Deleting files is not enough. Here is how to properly erase hard drives.
The right software can help. So can some power tools.
Since the Help Desk launched last year, we have received loads of requests for the best ways to preserve different kinds of data in our lives, such as voice mails, conversations and even cherished home videos
Judging by the state of our shared inbox, though, the opposite is also true. Many of you are just as eager to find out how to make some of your data disappear entirely, whether it is splashed across social media or locked up in old hard drives sitting around the house.
“I have several old computers that I would like to donate to charitable organizations for schools,” one reader wrote in an email. “I have erased the information on the hard drive but have heard that simply deleting data does not remove it completely. Can you advise how to securely wipe data from a computer?”
Unfortunately, they heard right. Just because you deleted a file on your computer and emptied the recycle bin does not mean it is gone forever. Making sure those files are properly gone will take some extra work, but if you are considering donating, selling or even recycling an old computer with a hard drive in it, it is absolutely worth putting in the time.
“There are so many stories about people buying used computers online and recovering data,” said Andrés Arrieta, director of consumer privacy engineering at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “It is kind of scary. It is all your life there.”
If you are serious about keeping your data away from potentially prying eyes, here is how to securely erase your old hard drives.
For a working computer
If you can actually fire up and use the computer you want to get rid of, consider yourself lucky. With the right software, the process can be mercifully simple. Thankfully, in some cases, the operating system that runs the computer already has everything you need to securely erase the hard drive.
Windows 8.1
Click the Settings icon, then click “Change PC settings.”
Click Update and Recovery, followed by “Recovery.”
Under the heading “Remove everything and reinstall Windows,” click “Get started.”
When prompted, select the option “Fully clean the drive.”
Windows 10
Click the Windows button in the bottom corner, then the Settings icon.
Click Update and Security, then “Recovery” in the sidebar.
Under “Reset this PC,” click “Get started,” then “Remove everything.”
When you get to the “Additional settings” screen, click “Change settings” and make sure the “Clean data” and “Delete files from all drives” options are enabled.
Windows 11
Click the Windows button in the toolbar, then the Settings icon.
Click on Update, then “Recovery” and select the “Reset PC” option.
Choose “Remove everything,” then click “Change settings” to make sure the “Clean data” option is enabled.
For computers running older versions of Windows like XP or Vista, you may need to turn elsewhere for the right tools. The Electronic Frontier Foundation also recommends using free apps like BleachBit for securely erasing individual files.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/07/08/how-to-secure-erase-your-hard-drive/
TOP KEK
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/07/08/how-to-secure-erase-your-hard-drive/