Help wiping laptop hdd

[TeamKorea]

I am selling my laptop and need to wipe the disk. I have heard of programs like DBAN to just nuke the thing but I want to keep windows 7. After 4 years and a move I do not know where the windows installing disk has gone. Is it possible to delete all the sensitive data while keeping windows 7 without using a program like DBAN?

 

[faalin]

as long as you know your OS key and version you have (home, pro, or ultimate) you can use any disk to install as long as it matches the version you have.

So lets say your laptop has windows home 32bit and the key is still on the bottom of the laptop. You can barrow a copy from a friend, family, or co-worker and install windows again using the key off the bottom of the laptop. It doesnt have to be the same cd that came with the key.


To answer your question, no you need to do a full nuke of the disk to get rid of everything. By keeping window still on the HDD there will still be little bits and pieces left within windows.

 

[dhvd79a]

You can use a utility like RECUVA from piriform to securely delete files and folders.

 

[R4lNM4N]

"Deleting" all the data only "marks" the space on the drive as writable free space for the system. If you have ever used CCleaner (free) - it actually has a drive wiper built in. The process will take some time depending on how large your drive is and how securely you want to "wipe" it. It ""wipes" the drive basically by writing a bunch of random 1's and 0's into all of the free space sectors of the drive.

You can get CCleaner here for free...https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download/standard
Select tools from the left side of the application>select the drive wiper option>select free space only>click "wipe"



A) So....In direct answer to your question...No - you'll need to use a program like this to delete all the sensitive data while keeping windows 7 installed. You could however, delete your sensitive data and then fill the drive with useless data, then remove it and repeat. Basically that's what a drive wiper will do automatically for you anyway.

B) You don't need your Windows install disk as long as you have your product key (which is probably on the Microsoft sticker on the bottom of that laptop)

C) In case you want to re-install, get your Windows ISO here...http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download

Use one of the following tools to create a bootable USB installation disk

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool
http://www.isotousb.com/ <---I like this one

 

[InvalidError]

If you are really serious about removing all traces of any of your data from the drive, you really should full-format the HDD and re-install Windows since Windows may leave nuggets of your data stored in the swapfile, hibernation file, various caches and history files, the registry, search indexes, etc.

 

[USAFRet]

Is it possible to delete all the sensitive data while keeping windows 7 without using a program like DBAN?

Not really. You can delete all the other stuff, and use CCleaner to zero the newly created free space.
But there will be lingering bits, particularly in the Registry.

Does the original factory recovery partition still exist? If so, Use that to bring the machine back to how it came from the store. This will wipe out all traces of 'you'.
If not, you may be in for a bit of a pain.

 

[R4lNM4N]

"Deleting" all the data only "marks" the space on the drive as writable free space for the system. If you have ever used CCleaner (free) - it actually has a drive wiper built in. The process will take some time depending on how large your drive is and how securely you want to "wipe" it. It ""wipes" the drive basically by writing a bunch of random 1's and 0's into all of the free space sectors of the drive.

You can get CCleaner here for free...https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download/standard
Select tools from the left side of the application>select the drive wiper option>select free space only>click "wipe"



A) So....In direct answer to your question...No - you'll need to use a program like this to delete all the sensitive data while keeping windows 7 installed. You could however, delete your sensitive data and then fill the drive with useless data, then remove it and repeat. Basically that's what a drive wiper will do automatically for you anyway.

B) You don't need your Windows install disk as long as you have your product key (which is probably on the Microsoft sticker on the bottom of that laptop)

C) In case you want to re-install, get your Windows ISO here...http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download

Use one of the following tools to create a bootable USB installation disk

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool
http://www.isotousb.com/ <---I like this one

So to TOTALLY wipe it you could...remove the drive and attach it to a secondary system, then use CCleaner to completely wipe the drive, then put the drive back in the original system and re-install.

Honestly though - unless someone is really analyzing and digging deep on that drive - a one pass wipe of free space by CCleaner is all you will need.

 

[USAFRet]

Honestly though - unless someone is really analyzing and digging deep on that drive - a one pass wipe of free space by CCleaner is all you will need.

Except for the data contained in the registry.
Some years ago, I bought a 'refurb' PC off the rack at the BigBlueBox store.

Upon getting it home and poking around...the first owners info still existed in the Registry.
Name, address, phone number, credit card number....trivial to find.

Wiping just the free space for a sold PC doesn't cut it.