My mom just bought a new PC, so she is going to give her old one away. Any recommendations on what the best way is to completely wipe all data off the old pc, I have read that doing a simple HDD reformat doesn't always clear out all the data.

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Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

Hi Damian,

I've used KillDisk for a number of old drives/computers, and haven't had any issues - the free version isn't as "industrial strength" as the purchased one, but for most cases, should be sufficient to effectively erase any bread crumbs of data remaining on the drive.

http://www.killdisk.com/

Shy of that, I've also enjoyed the theraputic benefit of removing a drive from a computer, setting it on concrete, and one well aimed swing with an 8 pound (or better) sledge will absolutely, positively make the data unrecoverable... ...but, that's a topic for another day!

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"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans" - John Lennon

Anita and Bob's Website - http://anitabob.com

You have to really take your question to the next level and ask who will be using it? Most users do not have the knowledge to recover data from a drive that has been formatted. so wiping the drive would work for thise users.

But for the small minority of uesrs the above suggestion from BobV55 is your best option.

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If you only have 1 copy of a file you do not have a copy! Back-up off site!!!
If someone wrote a particularly helpful post? Use the "Thank Post" button!

Good point, probably just getting passed along to a family member who still thinks Commodore 64 is the top of the line PC!!!

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

If there is sensitive data (e.g., financial information) on the disk and the destination is only "probable" then I would definitely wipe it clean. Personally, I use ERASER. You can do a Google search to find a LOT of alternatives; I don't think the paid solutions are any better than the freebies.

CONGRATULATIONS: You were just the beneficiary of my 2000th post... (I haven't caught up to our illustrious leader yet, probably never will!)

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....JBick

EX475, 2 GB, LE-1640
PC1: Vista-->W7 Ultimate/32, (D-Drive RAID-5 Array)
PC2: Lenovo Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
2xLinksys WRT54G v1.1 and 2xNetGear GS105 Gbit switch

What do I win??? So you are chasing Yak and I just checked, I am in 3rd so I am chasing you!!!

_________________
Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

You win the right to catch up to me and, then, Alex!

Dang... Hope my wife doesn't see this. She'll be wondering why I am doing this instead of taxes...!

_________________
....JBick

EX475, 2 GB, LE-1640
PC1: Vista-->W7 Ultimate/32, (D-Drive RAID-5 Array)
PC2: Lenovo Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
2xLinksys WRT54G v1.1 and 2xNetGear GS105 Gbit switch