Free PC Cleaners

I use a laptop for business purposes for about three years, then gift them to my kids/grandkids. But since I've had personal information from my clients on the machine, I am very careful to wipe the disk before giving it to them. I don't need it getting stolen from one of my grandkids and having someone read the hard drive and get personal information or credit card numbers.

I use a program called "WipeDrive" in order to do multiple passes over the drive and obliterate the data. Just deleting data will not remove it from the disk. WipeDrive is DOD compliant.

Eraser

Been a while since I last used it, but IIRC it can securely erase individual files or folders by overwriting multiple times, as mentioned above by Mr. Wizard.

There is a free version.

1492 wrote:

strollin wrote:

Assuming this is a Windows computer, I'd create a new user account for your grandson, assign that account admin rights, then login to it and delete your old account. One of the options when deleting an account is to also delete any files associated with it. Depending on the age of the grandson, you may not want to give his account admin rights but you will need to create a new account with admin rights to be able to login and delete your old account.

Why would one need to smash the hard drive of an old laptop if it is to be given to one's grand children? :hI would follow the above, and simply delete any other residual files you chose. Then, overwrite the free space by using Windows built-in cipher command. Just hold down Windows Key+R, and type CMD and ENTER. At the prompt type cipher /w:c where c is the drive or partition whose free space you want overwritten. Press ENTER to start.

.

strollin wrote:

Assuming this is a Windows computer, I'd create a new user account for your grandson, assign that account admin rights, then login to it and delete your old account. One of the options when deleting an account is to also delete any files associated with it. Depending on the age of the grandson, you may not want to give his account admin rights but you will need to create a new account with admin rights to be able to login and delete your old account.

Why would one need to smash the hard drive of an old laptop if it is to be given to one's grand children? :hI would follow the above, and simply delete any other residual files you chose. Then, overwrite the free space by using Windows built-in cipher command. Just hold down Windows Key+R, and type CMD and ENTER. At the prompt type cipher /w:c where c is the drive or partition whose free space you want overwritten. Press ENTER to start.

there are programs that remove data and would even give the NSA a hard time
the re-write the area multiple times, magnetically obliterating everything
just let it run for several days continuous, doing this over and over

of course these programs are NOT free
there are free programs, just not as good as the paid ones
How old is the grandson, and what will he be using the PC for

possibly the best Idea is a New hard drive, the same size or slightly larger
with a migration/transfer program
the windows OS and ONLY the NEW user ID can be moved to the new drive
the old drive with your data is removed from the PC and the new clean drive with only windows is installed in the PC

after confirming everything works and No problems, (wait two weeks) then destroy the old drive

K Charles wrote:
Take out the hard drive and smash it with a hammer.

Our local TV just did a program about this. They purchased a PC at a garage sale, that was supposed to have been cleaned out.
A computer expert took out the hard drive and was able to tell almost everything that had been on computer. He said the only way was to use large hammer on hard drive.

Removing the hard drive and smashing it with a hammer would certainly remove your old files but my guess is that you'd like to give the laptop to your grandson in working order.

Assuming this is a Windows computer, I'd create a new user account for your grandson, assign that account admin rights, then login to it and delete your old account. One of the options when deleting an account is to also delete any files associated with it. Depending on the age of the grandson, you may not want to give his account admin rights but you will need to create a new account with admin rights to be able to login and delete your old account.

Doing that should remove all your data files while keeping the OS and the installed programs in tact.

Take out the hard drive and smash it with a hammer.