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XUL
OTD Janitor



Registered: 03/16/05
Posts: 28,261
Loc: America
Last seen: 4 years, 2 months
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If I want to sell a computer...
#18816306 - 09/08/13 06:44 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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How do I make sure my personal information is cleaned off the computer? Without re-installing Windows.
I just want to clean out any access someone could somehow get to anything personal I had on there.
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TRUMP 2020
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sonamdrukpa
Wayfarer


Registered: 10/18/11
Posts: 2,777
Last seen: 2 months, 8 days
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: XUL]
#18816403 - 09/08/13 07:14 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Tesla coil.
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Hajnal
(ノ´ヮ´)ノ*:・゚✧



Registered: 01/22/10
Posts: 2,071
Loc: New Eden
Last seen: 2 years, 1 month
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: sonamdrukpa]
#18816434 - 09/08/13 07:25 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Overwrite your entire HDD with data multiple times. Even formatting doesn't fully wipe all data.
-------------------- Hajnal ['hɒjnɒl] - An elegant mixture of blood and circuitry; sorrow and love fill your systems, like the stars and black holes encompass the ∞.
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trekie
Metal man


Registered: 05/11/09
Posts: 11,085
Loc: Larger cities
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: Hajnal] 1
#18816513 - 09/08/13 07:55 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Take out your hard drive put new one in . Keep the old drive till you die. Its the only way ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
-------------------- I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
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Synthe
Gatorade me, bitch!



Registered: 11/10/12
Posts: 7,961
Loc: Three bags of Funyuns
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: XUL]
#18816532 - 09/08/13 08:00 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Rape your hard drive with no rubber and just say the hard drive is broken?
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Lynnch
Strangerer



Registered: 04/29/09
Posts: 7,855
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: Synthe]
#18816536 - 09/08/13 08:01 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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By reinstalling windo...oh.
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psi
TOAST N' JAM


Registered: 09/05/99
Posts: 31,456
Loc: 613
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: Synthe]
#18816539 - 09/08/13 08:03 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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If you overwrite once with random data, is there actually anything that can be recovered with consumer software tools? Chances are it's not going to end up in some high priced data recovery lab.
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Enables
Stranger
Registered: 08/18/12
Posts: 60
Last seen: 8 years, 4 months
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: psi]
#18816712 - 09/08/13 08:48 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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DBAN
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XUL
OTD Janitor



Registered: 03/16/05
Posts: 28,261
Loc: America
Last seen: 4 years, 2 months
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: Hajnal]
#18816998 - 09/08/13 10:02 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Hajnal said: Overwrite your entire HDD with data multiple times. Even formatting doesn't fully wipe all data.
How do I do that?
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TRUMP 2020
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unknown1123
Experimental

Registered: 05/15/08
Posts: 5,813
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: XUL]
#18817082 - 09/08/13 10:37 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Boot and Nuke, someone here has already said it..
http://www.dban.org/
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Shroomism
Space Travellin



Registered: 02/13/00
Posts: 66,015
Loc: 9th Dimension
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: psi]
#18817097 - 09/08/13 10:43 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
psi said: If you overwrite once with random data, is there actually anything that can be recovered with consumer software tools? Chances are it's not going to end up in some high priced data recovery lab.
I have pulled data off a HDD with Recuva alone that was reformatted and overwritten once
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psi
TOAST N' JAM


Registered: 09/05/99
Posts: 31,456
Loc: 613
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: Shroomism]
#18817184 - 09/08/13 11:04 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Interesting. I have a hard time wrapping my head around how that would be possible just from the software level (not that I have a very complete understanding of how software can access a hard drive or anything.) If the old data was overwritten with new data and the old data is still (partly) accessible, is the new data still fully readable as well? If two different sets of data can be read from a single address on the disk, how is the software able to select one or the other?
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4runner


Registered: 07/16/10
Posts: 15,406
Loc: State of Jefferson
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: trekie]
#18817259 - 09/08/13 11:18 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Shroomism said:
Quote:
psi said: If you overwrite once with random data, is there actually anything that can be recovered with consumer software tools? Chances are it's not going to end up in some high priced data recovery lab.
I have pulled data off a HDD with Recuva alone that was reformatted and overwritten once
Yup, I formatted a fat 32 drive to ext2 installed linux and then pulled jpg's off of it that I forgot I really needed to save. They where not as big as the originals, mostly large thumbnail size but it can be done.
Quote:
trekie said: Take out your hard drive put new one in . Keep the old drive till you die. Its the only way ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
No way, pull that sucker apart and grab the magnets. I use them on my fridge and I also have two on my back porch to hold the gate open.

Then just fuck those platters up with deep scratches and toss em. Way to expensive to try and recover random data from random platter found in the landfill.
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Shroomism
Space Travellin



Registered: 02/13/00
Posts: 66,015
Loc: 9th Dimension
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: psi]
#18817268 - 09/08/13 11:21 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
psi said: Interesting. I have a hard time wrapping my head around how that would be possible just from the software level (not that I have a very complete understanding of how software can access a hard drive or anything.) If the old data was overwritten with new data and the old data is still (partly) accessible, is the new data still fully readable as well? If two different sets of data can be read from a single address on the disk, how is the software able to select one or the other?
Yep new data is fully readable.
The old data that was formatted and overwritten, that I pulled with software, was tons of pictures and music files. Granted, like half of the pictures and music were jacked up, like you would only see half of the pic and the rest would be black. Some were corrupted. But I was still able to see most of them.
To really effectively wipe a drive you need to use something like DBAN that will overwrite 0s, then overwrite 1s, then overwrite 0s, multiple passes. I think 3 passes is the minimum to be fairly secure.
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Brand X
Stranger


Registered: 05/11/13
Posts: 117
Last seen: 10 years, 2 months
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Re: If I want to sell a computer... [Re: Shroomism]
#18817454 - 09/09/13 12:22 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Shroomism gets it.
You have to very thoroughly erase the drive to adequately "shred" the evidence of it's contents. DBAN (boot and nuke) is very effective but the only way to be 100% sure is to physically destroy the hard drive.
If you do not have sensitive data on your hard drive, Eraser is probably the easiest program to use, it's simple to install and use. For what you want, I think it'll do the job. http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-hard-drive-eraser.htm
Edited by Brand X (09/09/13 12:23 AM)
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