# Best way to wipe drive clean before recycling it?



## Indiana627 (Nov 18, 2005)

My town is having a household recycling day next week and I want to get rid of my old PC sitting in the basement. It has Windows ME on it. What is the best way to wipe the drive clean so I don't have to worry about someone getting it and finding any of my old files? Thanks.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Lots of magnets .. Actually, I've been known to hold onto my HDD so that they don't get into this situation. I've also a couple of times removed the platters and sent the rest on it's way.

I'm not sure that I know what the truly best way to do this is.


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## CorkyMuldoon (Oct 6, 2006)

There are many utilities available. When a DoD contractor, I used a utility called WIPEINFO.EXE from a bootable diskette. It had options that would dictate the extent of the "wipe." 

Wipeinfo is now a part of Norton Utilities. GDISK is also available from Symantec. So both will cost money.

Not sure if there's a freebee out there, but you should look for a utility that meets or exceeds DOD requirements for data obliteration.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

I use killdisk...

The free verison will do one pass w/ 0's... the paid version will do multi passes w/ random characters...

http://www.killdisk.com/


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## markrubi (Oct 12, 2006)

Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN") is a self-contained boot disk that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=61951&package_id=58479&release_id=439240

Download the ISO file and burn to CD. Boot from CD ROM and Nuke it.


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

Remove hard drive from PC. Mr. Hammer, meet Mr. Hardrive; Mr. Hardrive, meet Mr. Hammer. Done. :lol:


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## Indiana627 (Nov 18, 2005)

So a simple Windows format won't do it?


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## txtommy (Dec 30, 2006)

Indiana627 said:


> So a simple Windows format won't do it?


Nope.


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## Sharkie_Fan (Sep 26, 2006)

I have a box at the office with about 20 hard drives in it for that very reason. I took all the other stuff down to the recycler and just kept the hard drives...

If I get around to it, I'll take them apart and pull the platters and get rid of the other pieces and parts. If not, they'll sit in the attic in a box.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

I agree with the hammer to the HD until you hear stuff shaking around inside. That generally prevents even the best data recovery from working. If you're not up to that task, killdisk will do as good a job as anything.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Everything depends on how hard you want to make it for someone to recover the data vs. the effort you want to put in.

Overwrite utilities are usually fairly minimal efforts and pretty good until someone sends the disk to a data extraction facilty (and pays ALOT of money to get the data.)

Destroying platters usually is the most secure way but takes a bunch more effort. 

So how valuable is your data to someone else?


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## markrubi (Oct 12, 2006)

Also there is this solution, but there is also the cost.

http://www.edrsolutions.com/ordering.asp


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Chain saw.


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## mjbehren (Nov 21, 2006)

Drill a couple of holes in it. Seriously... Thats what I do. 


Mb


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## Sharkie_Fan (Sep 26, 2006)

Tom Robertson said:


> Destroying platters usually is the most secure way but takes a bunch more effort.


But it's FUN effort.... I mean, really, who doesn't like taking something apart and smashing it to pieces!

Heck, my 4 year old would love it if I gave him a screwdriver and told him to go to town on a hard drive! :lol:


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## help-wanted (May 7, 2008)

Hansen said:


> Remove hard drive from PC. Mr. Hammer, meet Mr. Hardrive; Mr. Hardrive, meet Mr. Hammer. Done. :lol:


That is what I would do as well take it out and find a 8lbs moll know more hard drive.:hurah:


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## davring (Jan 13, 2007)

The next time you burn off your gas grill, lay it on the rack


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## old7 (Dec 1, 2005)

Sharkie_Fan said:


> But it's FUN effort.... I mean, really, who doesn't like taking something apart and smashing it to pieces!
> 
> Heck, my 4 year old would love it if I gave him a screwdriver and told him to go to town on a hard drive! :lol:


That works great until the next time your 4 year old sees a hard drive sitting around and figures it is time to help out again.


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## Pinion413 (Oct 21, 2007)

markrubi said:


> Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN") is a self-contained boot disk that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.
> 
> http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=61951&package_id=58479&release_id=439240
> 
> Download the ISO file and burn to CD. Boot from CD ROM and Nuke it.


I second that post. I used to use AutoClave for such things, but DBAN seems to do the trick and has much better hardware support.

Writing all zeros doesn't ensure anything, and Windows format is useless when it comes to actually wiping a drive. Multiple, random passes across the entire drive are the only way to make sure information is not recoverable. And be prepared, it takes a sweet eternity to "format" a hard disk in such a way. Like, leave it going for a few days.....straight. :grin:


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## Tyrnal (Mar 21, 2008)

I use a program called eraser, it can do either a 3 pass, 7 pass or 35 pass erase and is freeware on download.com

a search for google also brings up a program called ccleaner, I use that for other utils but it also has the function of secure eraser


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## deltafowler (Aug 28, 2007)

Hiren's Boot CD

It's a bootleg product chocked full of diagnostic and maintenance utilities.
No link provided.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Indiana627 said:


> My town is having a household recycling day next week and I want to get rid of my old PC sitting in the basement. It has Windows ME on it. What is the best way to wipe the drive clean so I don't have to worry about someone getting it and finding any of my old files? Thanks.


Shotgun.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

I've used Nova Development's "Drive Erase Pro" on a computer I donated to Goodwill. Here's a link: http://www.novadevelopment.com/Products/us/dew/default.aspx

It exceeds DOD requirements for data destruction.


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