Clear Hard Drive

[buddy1998]

I have a hp pavilion 762n desktop with windows home edition 2002 and I want to donate it to an elementry school. How do I erase the harddive?

 

[johnb35]

Put the drive in another system and format it. Or you can use an install cd to format the drive.

 

[buddy1998]

Thanks, but that is over my head

 

[johnb35]

The computer should have came with a recovery partition or reinstallation cd's. Just reinstall windows by doing a destructive restore or format the drive using the reinstallation cds. Check your documentation on how to reinstall windows for that particular system.

 

[buddy1998]

Do you think CCleaner freeware would do the job?

 

[johnb35]

No it won't.

 

[rsh123]

Secure erase

Secure erase will zero your drive to DOD standards. It is already built in to your hard drive. Here is a liink to the tool and instructions http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml

 

[rsh123]

Btw

Also, I wanted to let you know that formatting your drive does not remove your data. I own a data recovery company and have recovered data from 100s of formatted drives.

 

[johnb35]

I know that, but for a normal user, no one will be able to figure out how to recover the data.

 

[rsh123]

drive erase

Your probably right. But, if it was my personal data I would make sure it was gone. You never now who will end up with the computer.

 

[paulcheung]

Also, I wanted to let you know that formatting your drive does not remove your data. I own a data recovery company and have recovered data from 100s of formatted drives.

Can you recover the data from a low lever format too? Just wanted to know. how about the programs like killdisk or something like that, can it be recover?
http://www.killdisk.com/

Thank you.
Paul

 

[paulcheung]

I have a hp pavilion 762n desktop with windows home edition 2002 and I want to donate it to an elementry school. How do I erase the harddive?

Try this,
http://www.killdisk.com/

good luck