Wiping a computer clean
 

We've barely used our desktop over the past few years and it's now currently in storage. I think it might be a good time to sell it, and I'd like to wipe it clean so that none of our personal stuff is left on there.

There is nothing left on there that we want or need, so now I want to make sure I'm going about this the right way. My understanding is that reinstalling the OS--XP in this case--is the best way to go. I have all the software disks that UT used to build the 'puter.

Is that right? Does someone out there have a step-by-step guide that would help me? Warnings?

TIA.

You also need to 'scrub the disk' -- use a utility like Summit's Hard Disk Scrubber (free).
This will make the data still left on the disk (yes, there's data there even after a low-level format and a re-install!) invisible to all but the most determined. It won't keep out the NSA, but it will prevent that schmuck who bought your machine on eBay from snagging your credit card info off some obscure temporary file.

Or use Darik's Boot and Nuke to wipe the hard drive. Free and open source.

If someone has open source, they should get them looked at. Are they oozing everywhere?

Which leads me to: I hear that phrase all the time. What does it mean?

Mrs. Dallas swears by Spic 'n' Span. I myself prefer 409. YMMV.


Shawnee... it means the source code (the instructions the original computer programmer(s) wrote) is available for you to study if you like. Example: Firefox. "Closed source" or "proprietary" software don't allow you to do that. Example: Internet Explorer.

any linux boot disk should do the trick. get ye to a command line and try something like "dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda" (might have to adjust sda (scsi/sata drive) to hda (pata/ata) drive...with the a being replaceable with b, c, d, etc. for second, third, fourth, whatever drives.)

It'll write zeroes to the entirety of the drive. Do it a few times if you're feeling paranoid.

Or just keep the hard disk if you're really in doubt.

Boot and Nuke (mentioned earlier) is probably an easier 1-step solution.

I doubt you'll get much money for a few-year old desktop - if yuo are at all concerned about what might be on it, don't sell it, destroy it.

Boot the Windows disks and follow the instructions on-screen.

It's useful when you have a virus, too.

Thanks! I guess this is helpful to you techies: it's all a foreign language to me. Now I know what it means, at least. :)

The side effect you may be interested in is that open source implies free to use as well.

If it's free, it's for me!

I highly recommend Darik's Boot and Nuke. It just works. It works really well, actually, and is easy to use. Burn the ISO in your program of choice, boot the PC, and run it.

Mitch. Is ctupdate down? I can't connect. Tnxs bb

a shotgun or termite works Wounders !!