Not yet registered? Create a OverBlog!

Create my blog

How to wipe your hard drive

Computer hard drives usually store a lot of information, including personal data and sensitive business information. In the wrong hands, this data can be used to hurt you and or your business. If you want to completely wipe your hard drive before you part from it, there are ways in which you can do it. Read on how to clean your PC hard drive to prevent people from accessing your sensitive data.

Background information

How does the hard drive work? Hard drives keep an index of programs/files which you have installed in your PC scattered all over its space. Upon command to open the program, the active disk checks the program/file indexes and uses this to reconstruct the program. When you delete programs/erase files, the links between the index and the file is broken. This indicates your system that the file/program is no longer needed and that the hard drive space which the file occupied can be overwritten. Your
program/file, however, remains on the hard drive until it is overwritten. A specialist can still retrieve your deleted files. For example, if you delete your files when preparing to part with/sell your PC, the next PC owner can retrieve your files which will be still in the hard drive unless they were overwritten. So, how do you make sure that you protect data on your hard drive?

Reformat your hard drive

Reformat your hard drive to wipe your drive clean. Reformatting a hard drive wipes everything which is stored on the drive and prepares the drive for a new operating system. You’ll need to create a start-up disk to HD format a Windows PC. Restart the computer with the repair disc installed. At the disc repair prompt, type “Format: C” and answer "Yes" to the file deletion warning to start the process. After the disk has erased, remove the repair disc and restart and
re-install Windows, using your installation CD. The hard drive will be cleaned and it will be difficult for the average specialist to retrieve your data.

Overwrite the hard drive

To make retrieving more difficult even for the better specialists, use a Hard Drive Eraser software each time that you overwrite the disc. Programs such as Norton System's “Wipe Info” tool can repeatedly write gibberish on the hard drive and make it absolutely difficult to retrieve your drive data.

Destroy the hard drive

If you’re totally paranoid about protecting your data, the only absolutely way to wipe data from your hard drive and secure files is to physically destroy the drive. Unscrew the drive mounting screws, unplug the connecting cables and slide the drive out of its holder. Physically destroy the drive using a hammer or whichever way that you deem appropriate.

Same category articles Computers

How to upgrade my laptop memory

How to upgrade my laptop memory

A step by step guide to upgrading laptop memory yourself. whether it be a cheap notebook or a high-spec laptop, making a ram upgrade is fairly simple for your computer. memory is fairly inexpensive these days and with plenty of cheap ram available why waste money letting a professional do it when you can do it yourself?
Where to buy an HP laser colour printer

Where to buy an hp laser colour printer

Hp laser colour printers are a great printer because almost all hp printers are multifunction printers that can do a variety of tasks to fulfill your needs. for this reason, they are a highly recommended laser printer brand! find out where you can buy a hp laser colour printer now!
How to create your own home servers

How to create your own home servers

Current high-speed communication allows for the easy distribution of information between computers in a given local network. a nice possibility is to have a dedicated computer to centralise the information flow, and to store commonly used files, or even to install a web or email server for the local users. let's discover the basics for this in the article below.
How to interpret Windows Vista requirements

How to interpret windows vista requirements

Windows vista is among the latest operating systems released by microsoft. while the operating system delivers eye-catching graphics and exciting user interface, it also has certain requirements for hardware in your computer to run properly. understanding these requirements and updating your computer is necessary before you start installing windows vista will save you from much headaches. this article throws light on the requirements to install a windows vista operating system.