Wiping a hard drive

[FanInAZ]

I've a friend that wanting to get rid of her old computer, but she needs to know how to wipe the hard drive of anything that she wouldn't want criminals to get their hands on. What's the best way to do this?

[Thnikkaman]

Sell the computer without the hard drive. Only if she is really paranoid about it. Otherwise there are free disk wiping utilities out there on the internet. I'll link one when I'm not on mobile.

[Simple Jaded]

Doesn't a clean install wipe everything out?.......

[gnomeflinger]

Open computer
Pull out hard drive
Get hammer
Smash hard drive with hammer

[Thnikkaman]

Doesn't a clean install wipe everything out?.......

No. someone who knows what they are doing can still get deleted items off of a hard drive. Doing a full format makes it a little harder, but it still can be done. There are utilities that write all ones then all zeroes several times to remove all magnetic memory, but that takes time.

[Thnikkaman]

Open computer
Pull out hard drive
Get hammer
Smash hard drive with hammer

Easiest way if you want rio be sure. A new hard drive is cheap anyway.

[frauschieze]

Open computer
Pull out hard drive
Get hammer
Smash hard drive with hammer

Yep. This is quite literally how they are disposed of at one of the hospitals back home. They have a whole set up where they encourage tech people to take out their frustrations. :)


But my preferred method: Throw it in a volcano. This is assuming said volcano is teeming with lava.

[Thnikkaman]

Yep. This is quite literally how they are disposed of at one of the hospitals back home. They have a whole set up where they encourage tech people to take out their frustrations. :)


But my preferred method: Throw it in a volcano. This is assuming said volcano is teeming with lava.

I like to take them apart for their super strong magnets, then sand paper the platters. That usually ensures that no magnetic head will ever read them.

[Thnikkaman]

Ill just leave this here

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/storage/how-to-really-erase-a-hard-drive/129

[sneakers]

One giant magnet.