# Dumping everything on a computer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumping-everything-on-a-computer/247088 "2004-05-26T00:02:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumping-everything-on-a-computer/247088/1 "2004-05-26T00:02:33Z")
This is probably a really stupid question, but I’m only very slightly computer literate. We’re moving overseas on Friday. My computer is a piece of crap. I want to get rid of everything on it so that we can give it to Salvation Army tomorrow and not have much of a chance of someone taking a look at our budget or sending cards to everyone on my Christmas Card List. I don’t have any start-up disks or anything like that. How do I erase this thing so that someone who is slightly computer literate won’t log on as me on the SDMB??? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumping-everything-on-a-computer/247088/2 "2004-05-26T00:08:12Z")
There are several programs out there that will “shred” the hard disk. The one I use is called Steganos Safe Security Suite, or something like this. I am sure you can find some free program out there to do the job. One I found by Googling is this: [http://www.bulletproofsoft.com/ds-download.html](http://www.bulletproofsoft.com/ds-download.html) ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumping-everything-on-a-computer/247088/3 "2004-05-26T00:08:52Z")
You didn’t mention OS, or other specifics. In general you can use Windows explorer to locate all of your data files, highlight them and hit the delete key to relegate them to the trash. When all the data files are in the trash, simply empty the trash. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumping-everything-on-a-computer/247088/4 "2004-05-26T00:10:18Z")
This should do the job: [http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file\_description/0,fid,22920,00.asp](http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22920,00.asp) ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumping-everything-on-a-computer/247088/5 "2004-05-26T00:14:54Z")
Thanks, guys. I’m going to try one of those right now. If you see me back again, it means it didn’t work 🙂 If it does work, see y’all later! I’ll be offline until we get settled and get a new computer…about a month?? (or until I can find someone else’s computer to use for an SDMB fix). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumping-everything-on-a-computer/247088/6 "2004-05-26T00:18:33Z")
Last time I got rid of a computer (it wasn’t being donated or anything, just plain getting rid of it), I just yanked out the hard drive altogether. I think I even dented the hell out of it with a hammer just to be on the safe (okay, fun 😃 ) side. (Of course it should be noted that even in that condition someone who REALLY wanted to could probably still recover the data off it) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumping-everything-on-a-computer/247088/7 "2004-05-26T02:01:05Z")
Destroying the hard drive of a computer intended to be donated is _clearly_ a bad idea. Do you think the SA has the money to go out and buy HDs for donated PCs? A working computer might be worth $10-20 to them. A non-working computer is going to _cost_ money to get rid of. Use a disk erase/shredder program. Do _not_ just delete files. They can be easily recovered. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumping-everything-on-a-computer/247088/8 "2004-05-26T02:20:57Z")
[Darik’s Boot and Nuke](http://dban.sourceforge.net/) does a great job and is free as well.