Cleaning my Hard drive

Discussion in 'Software' started by balloo, Apr 11, 2010.

  1. balloo

    balloo Private E-2

    Hi I want to sell my old PC so i need an Excellent Hard Drive Cleaner I am not a computer techie more a computer dummy but what I have read about software that can recover anything off your Hard Drive (Encase or F.R.E.D.D.Y) I am afraid that someone will be able to retrieve my Data I do all my banking and payment of bills on the net So I am looking for a good one please Evidence Eliminator looks good but it costs nearly 100 English Pounds thats to expensive for my disabled pension to afford. In case you are wondering a new Computer is to expensive for me to but as my son is in business he is upgrading and giving me his computer. :p
    Thanks Guys
     
  2. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi

    This PC of yours is it one from the likes of DELL, HP (OEM makers) etc that will have a restore disk/partition or is it a custom build PC that you still have a Windows disk for?

    Reason to ask this is you could wipe the HDD completely and re-install a base Windows with no apps or what came with the OEM PC.


    Or you can use the likes of Eraser and CCleaner to wipe files (in CCleaners case you need to choose the secure erase options in the Options > Settings menu, depending on what erase option you choose be it 3 pass or 35 pass Gutmann then it may take quite a few hours to finish. It may also take a while to make sure you have deleted and erased securely all your personal files.
     
  3. balloo

    balloo Private E-2

    Hi Halo
    I have CCleaner. Eraser I don't have But do they completely remove things If for instance someone with Encase or freddy would they be able to access my data? I have seen loads of HDD cleaners on Major Geeks but what is a good one I hope I am making myself clear as I tend to say things thinking I am saying the right thing but just confusing everyone. My computer is a Dell I do have a rescue disk? that I can reinstall windows (XP HOME) if need be. I have also bought a windows (XP Pro disk) with licence for my new s/h computer. :confused I am.
     
  4. plodr

    plodr Major Geek Super Extraordinaire

    Yes. Eraser allows you to wipe something with 35 passes. If you still don't trust it, the run it again for 35 more passes.
    It also allows you to defrag then erase the "free space" just in case fragments of files are sitting around from the defrag.
    When you are erasing, just don't erase the rescue partition if there is one (it might be labeled D).
     
  5. mr. Tittles

    mr. Tittles Private E-2

    :p bla bla... there are programs that have all shredding methods not only the 35-pass method (for example mil shield, not sure about ccleaner. And 1 fact: Eraser shreds the free space so slowly that this make me angry each time I run this program. Mil shield has fastest shredding I've ever tested.
     
  6. plodr

    plodr Major Geek Super Extraordinaire

    I don't need fast and since I've used eraser and DBAN for years with no problem, why should I change?
    If you read Halo's post #2, you will see he told the OP exactly how CCleaner works to erase.
     
  7. surefire

    surefire Private E-2

    I find that CCleaner and Eraser do a good job on one pass. An additional step to test the wipe he could use one of the free data recovery apps to assure himself everything is gone.
     

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