Wiping a drive and selling a laptop

So, I may possibly sell a Win7 laptop to a guy I work with. Obviously need to remove all personal stuff off the HDD.

I have DBAN and the OEM software to do a 3-pass wipe and fresh OS install. This is obviously the safe and preferred method aside from physically destroying the HDD.

However, we are overseas and the interwebs be slow as sh!t for installing 2+ years of updates to the fresh OEM image.

So to keep the updates and some other helpful software, would it be wise (or at least safe) to remove all my personal files/documents, then wipe the free space several passes using CCleaner Drive Wiper?

 

If you delete all partitions and create a new one and format during the Win7 reinstall won't that take care of wiping all the old data?

As far as the updates over a slow connection are concerned who care. Just reinstall the OS and leave the updates for whomever you are selling it to to tend to when they get it.

 

^this.

 

I agree with them.^

 

No partitions. When formatting/reinstalling OS, it simply overwrites old data (my files). The old data could be recovered relatively easily by a tech-savvy person.

Wiping a drive overwrites the old data with zeros for one or more passes (the more passes, the harder it is to recover the overwritten data). Three passes is generally considered secure. I think the government does a minimum of seven passes to wipe classified drives.

I was just curious about the effectiveness of CCleaner to wipe the free space for eliminating traces of my old data, but keeping the current OS and programs in place.

If protecting my privacy means wiping the drive and a fresh install, then so be it. Just trying to be a stand up guy by leaving the current config.

 

deleting the partitions wont entirely delete the data. it can still be recovered but with effort.

best bet is a wipe/overwrite.

updates? let the buyer worryabout that.

 

gdisk to wipe the data completely. DOD uses gdisk for secure wipes of their drives. You boot off a disk and then run the program. Then reinstall base OS.

 

if you wiped the system once would someone who is tech savy be able to go back and see what was copied off the computer?

 

Yes.

You want the most secure way? Crush your current HD, burn it, trash it, and buy a $10 used hard drive off e-bay.

 

dban

7 pass is NSA approved

 

my question was for my lady who quit her current job and has to send back her computer but was planning on taking off some information and i was curious to know if they could see it.

 

See the post above yours

Download the ISO, burn to disk, boot from disk, follow prompts, done.

 

I don't care if people see my midget porn. Banking info, sensitive information (Vital files with SSN's and the like)....yeah, I'm not going to risk that either.

But generally the people that are content with just formatting a HDD are the same ones that don't shred old bills and content with your mailing address and similar items...

 

one pass of zeros works fine. another option is to use a whole disc encryption program and encrypt the whole drive including the OS with a stout password, turn it off when done then boot from external drive and reformat, then reboot and install whatever OS.

Ive read about a standing high dollar offer to anyone who can recover data from a traditional (disc platter) hard drive after only one pass. any method allowed, including magnetic resonance imaging. it was still standing last time I looked into it a year or so ago. SSDs and other flash media not included in that offer though.

fastest way to clear it is use dsfok and write all zeros then repartition it and install whatever the buyer wants on it.

 

Yank drive. Install SSD replacement. Loads fat. Sell for more $ since it has SSD.

Wipe HDD at your leisure later.

 

built into windows is a tool called diskpart it has a command called 'clean' and I can't recall the switch but there is one to write 0's to the thing.

 

How much could a used laptop be worth? When I'm done with mine, I generally shoot them with 00 buckshot, hit them with a sledge hammer, set them on fire, drive over them with my truck, and then throw them into a volcano.

 

didnt know it could write zeros. will it truly zero everything? or "almost" everything? will the disc need to be reinitialized after its ran?

Ive used it before when making bootable vhds. Ive even booted XP from vhd and from a USB flash no less just for kicks but I keep M$ as a secondary OS on my main systems (out of the first sectors) so it cant "take over"

F%^#&*$% control freaks that lot I tell ya! ;-)

 

I'll have to ask but yes you will need to reinit the disk when you are done.