bonerp

Hi,
I'm hoping to sell my PC. Whats the best way to clean it to ensure no private details (or dodgy vid links!) remain??!

Do I really need to reinstal it? Takes ages and is a pain in the rear end!

Thanks
Paul

MJW

A new hard drive and clean windows install is the only way to be completely sure.

PeteBrant

download cleanup4.0, run that and set the options to clear out cache files, history files, cookies, prefetch files, for all users etc etc. Ie.e everything just short of a complete reformat.

Set up a new user called "Admin" or called whatever the name is of the person you are selling it to.

Clean out the user folder of other users, then remove those users using control panel.

mike1210

You could format the drive and re-install everything which would be a good start. Running a nuking package on the hard drive "should ensure" that all your old data could not be recovered. DBAN is an example of this

As MJW said though, new HD to be 100% sure

suba

to be 100%, get a new hard disk.

to be 99.9%, sanitize the hard disk. do a search on google for sanitizer hard disk.

swampster

iTrader: (1)

To be 100% as said a new HDD..

But for just about anything but them most ardent forensic examinations there's plenty of free disc wipers out there (be warned to do it properly can take hours/days). Whatever you do you need to bin your current windows install eventually, as almost certainly areas will be missed.

A good tool with all sorts on to help get rid of just about everything is:
Ultimate Boot CD - Overview
On there it has some disc wiping utilities.

Failing that get the diagnostics tools from the manufacturer of your had drive.. usually downloadable from their sites, and create a diagnostics disc. There's usually a Low level formatting utility on there, that will over write your entire HDD with AxA & 0x0 patterns.. for most data recovery tools this will suffice, unless it's a professional job.

Most of this wiping is done AFTER you have done a standard format of your disc. However do NOT just rely on a standard format, it is just too easy to recover data from.

So first off... I'd get something like CCleaner (its free) have it run through it's cleaning steps the options are pretty simple.. but use the Gutmann method of wiping. Warning... this will take hours!

Next using windows xp boot disc either, delete the partition or format the drive or both!

Boot with the ultimate boot cd, follow the menu to drive cleaning tools.. use one, two or all methods. Again will take hours.

Boot with diagnostic floppy, low level format.

Reinstall from scratch O.S

that should take care of things... depends how **** about it you are really or if you're worried about a vist by plod!

Edit.. oh i should point out, the UBD also contains disc diagnostic tools from most major manufacturers!