How do i format my pc a 100% without leaving any trace behind??

[realmadrid25]

hello guys,i will sell my pc and i wanna know how to format my pc a 100% wothout leaving nothing behind?

 

[Ztruker]

One way is to download Darik's Boot And Nuke | Hard Drive Disk Wipe and Data Clearing, create the bootable CD then boot it and do the secure wipe.

Are you going to sell it without any Operating System? If not then after the wipe you will need to install one. If you planned to use the factory restore that is normally on a partition on the hard drive then do not use DBAN or any program that wipes the entire hard drive. You will want one that wipes the partition the operating system is on.

 

[Layback Bear]

Here is a tutorial by Bare Foot Kid that should be helpful.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/172617-secure-erase-wipe-definition-methods.html

Here is another tutorial by Kari.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/197255-windows-7-installation-prepare-pc-sold.html

 

[realmadrid25]

yeah i was planning,format it and reinstall windows again,but is this method the best? reinstall windows?? thanks

 

[Layback Bear]

Did you read the two tutorials I posted?
Your question will be answered in those tutorials.

From:
Secure Erase / Wipe : Definition and Methods

Contrary to popular belief, doing a full format with Windows 7 only over-writes the old disk format configuration data (the MBR) with the new and checks for sector errors, then marks the remaining space to be over-written as needed, it does not over-write (remove) any other data at all, it's all still there including code from previous Operating Systems and all of the old personal data.

From:
Windows 7 Installation - Prepare PC to be Sold

Giving away or selling a PC with everything intact is -sorry to say it- dumb. Not only can it bring a lot of problems and annoyances due to wrongly named user profiles and folders but it's also a security risk. Whatever you think, however careful you think you have been, there's always enough personal information available on a used PC to really make you suffer, if the new owner so decides. If you are giving away a used PC please wipe the hard disk first to ensure your privacy. Then install Windows 7 without any personal user related information.

 

[realmadrid25]

yeah i,ve read the post you posted,but would a clean windows 7 reinstall do the job?

 

[Layback Bear]

NO.
It will not do what you requested. After a format and a install their is still left overs on the disk drive from the previous install.

Both of those tutorials explain exactly that.
Slow down and read them completely.

Contrary to popular belief, doing a full format with Windows 7 only over-writes the old disk format

You can do this tutorial by Brink:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

 

[realmadrid25]

will dban do the job??

 

[Layback Bear]

Yes Dban will also wipe your drive.
There are many 3rd party programs that will wipe your hard drive.
I just was giving you threads that would show you how to do your wipe using Windows 7 all by itself.

A long time ago I use to use Drive Scrubber until I leaned I didn't need it because Windows 7 can do it.

It's your choice. As you can see their are many choices.

 

[realmadrid25]

hello thanks for aswering,i have another question.Can i use other ways of doing it,without using a cd or cmd???like a program?.thanks in advance,and sorry for my english.

 

[Layback Bear]

You can not delete Windows 7 when you are in Windows 7. It protects itself against such things.

 

[realmadrid25]

well my question was if there were any programs that did the same job as dnb,but instead of not using the dnb cd or cmd

 

[Layback Bear]

If you don't want to use a external source to the best of my knowledge there is not a program you can install that will do a disk wipe. If you install a program on your computer to do such a thing Windows 7 will not let it wipe Windows 7.

I have run out of ideas. Just pick one of the methods that have been posted.

 

[gregrocker]

You'll save hours if you run HP System Recovery and be handing over the PC exactly like it came from factory, whereas if you Secure Wipe you'll need either make Recovery Disks first to run, or do the Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 .

Many HP's have a Minimal Recovery option on the F11 menu which is nearly a Clean Reinstall and does everything itself.


Factory Recovery also will delete all of your files sufficiently enough that you don't need to worry about remainders.

 

[otisdog]

Take the time and do the DBAN. It works very well. It can take many hours but that's your assurance that everything is wiped beyond recovery.
A program that runs on Windows can't erase the program it's running on. That's why you do it from a disk that in a sense has it's own operating system.
I've sold two computers with the hard drives running DBAN first then reloading a fresh copy of Seven.
Jim

 

[spencer1]

Take the time and do the DBAN. It works very well. It can take many hours but that's your assurance that everything is wiped beyond recovery.
A program that runs on Windows can't erase the program it's running on. That's why you do it from a disk that in a sense has it's own operating system.
I've sold two computers with the hard drives running DBAN first then reloading a fresh copy of Seven.
Jim

Speaking of disk overwriting, is the one pass method as effective as multiple pass methods? Since disk drives are so huge now, even one pass could take hours.

 

[Layback Bear]

realmadrid25 Post #1 request

hello guys,i will sell my pc and i wanna know how to format my pc a 100% wothout leaving nothing behind?

realmadrid25 you have been given more than enough options.
Let us know which one you choose.

 

[King Arthur]

I'm going to be flat out honest here realmadrid25, if you are that paranoid about your privacy and security concerning your personal information that might remain on your computer's hard drive then I advise that you remove the hard drive that is currently installed and physically destroy it.

The only truly guaranteed way to ensure that your personal information on your computer is erased completely is to physically destroy the HDD that contains that information. DBAN has been used for absolute deletion of personal information, but it's still a software solution and there are no guarantees especially if you are very paranoid about it all.

 

[3D Jed]

If the OP was worried about deleted but recoverable data, what about CCleaner's 'wipe free space' ? I tested this function a while back using recovery software and a before/after test. Deleted stuff seemed overwritten. One consideration with this method, is that with IE10+ browsing history is stored in a locked file webcacheV01.dat. CCleaner doesn't wipe this file, but does erase Firefox data. IE history is still readable.

thread on webcache -
Delete WebCacheV01.dat, WebCacheV01.dat Viewer & Deleter | Wilders Security Forums

I find this and the previous method of storing browser history (index.dat) a bit sinister
index.dat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

now where's that tinfoil hat . . .

 

[4wd]

Use the full recovery option if still available. Then fill the rest of the space with some 10GB video copied into folders until full hd :O) then delete all that and run a wipe free space program a few times. Or image the recovery partitions unto a new inexpensive hd, and do a full refresh (haven't tried that, but should work). Or if you have access to correct install media, do a fresh install on a new hd, and install drivers from the manufacturer website as needed (and make use of the old hd for personal backup\files). Good luck.