Erasing already deleted data without the ability to ever rocever from HD

I`m not sure if this is the right forum but if i wanted to give away my computer but wanted to make sure no personal data was ever recovered how can i permanently make deleted data that was already deleted(Shift+Delete way) unrecoverable to the best of my ability?
Without actually pulling out the hard drive and smashing it to pieces? I want the HD to be useable so they don`t have to buy a new one.

 

Hi,

Are you trying to keep the operating system or are you planning to reinstall the OS before giving it away?

 

Hey sach2.
I`ll reinstall the OS.

 

Killdisc and/or a full format when reinstalling.

 

Killdisk or any program that will overwrite every sector of the HD will work.

Whichever program you use you should get one that is a bootable CD so that it has full access to the HD.

HD manufacturer's almost all have a utility that will do a low-level format or "write zeros" to their brand drive. Basically they just put a zero or 1 in every space on the HD. So all data is overwritten and anyone looking gets nothing but zeros or ones.

 

Agreed with sach2, it's called 'factory condition' or something like that. Plus it'll hide any bad areas found on the disk.

 

So it will make already deleted data unrecoverable? I don`t mean just the data that is about to be deleted on my Hard Drive, i mean every single data i have ever deleted.
If so, which program would you recommend me that is bootble by CD?
Thank you both.

 

I've only ever used the manufacturers utility. You can find the brand of HD by going to Computer and right-clicking on C: and on the Hardware tab you should see either Seagate/Maxtor or WDD for Western Digital. Give the brand of HD and we can find the utility.

Yes, when you overwrite the HD you are filling every bit of it with new data thus all the old data is destroyed and unrecoverable.

 

Seagate and i would also like for WDD My Book Essential please.
Are these better or KillDisc?
And do these programs damage the HD? Do they also work on External HD?
Should i use Gutmann`s method?
Thank you for being patient with me.

 

They all do the same job and only the government or a very expensive private company can/might retrieve some data, I wouldn't worry.

No to damaging the HDD, if it can't handle the wipe to factory condition, then it's not going to last long anyways. I don't know 'Gutmann's method'.

 

It`s supposed to be the most secure way to delete data available on killdisc.

 

Ya, with 7 wipes IIRC. At any rate, you'll be fine with one pass for free.

 

Thank you both, i got it done.

 

Well i used killdisk on my external hard drive but now the driver won`t show up anymore. Anyone got an idea what to do now?
Its Western Digital My Book

 

Never mind, fixed it.
Sorry.

 

Sorry, I didn't get notices for this thread.

I'm glad you worked things out.

I'm curious what the problem was with the My Book. I've seen threads where people had problems getting a drive recognized after Darik's Boot and Nuke (another popular eraser). Was it an easy fix after Kill Disk on the external?

 

No worries, and yeah it stops recognizing the drive but i downloaded a tool from Western Digital, it is a format program and it brings back the drive.
So basically just use Kill Disk and then format using the tool from WD.

 

At least you'll know the machine was clean!:-D