I am giving an old computer to a local charity. All of my personal files and photos are taken off, but I’m wondering if I need to do more to prevent misuse. I’ve kept personal info like passwords and credit card numbers on there. Any recommendations as to ‘scrubbing’ it clean so there’s no way someone could access what I’ve deleted? Anything else I should do before I donate it?
Scrub it with something first, like this. Just because you deleted it doesn’t mean it ain’t still there.
(I’ve never used the linked freeware, so I make no claims about it. I’m sure there are other programs out there that’ll do the same thing)
After you wipe the drive clean (I use Privacy Suite from Acronis, but there are free alternatives), you’ll have to install an operating system. Otherwise it won’t be much use to anyone and I doubt the local charity wants to shell out money to buy Windows for an old computer (unless charities can get Windows really cheaply). So, if you don’t have a way to restore the OS after you wipe the drive you will be turning the computer into a brick.
Find a utility to scrub the hard drive, and run it about eight times.
You’ll need to make two CDs:
(1) Darik’s Boot and Nuke, which will completely erase all traces of data from the hard drive. You can be as paranoid as your time permits. Setting it to make 7+ passes overnight, for example, will effectively prevent all but the most aggressive forensics team from getting back any data.
(2) A Linux-based OS install CD, which will make the computer useful as a web-surfing, e-mail, and basic utility box.
Note that it’s illegal to install a copy of Windows on a machine you’re donating if you use the same Product Key to install Windows on the machine you purchased to replace it. If your new machine comes with Windows and installation media, then you can safely donate the old install discs, Product Key sticker, and user manuals.
One pass is all you need. Nobody who actually will get their hands on your hard drive will be able to recover a single bit of data from a drive that has been wiped with one pass of all zeros. Unless you think the NSA will somehow come into possession of your hard drive and will have some reason to want to find out what used to be stored on it, there is no reason to take extreme measures.
OK…thanks for the info.
I will try **Jurph’s ** suggestion, but I want to ask if it will delete the operating system? The computer was built by my uncle and runs Windows Millenium. He installed the OS, so I have no way of reinstalling it if it is deleted.
Just a piece of advice. Don’t give a computer to someone without providing a way to restore the OS. It’s not a question of IF the hard drive will crash, but WHEN.
And if they don’t understand why a recovery disk is important, then they need it more than ever.
Yes, the entire contents of the hard drive will be erased and you will have to install an OS to make the computer useful again. Jurph’s suggestion was to install a free Linux distribution. You wouldn’t have to worry about Windows licensing issues then, but I doubt too many charities would know what to do with a Linux-based computer.
If you don’t have a legal copy of Windows that you can install on the computer, you should check whit the charity whether they will have any use for a computer that doesn’t have an OS installed.
I have an old computer I was going to donate to Goodwill–they were actually doing a computer donation drive at Christmas–and they said that they remove all sensitive data from all the computers they receive. A lot of them are just sold for parts also, not as systems.
I can’t recall anything really sensitive I had on the computer, but should I worry anyway?
Always remove the hard drives. Erase them with a sledgehammer.
Doesn’t that make the computer a bit useless to the charity unless they’re only using it for parts? Or do you then install a new hard drive before donating it?
This charity intends to use the computer, not sell for parts. I don’t know if they’ll be able to install a new OS; I’ll have to call them tomorrow and find out. Seems unlikely, though.
I sent my uncle an email, I’ll see what he has to add.