Hard Drive Data Removal to Donate Computer

[Wonka]

I know this has been asked ad naseum before. But, I have three 2-year old computers with XP Pro, and 19" LCD monitors I'd like to donate to someone. I'm wondering if there a way to ensure everything is off the hard drive. My understanding is formatting doesn't do that. If not, I'll have to destroy the hard drives which seems like a shame since they are all relatively fast machines with lots of memory, etc.

 

[DaveNV]

Destroying the hard drive does not affect computer speed or the amount of memory it has. It only removes the data storage. A new hard drive is very inexpensive, and can be installed by the new owner.

I'd say remove the old hard drives, destroy them, and donate the PCs without drives.

Dave

 

[David]

Here is Microsoft's solution.
http://www.microsoft.com/australia/smallbusiness/issues/technology/protect/harddrive.mspx

 

[DeniseM]

Unless you plan to just give it to a friend or something, I don't think there is any demand for computer donations - I know our school Dist. won't take them, nor will most of the charities/non-profits. I would replace the hard drive before I gave it to someone, otherwise it may never get used.

 

[GetawaysRus]

There are software solutions to this problem. They overwrite the files you select for deletion over and over.

One such program is called "Eraser." You can find it here along with comments from users:
http://www.download.com/Eraser/3000-2092_4-10231814.html?tag=mncol

 

[JeffW]

Reformatting the drive, even replacing it with a new one, in my opinion is only a practical solution if either you're reloading the OS yourself, or providing the recovery disk with the system. Buying a replacement copy of an OS (either XP or Vista) is not inexpensive. Unless the computer is going to someone planning on installing Linux on it (free), or has a Microsoft site license, a computer w/o an OS is pretty worthless.

 

[Icarus]

If you can reinstall from CDs, there's a free program called Darik's boot n nuke, which you can use to wipe the entire hard drive. You download it, burn it to a bootable device, boot from it, let it do it's thing, then reboot from the install media.

None of these methods are foolproof, and if you're really interested, you can read papers about the topic. However, believe me, nobody is going to spend the resources to try to retrieve your data if you nuke it first with a utility like this. There's really no reason to destroy it unless you have state secrets on the drive, and in that case, you wouldn't asking these questions.

-David

 

[pjrose]

I frequently see working computers offered and taken on Freecycle. I have more-or-less followed the microsoft solutions in David's post by doing the following:


1. Delete everything I can think of - documents, mail, preferences, anything other than the basic OS and applications. On the Mac there's a Secure Empty Trash option that overwrites the space being taken up by what's being deleted.

2. Use the original system disks to do a "clean install" - that'll reformat (wipe) the hard drive and just put the original stuff back on.

3. If I no longer had the system disks, or even if I did but if I feel like it, create a junk file in Word - blah blah blah hello hello hello or whatever - select all, copy, paste over and over till it's huge. Save and quit. Select and copy the file - over and over, till the hard drive is full. Then throw it all away and empty the trash or secure empty trash.

4. Repeat with another junky gibberish file. If I feel like it, repeat again a few times.

 

[Icarus]

3. If I no longer had the system disks, or even if I did but if I feel like it, create a junk file in Word - blah blah blah hello hello hello or whatever - select all, copy, paste over and over till it's huge. Save and quit. Select and copy the file - over and over, till the hard drive is full. Then throw it all away and empty the trash or secure empty trash.

4. Repeat with another junky gibberish file. If I feel like it, repeat again a few times.

Use Heidi Eraser to effectively automate doing the same thing (but with better patterns of data) as your steps 3 and 4.

http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/

-David

 

[pjrose]

Use Heidi Eraser to effectively automate doing the same thing (but with better patterns of data) as your steps 3 and 4.

http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/

-David

Cool, but it's Windows only (and the fact that my beloved Macs were using windows from day one, before MS introduced Windows, doesn't help here ). As I recall Norton Utilities used to do pretty much the same thing - but I haven't upgraded mine for years - since I finally left OS 9.

I suppose a a bunch of random keys would be better than blah blah blah - ;ldkhbpis8uyriw^%(N HBJ&YTGIU&ytrnliweuwiueyrnwuv($^%$*iduhfoynto -

but why? as long as my private stuff is over written, what difference does it make what it's over written with?

 

[RDB]

I know this has been asked ad naseum before. But, I have three 2-year old computers with XP Pro, and 19" LCD monitors I'd like to donate to someone. I'm wondering if there a way to ensure everything is off the hard drive. My understanding is formatting doesn't do that. If not, I'll have to destroy the hard drives which seems like a shame since they are all relatively fast machines with lots of memory, etc.

I could sure use them. Not much good though with the hard drives stripped.
I don't need your documents but if software is already there, that would be a few dollars saved.

Robert

 

[Icarus]

Cool, but it's Windows only

Well, this thread is about somebody wanting to recycle a computer with Windows XP, isn't it?

For you, there are built-in utilities, apparently.

http://bbs.heidi.ie/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5281

There's good reasons to do it with a utility. Your method will not get every free block and partial block in a file system. Plus, you have to do it manually.

-David

 

[Art]

Unless you plan to just give it to a friend or something, I don't think there is any demand for computer donations - I know our school Dist. won't take them, nor will most of the charities/non-profits. I would replace the hard drive before I gave it to someone, otherwise it may never get used.

There is demand for used equipment. When I bought my last netbook, I went through the National Crisina Organization
http://www.cristina.org/donate.html
to arrange the donation of my old laptop.

They identified a non-profit within a few miles of my home that could use the laptop, and then issued a professional estimate of the value of the donation complete with a letter for the IRS.

The smile when I received when I dropped off the laptop was priceless as the commercial goes.

Art

 

[RDB]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wonka
I know this has been asked ad naseum before. But, I have three 2-year old computers with XP Pro, and 19" LCD monitors I'd like to donate to someone. I'm wondering if there a way to ensure everything is off the hard drive. My understanding is formatting doesn't do that. If not, I'll have to destroy the hard drives which seems like a shame since they are all relatively fast machines with lots of memory, etc.
----------------------------------------------

In a attempt to install SP3 on my Windows XP, hard drive was corrupted.

I could sure use your PCs. The SIL is running an Apple antique, the two grand daughters never can get on a computer. They each need their own.

I'll gladly pay S/H to get this house up and running.

I sent you an email.
--------------------------
Robert