How do I "erase" my computer

[Deimos887]

Since it wasn't suggested:

Crypto-erase:

this should take 20-30 mins..

create an encrypted volume with a free program like TrueCrypt (or a current fork, like VeraCrypt), use a key file (like a random cell phone picture, something unique) along with a strong password, place any sensitive documents (or entire user library) inside said volume. Dismount the volume. Secure wipe the keyfile (if the first 1024 bits of a keyfile (using TrueCrypt) are damaged the keyfile becomes invalid, even if recovered), and plain-old delete the encrypted volume.

this won't cover everything user related on your drive obviously, but getting rid of/selling an old computer, if used for anything personal/work related, anything particularly sensitive... unless those files are (still) cached or copied elsewhere on the partition, it's gone... non-recoverable.

[the86d]

Not true. multi-pass wipes are the most effective, on any drive. The reason you do not normally want to perform this on an SSD is that the cells on an SSD have a limited number of cycles (reads/writes) before they fail. However, this is not applicable to a drive being returned. If security ("erasing as the OP asked about) is the end game then a multi pass with a clean install of OS is the way to go.

Modern thinking is that 1 pass wipes are sufficient, but I have been able to pull data (albeit garbled in some cases) from 1pass drives.

Restoring or re-setting does nothing to erase non-OS data stored to the drive.

A single overwrite of all data will prevent the data from being recovered period (on non-flash, physical spinning media). This has been discussed here many times(and other places), and if it is overwritten, then it cannot be recovered (on mag-media). Fill the drive, install the OS, providing you have a Windows install DVD to do so... however if you like to waste time DoD multi-pass overwrite it.

I'd really like to see where someone is able to recover overwritten data on mag-media... as it has never been successfully done and can be referenced, at least according to this: "http://www.noah.org/wiki/Dd_-_Destroyer_of_Disks#Tinfoil_hat_paranoia" - http://www.noah.org/wiki/Dd_-_Destro...l_hat_paranoia . Now sectors marked as bad by S.M.A.R.T. might be another worry, but you can check for relocated sectors with even open source software [to see if there are any]. The EFF says: "Overwriting the entire disk and installing fresh operating system is the only way to be 100% certain that records of a file have been erased." - https://ssd.eff.org/book/export/html/64, however I was unable to pull carved-files from mag-media after a full partition-zero-write, but I could just after a format... You could write all zeros and look at the partition with a hex editor if you are unsure, I assume.
Please post a link if you have a reference to someone actually pulling data from a completely overwritten 1x mag-media.

[ziconceo]

Darik's Boot And Nuke or DBAN. Multiple pseudorandom number generators and you get to specify the amount of passes you want. It's free, too.
http://www.dban.org

Yep, works great! Can't recommend this enough.

[CAguy]

There is no way to wipe the drive. You can overwrite till the cows come home and it will still be there (think layers of an onion or a artichoke). The only way to wipe the drive is to remove it and get a large drill bit and punch a bunch of holes through it. That will stop all but a select few from being able to get any info off. If you want to stop everyone you can drill holes in it and then incinerate it. An acetylene torch would work best (and cheapest) since you probably don't want to invest 8-12K in a proper incinerator.

If you weren't looking at top secret documents, child porn, spy stuff you should probably just recover the drive and take it back.

[lt05deluxe]

There is no such thing as erasing data from the hard drive. Take it to the range!

[CAguy]

http://www.nber.org/sys-admin/overwritten-data-guttman.html

[gmbrdilos]

I am presuming its windows 8 since its new:

Step 1: On the charms bar click settings > change pc settings > update and recovery > recovery > remove everything and reinstall windows

step 2: take off the tinfoil hat

step 3: ???

step 4: Profit

[the86d]

http://www.nber.org/sys-admin/overwr...a-guttman.html

Thank you, I couldn't find this one again.

[1st Generation Gun Owner]

I have NO idea what some of you are talking about beyond "buy this disk and run it".

Computers have indexes listing the files on the drive, and where on the drive to find their contents. When you "delete" a file, its entry is removed from the index, but the contents remain until the space is used by something else.

Formatting a drive just means making a fresh new index. The contents for all the files are still there (with a bunch of irrelevant caveats). Some tools wipe the drive by writing a series of zeros or random data across the whole drive. If anyone knows how to recover the data after that, they aren't talking. DBAN and some of the other tools mentioned do that.

You don't need to buy anything. Just get DBAN for free.
I haven't used DBAN myself. Personally, I'd use a Linux LiveCD to run shred, but that only makes sense if you already know (or want to know) how to use a Linux command line.

If the system has some program for making recovery disks, it'd be polite to do that first and reinstall the system after wiping. But really, if they're going to sell it, they'll want to reinstall it themselves to make sure that you didn't leave something on there that'll mess things up for the next customer.

Since it wasn't suggested:

Crypto-erase:

this should take 20-30 mins..

create an encrypted volume with a free program like TrueCrypt (or a current fork, like VeraCrypt), use a key file (like a random cell phone picture, something unique) along with a strong password, place any sensitive documents (or entire user library) inside said volume. Dismount the volume. Secure wipe the keyfile (if the first 1024 bits of a keyfile (using TrueCrypt) are damaged the keyfile becomes invalid, even if recovered), and plain-old delete the encrypted volume.

this won't cover everything user related on your drive obviously, but getting rid of/selling an old computer, if used for anything personal/work related, anything particularly sensitive... unless those files are (still) cached or copied elsewhere on the partition, it's gone... non-recoverable.

If you're just moving the files from an unencrypted volume to an encrypted volume, and then throwing away the encryption key, that's no different than a normal delete. You haven't removed the traces from when it was removed from the unencrypted volume.

You could use TrueCrypt to encrypt the existing volume. (What'd they call that feature...) After you do that, you'll need the key to boot the computer, as everything except the bootloader will be encrypted.
This would be effectively the same as a random wipe, if your key is strong. It'd probably be slower though.

I am presuming its windows 8 since its new:

Step 1: On the charms bar click settings > change pc settings > update and recovery > recovery > remove everything and reinstall windows

step 2: take off the tinfoil hat

step 3: ???

step 4: Profit

Do you spend a lot of time on Slashdot?

[bohoki]

how big is the drive?

[POLICESTATE]

Low level format your hard drive a couple of times.

[G-Man WC]

Just say no to kiddie porn.
-g

[the86d]

I really wonder if those stating that you can't wipe data have ever recovered actual deleted files, or ever overwritten free space after a deleting files, then tried to recover overwritten files with any forensic tools...

[skunkbad]

I used this for some computers I had awhile ago.

http://www.dban.org/download

THIS

[jmpgnr24k]

Remove hard drive and burn it. Info can still be retrieved from pieces of broken Disc.