Home
Buy on eBid
Sell on eBid
eBid Stores
My eBid
Upgrade to Seller+ Lifetime
eBid Help
Close
Login to Your Account
eBid Community Forums - Chat & find help from others in the eBid Community
Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 32

Thread: Clearing A Computer

  1. #21
    Forum Saint astral276's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Grantham, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
    View astral276's Feedback (+194)
    All-About astral276
    View astral276's Listings
    Forum Posts
    19,132

    Default Re: Clearing A Computer

    The most effective way to wipe a computer clean of all data is to not want to.


  2. #22

    Default Re: Clearing A Computer

    As far as hard drives go, I would take it out and destroy it if selling the computer. Buy a new cheapo HD to put in to sell as working pc. Take what you need off it and then vent your pent-up driver road rage by using a hammer on it. You might be surprised what criminals can pull off a supposedly clean disc. Some people's information is easily worth a couple of grand to thieves. If the discs inside the HD are destroyed, then they are not getting any info period. Not that I have plans for any secret mission. Not much really is private nowadays.

  3. #23

    Default Re: Clearing A Computer

    Quote Originally Posted by canuckbid View Post
    As far as hard drives go, I would take it out and destroy it if selling the computer. Buy a new cheapo HD to put in to sell as working pc. Take what you need off it and then vent your pent-up driver road rage by using a hammer on it. You might be surprised what criminals can pull off a supposedly clean disc. Some people's information is easily worth a couple of grand to thieves. If the discs inside the HD are destroyed, then they are not getting any info period. Not that I have plans for any secret mission. Not much really is private nowadays.
    If it's a decent sized hard drive, that's SUCH a waste. What do you mean by a "supposedly clean disc"? You're just spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt.

    Yes, your info could be of significant value to thieves. But compare your advice with someone suggesting you buy a leg of pork and burn your house down to get a delicious roast dinner. Sure, you do get nice roast pork that way, but such a dramatic method isn't necessary and presumably would only be recommended by someone with a sense of humour or ignorant of how to set the oven to 200 degrees C. Right?

    Read earlier in the thread. Darik's Boot And Nuke (www.dban.org) is a mature reliable program. If you can point to any cases where thieves got useful info after its use, I would really really like to hear.

    Put dban review into Google. Tell us about any negative comments, especially about documented cases where data was disclosed after Dban's use.
    Click for bargain auctions!

    Dropbox for 2GB of offsite storage to simplify your life. Click here, to get an extra 500MB of space!

  4. #24
    Forum Lurker paul2510's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Glasgow, Glasgow (City of), United Kingdom
    View paul2510's Feedback (+382)
    All-About paul2510
    View paul2510's Listings
    Forum Posts
    77

    Default Re: Clearing A Computer

    Use a program called DBAN which will wipe the full drive but yes there's a but it will also wipe Windows off the system. You can re-install windows using an installation disc if you have 1 and the key attached to the computer.


  5. #25

    Default Re: Clearing A Computer

    Quote Originally Posted by paul2510 View Post
    Use a program called DBAN which will wipe the full drive but yes there's a but it will also wipe Windows off the system. You can re-install windows using an installation disc if you have 1 and the key attached to the computer.
    Yes, DBAN is the program I was referring to.

    But why would you reinstall Windows? Why make the same mistake twice? There are better systems and, like DBAN, they're free (in every sense, not just financially).
    Click for bargain auctions!

    Dropbox for 2GB of offsite storage to simplify your life. Click here, to get an extra 500MB of space!

  6. #26
    Forum Saint
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Woolmar, Queensland, Australia
    View Oldandintheway's Feedback (+385)
    All-About Oldandintheway
    View Oldandintheway's Listings
    Forum Posts
    3,336

    Default Re: Clearing A Computer

    When all else fails & my preferred method


  7. #27

    Default Re: Clearing A Computer

    Why not Download CCleaner (Free of Charge) Then Run the Cleaner (Top Item) Having Ticked Free Space. Job Done.
    I Don't expect the Hard Disc is to big going back to 2001

    BarnwoodComputers
    Oh! the way you still have Windows left on a Cheap easy and most effective way of doing it
    If the Hard Disc is not too Big Go to options and set the Wipe to 35 Times and nobody can read anything through 35 wipes.
    Last edited by BarnwoodComputers; 5th November 2011 at 12:22 AM. Reason: Though of extra

  8. #28

    Default Re: Clearing A Computer

    I like the idea if you need more storage just buy an external hard drive. Store all your stuff on it. Change your computer and just plug in your HD with all the info. With the explosion of cloud computing, you do not need to store as many applications on your machine. Every thing is stored on the cloud. The client / server data base ultilizes web browser protocols to run the applications remotely.. For example most people use cloud computing already if you use Hotmail or Gmail. Most consumers use the storage for pictures and movies. Stuff they want to keep anyway.

  9. #29

    Default Re: Clearing A Computer

    Quote Originally Posted by canuckbid View Post
    I like the idea if you need more storage just buy an external hard drive. Store all your stuff on it. Change your computer and just plug in your HD with all the info. With the explosion of cloud computing, you do not need to store as many applications on your machine. Every thing is stored on the cloud. The client / server data base ultilizes web browser protocols to run the applications remotely.. For example most people use cloud computing already if you use Hotmail or Gmail. Most consumers use the storage for pictures and movies. Stuff they want to keep anyway.
    If you have any data that's precious (e.g. photos, correspondence) you should have an external hard drive anyway. I've long ago lost count of the number of people I've had to offer tea and sympathy to when their hard drive (internal or external) has failed and they have no other copy of their data. Sometimes recovery is possible. Sometimes not. People seem to have boundless faith in their hard drives until they've experienced this -- I have no idea why. These are people who have, say, a 2 year old car but have the good sense to join the AA, so clearly they do realise that mechanical failure happens.

    So if you're using a hard drive to store stuff you no longer have room for on your internal drive, you need two external drives, preferably three. And you need to copy your files regularly.

    If you have less than 2GB of data that's precious, use something like Dropbox. If you sign up to it using my affiliate link http://db.tt/2eyHp7oE you'll get an extra 256MB of space!

    If the worst does happen and you have a naff drive you're desperate to get data from, but you can't afford the kind of cash data recovery companies want (and deserve) then you may find an enthusiast willing to help, for free or for a modest cost. DON'T use them unless the first thing they're going to do is attempt to image your drive and then work on the image. It's imperative that changes are not made to the original drive.
    Click for bargain auctions!

    Dropbox for 2GB of offsite storage to simplify your life. Click here, to get an extra 500MB of space!

  10. #30
    Forum Diehard
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Indiana, Pennsylvania, United States
    View JimmyCee's Feedback (+85)
    All-About JimmyCee
    View JimmyCee's Listings
    Forum Posts
    500

    Default Re: Clearing A Computer

    I am running 2 computers, (old & new) .
    Having all my documents, images, etc etc on both I also have 2 external drives, also with full backups.. I feel relatively secure.
    Many call this excessive, I call it the way I am.
    I recently had 1 external drive quit, only a few years old and not on all the time, just gave out and lost all my info on that one.
    Fortunately I had ample backup's.
    When any of my computers go bad and not able to be repaired, they are junk and I treat them as such.
    Hard drive is smashed and no one would be able to gather info from it.
    For all of the time and effort I put into this stuff I sure don't want to lose any of it.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Follow Us
New To eBid?
Register for Free