Easiest way to securely wipe hard drive and reformat laptop for resale

[win7user2010]

Hi,

I'm planning to sell my old laptop after I transfer my files to a new one. Then I would like to sell the old laptop. I want to make sure though that none of the old data is accessible or "un-deletable" by hackers and the like. I also want to make sure I wipe the old laptop correctly so that it still functions.

I have all my original installation and driver disks, so is there any recommendations on how to go about this?

I ask because I'm not sure if the usual reformatting/clean install of windows will completely get rid of old data on the computer.

 

[Darician]

You're absolutely correct in thinking that. You can use a utility like KillDisk (Active@ Kill Disk Hard Drive Eraser. Low Level Format.). Essentially, it will eliminate everything on the hard disk and replace it with zeros in each sector. They have both a Windows and DOS (Bootable) utility. One run should deter most hackers but if you want added security, you can run through it three times or to the US Department of Defense standard where they will consider it unrecoverable, which is seven times.

After that, you can use your recovery media to reinstall the OS and its applications and updates and what not.

 

[oreo27]

As an added alternative, you can also use Darik's Boot And Nuke | Hard Drive Disk Wipe and Data Clearing. It's my personal preference when doing what you are stating or even when simply formatting. Let us know if you need more help.

 

[SmurofNeves]

You might want to check out some applications from HDDGURU sure you'll find what you're looking for... And welcome to the Forums.

 

[win7user2010]

Thank you for the replies, I was reading online that after wiping, I need to "repartition" the hard drive, run "fdisk" and things like that. Are these all included in the recovery disks? I'm hoping I can just run the wiping program a few times and then just pop in the recovery CD's and be done with it...

Thank you again everyone for your help, who needs "stay on the line for an hour while I transfer you to an outsourced agent who will transfer you again" customer service when you have the Windows 7 Forums?

 

[oreo27]

Thank you for the replies, I was reading online that after wiping, I need to "repartition" the hard drive, run "fdisk" and things like that. Are these all included in the recovery disks? I'm hoping I can just run the wiping program a few times and then just pop in the recovery CD's and be done with it...

Thank you again everyone for your help, who needs "stay on the line for an hour while I transfer you to an outsourced agent who will transfer you again" customer service when you have the Windows 7 Forums?

Which laptop do you have exactly? If we have that info, we might be able to tell you how to do a factory restore of your laptop afterward.

 

[win7user2010]

It is an ASUS F3Sa notebook, also I still have the recovery cd's.

 

[oreo27]

It is an ASUS F3Sa notebook, also I still have the recovery cd's.

Here, try this out mate

 

[win7user2010]

@oreo27 , I think what you intended to write is missing?

 

[Darician]

The recovery CDs should take care of any partiotining or formatting needed to restore it to its factory preset state. If you want to do your own custom partitions, you can use a program like Partition Magic in Windows XP or the built-in partition tools for Vista or 7 (if you're using those operating systems). As far as fdisk, I haven't used that since the Win 9x days.

 

[Britton30]

You can also use CCleaner which has an option to wipe all data from a HDD. From there you should be able to format and re-install your OS. It has options for 1 pass, 3 passes, 7, and 35 passes. Usually 1 pass is sufficient for all except someone who has a $4000 program to recover data.

 

[oreo27]

@oreo27 , I think what you intended to write is missing?

Indeed. It seems that I have missed out on the link. Here's a simple guide.

How to Reformat with the ASUS Recovery CD | eHow.com

I had a better, more detailed one; but I can't find it anywhere.

 

[win7user2010]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Now I just have to wait until the new notebook comes in.

 

[oreo27]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Now I just have to wait until the new notebook comes in.

You're welcome. How you enjoy the new notebook

 

[Layback Bear]

Your not sure. That is a great reason to ask questions here. Formating leaves lot of things on your computer, it just allows that information to be wrote over when need be by the fresh install. Their for if some one wants to get that information and has the time and money it's still there. If your computer is a business or has government type information on it I would do 3 passes.

 

[FliGi7]

1 pass of writing zero's to a drive eliminates any feasible chance of useful data recovery. There is no need for any more passes than that unless you just enjoy torturing yourself.

The System Restore CD provides a means of low-level formatting a disk prior to installing the OS. There's a tutorial for that on here.

 

[Layback Bear]

I agree to disagree on how many passes. If one pass suited every need then programs wouldn't give you options of more passes. Some people have customer information, R and D information, government contract information and want to be sure of the wipe. As for the time it takes, go have a couple of beers and let it do it's thing. I don't really know what the O.P. has on that computer and don't want to know.

 

[FliGi7]

You might disagree but it's an actual fact. More passes were introduced (circa 1996) to the mix because of theories that data could still be retrieved after one, or three, or however many passes due to the less dense nature of hard disks at that time. That was many years ago and today such theories don't hold true. The option for more passes now is to provide the feeling of better security, not actual. The type of information on the drive doesn't change the fact that one pass renders any substantial amount of usable information defunct.

 

[Layback Bear]

The felling of better security feels good.

 

[Britton30]

The delete function in most operating systems simply marks the space occupied by the file as reusable (removes the pointer to the file) without immediately removing any of its contents. At this point the file can be fairly easily recovered by numerous recovery applications. However, once the space is overwritten with other data, there is no known way to recover it. It cannot be done with software alone since the storage device only returns its current contents via its normal interface. Gutmann claims that intelligence agencies have sophisticated tools, including magnetic force microscopes, which together with image analysis, can detect the previous values of bits on the affected area of the media (for example hard disk).

Wikipedia Guttman method
Looking through different sources it wouls seem one overwrite will be enough with today's drives. BUT I have CCleaner to overwrite data 7 times and it has the option of the Guttman method of 35 overwrites.