it again, then do my own OS installation. But then, I'm a suspicious old fart Do you expect the court to believe that ATF Agent Jones sold you a laptop with DIAS drawings AND kiddie porn!?!? |
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Quoted: DBAN. Download, burn ISO to CD, run, be done. View Quote Nobody is going to look for something who (a) knows how (b) wants to. The people that are both a and b, already could get access to that data if they wanted.
Just format and reinstall the OS so the person doesn't have to and they'll never look for old data. |
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Go to the recovery partition/program and burn the DVD/CDs before you DBAN.
DoD Short wipe is good enough. Afterwards just re-install the OS from the recovery DVD/CD |
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Waste of time. Nobody is going to look for something who (a) knows how (b) wants to. The people that are both a and b, already could get access to that data if they wanted. Just format and reinstall the OS so the person doesn't have to and they'll never look for old data. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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DBAN. Download, burn ISO to CD, run, be done. Nobody is going to look for something who (a) knows how (b) wants to. The people that are both a and b, already could get access to that data if they wanted. Just format and reinstall the OS so the person doesn't have to and they'll never look for old data. It's free piece of mind and starting the DBAN run takes less than a minute. If someone falls into A and B and you have actually wiped the drive there's not much a person can practically do to recover the data. |
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Maybe, but if you want to sell a cleanly wiped computer you will have to overwrite the free space. Just using CCleaner or reinstalling windows does not remove deleted files in free space. Try it sometime... Reinstall or restore windows or use CCleaner, then download a program like Recova.... You'll see. To be forensically clean it is recommended to do a 7 pass overwrite. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Download CCleaner. Wipe everything. Restore windows to default or reinstall (from start menu). Download Eraser - Secure Data Removal (v 5.8.8). Schedule and run eraser to erase all free space. Computer will be clean and ready for you to sell. That sounds like a lot of effort, but at work if we repurpose a machine our protocol is to do the OS install twice, all in the name of data protection after using a tool like CCleaner. Maybe, but if you want to sell a cleanly wiped computer you will have to overwrite the free space. Just using CCleaner or reinstalling windows does not remove deleted files in free space. Try it sometime... Reinstall or restore windows or use CCleaner, then download a program like Recova.... You'll see. To be forensically clean it is recommended to do a 7 pass overwrite. I downloaded CCleaner while at the school library and am playing around with it at home. Using the Drive Wiper tool, I can overwrite the free space up to 35 times. |
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