Erasing hard drive without erasing operating system...

M

michiganer

New Member
I hope someone can give me some advice about destroying files on my laptop. I want to sell it and make sure no personal files can be recovered. The only thing is that I can't find my XP recovery cd so I can't use one of the programs that wipes the entire hard drive. Does anyone know of a program that wipes everything really good but leaves the operating system? I will be selling to a family member and I want to make sure no embarrasing files can be found later on...Help!
 
The only thing you can do is to go into the C:/ Drive and look for all the files and delete them, but that will do anything but permanately delete them from the hard drive. My suggestion look for that recovery cd, if you can't find it, you can order another one from the company that you bought your computer from, you can get them for like $10 or around there normally. Cheaper then a new hdd and OS, and then make sure to reformat your hdd a few times and run a program if you want. The only way to permanately get rid of files is to physically destroy the harddrive, but that is something I am guessing you would rather not do.
 
Thanks for the reply. I have a Toshiba Satellite Notebook. I already went to the Toshiba site to see if I could just purchase a recovery cd from them. On the site it says that they have do not replace recovery cd's but I can send my PC in and for $75, they will do it for me. Its a joke. Maybe I should email them though to double check...
 
michiganer said:
Thanks for the reply. I have a Toshiba Satellite Notebook. I already went to the Toshiba site to see if I could just purchase a recovery cd from them. On the site it says that they have do not replace recovery cd's but I can send my PC in and for $75, they will do it for me. Its a joke. Maybe I should email them though to double check...
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Ya well I know, at least the time of purchase they are like $10, it might be so they are sure you aren't just getting an extra copy of windows for $10, but call in a check.
 
I don't see why you wish to not format? As that would offer exactly what you want. But in the mean time why not just use the Windows search and key in the file extensions for files you are in fear of them finding (for pictures do *.jpg, *.png etc) and for other applications such as movie files do (*.avi, *.mpg) and so on, deleting them as the Windows search finds them?
 
Breaks said:
I don't see why you wish to not format? As that would offer exactly what you want. But in the mean time why not just use the Windows search and key in the file extensions for files you are in fear of them finding (for pictures do *.jpg, *.png etc) and for other applications such as movie files do (*.avi, *.mpg) and so on, deleting them as the Windows search finds them?
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She can't reformat, if she does she won't be able to reload windows back onto the laptop, because she lost the recovery cd.
 
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bball4life said:
He can't reformat, if he does he won't be able to reload windows back onto the laptop, because he lost the recovery cd.
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Oh my apologies. I was under the impression that she would have access to a proper Windows CD and not just those recovery CD's.
 
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I can try to do what breaks said and just search by the file extentions. That would probably work good enough. I will still try and call Toshiba and see what they say. By the way, I'm a "she" not a "he" ;)
 
Ku-sama said:
i didnt think it would be, sorry
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Lol most of it is Microsofts uptight piracy regulations. Like technically if you buy it and install it on one computer, and then build a new comp you can't even use it again "legally". Same as Raid its technically not legal unless you have 2 copies, however MS has so "graciously" decided to allow this.
 
What i would suggest is to use Killbox(http://www.scancomplete.com/download/killbox/) to delete every directory in your system, except c:/windows. use kill box to delete your documents, for example use it to delete: (C:\Documents and Settings) I would use the restart option to delete these filess and check the unregister dll(if it is possible). That way you don't need an recover/install MS Xp Disc to "format" your hdd. hope this helps
 
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michiganer said:
I can try to do what breaks said and just search by the file extentions. That would probably work good enough. I will still try and call Toshiba and see what they say. By the way, I'm a "she" not a "he" ;)
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My apologies on the assumption that you were a guy also :). Fixed my post too. The only problem with getting your manufacturer to do this is that they might browse around the files before doing it (which can sometimes be a bugger depending on what it actually is that's on your computer). I'm not particularly one for trusting the applications that delete files without deleting anything else (such as system files etc). Normally things like that screw up for me, and others as I have read in the past, hence why I just do the search thing (it's easier and safer for me).

Another tip, make sure that viewing hidden files and folders is switched on. Just for the fact that if something has become hidden and you have forgotten about it (it's happened to me with work), that you can find it and delete it before anyone else does.
 
just keep in mind that deleting files simply means youre setting the hdd up to write over those files. think of it like an eraser poised over something you want to get rid of; its not going to get erased until something is going to be put over it. the only way to start from scratch would be to format the drive. i dont know anything about windows, just because im a linux guy, but you might be able to make a partition for windows only, then format the partition that everything else is on, and just change the settings back to default for windows. or you could just sell the laptop for a lot cheaper and wipe it clean.
 
All good suggestions. What about this? I read that the Geek Squad can make a recovery disk for 30 bucks. Isn't it true that alot of computers have recovery built in so someone can make a disk? I wonder if they could make a recovery disk of just my windows XP and not include anything I have put on my pc. That way I can totally wipe the hdd and use the recovery disk to put just XP back on. So the person that buys my laptop will have everything like from the factory. What do you think? I am trying to be too complicated?

Also, how can I find the hidden files? I am not really computer literate when it comes to real detailed stuff. Has anyone ever hear of "Eraser". If so, I think I can use that to write over my free space as well as any files I choose. I just want to make sure I get EVERY file. Basically, I want to get rid of "adult" material which I am sure many of you have already figured out...
 
To be honest, if your just standard deleting everything and giving it to another member of your family I don't see the point in going all James Bond over it. I highly doubt that your family member is going to go as far as being an FBI agent in training attempting to grapple into your old erased data files and folders. Also, it's just adult material, what's the harm if they did FBI and find it? It's natural lol.

I wouldn't go for an eraser because you'll most likely end up either damaging your hdd (as some erasers erase by writing loads of random 0's and 1's to the free space which, from what I have read, can damage a hdd).

As for partitioning an already installed working Windows drive, I wouldnt. This is prone to failure, faults and problems. Windows is a bugger for this.

(I too am a Linux fan boy ;))
 
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