remove details laptop or pc before sale

[billybellfoot]

hi

what is the best way to clean all personal details (i.e online banking personal documents letters etc) from laptop or pc before sale

is there a way to do this without loosing the OS or is best option to format and re-install os and if this is the best or only way is there a way to completely make sure the new owner cannot retrieve my personal details etc.

thanks

 

[NoelDP]

Reformat and reinstall is the only way to be certain - wiping the drive in between is an extra safety net.
Free Tools to Wipe Your Drives Securely | PCWorld

 

[billybellfoot]

thanks they look good.

so i would need to format my drive then use this (dban) software then re-install OS

thanks

 

[tom982]

thanks they look good.

so i would need to format my drive then use this (dban) software then re-install OS

thanks

dban will format the drive for you IIRC, it does it to Ministry of Defence classified data deletion standard or something like that.

Wipe the drive with dban, then install your OS.

Tom

 

[billybellfoot]

oh ok. so no need to format the drive 1st

just use dban to format then just re-install.(so i can run dban from within windows then?)

thanks tom

 

[tom982]

I think you've misunderstood me

Your drive needs formatting (removes all of the data). Windows can format the drive when you reinstall Windows, but we don't want this as it isn't a very secure method of data deletion. We will format the drive with DBAN instead You can't run DBAN from within Windows as it will be wiping the disk and that just doesn't work logically. You need to boot from a DBAN disc and format it then. After the format has completed (it will take several hours), you then need to install Windows.

Tom

 

[billybellfoot]

oh ok i thought you meant no need to formatt twice just use dban from within windows but now i understand boot from cd with dban on it. thanx for clearing that up..

several hours really i only have an 80gb drive in laptop will it still take that long?

thanks

 

[Patonb]

Only sure way is a shotgun.

 

[roy69]

Most security programs write random data onto the drive 7 times. This is to get rid of the magnetic signature left by data. Just formatting the drive does not get rid of the data.

 

[billybellfoot]

so what is best way (besides shotgun method.lol)

thanks

 

[tom982]

DBAN

 

[billybellfoot]

thanks tom

only reason i re-asked the question is a couple of posters stated it dosent completly remove my personal detals?

 

[tom982]

Almost there. There are similar terms flying all over the place in this thread so it's a little confusing! A format won't completely remove your details. Wiping the disk with DBAN will remove your details It writes complete nonsense (I don't know if it's random, or it zeroes it out) all over your data on the disk and then repeats the process 7 times. Use DBAN

 

[billybellfoot]

yes it has got rather confusing. sorry.

ok so using dban will write over the data 7 times thats more than the average person is going to be able to recover any data from isnt it.

ok sounds like dban is the way to go thanks tom u have been a great help to me.

much apreciated

 

[tom982]

No need to apologise - the confusion was a joint effort!

Yes, exactly No worries, happy to help. Good luck with the sale.

Tom

 

[billybellfoot]

thanks... yer i guess it was ha ha


brilliant thanks tom i will use dban .


thanks again

much apreciated