# What's the easiest way to erase my computer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2007, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479 "2007-02-24T05:22:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/1 "2007-02-24T05:22:12Z")
I’m giving it to my mom and I’d like it to be pure as snow for her. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/2 "2007-02-24T05:27:02Z")
Well, I assume with your mom, you’re not worried about data theft…so… Put in the Operating System install disk, format the hard drive and reinstall the OS. If you were throwing the system away, i’d say “GIANT RARE EARTH MAGNET!” If you were selling to unknown party, a low level format is good, but for your mom, just format and reinstall the OS. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/3 "2007-02-24T05:32:50Z")
I do not have the install disk, because I am an idiot. “I like pretty box, it shows me wonderful things” is my basic level of ability here. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/4 "2007-02-24T06:06:09Z")
[QUOTE=Love Rhombus] I do not have the install disk, because I am an idiot. “I like pretty box, it shows me wonderful things” is my basic level of ability here. [/QUOTE] So what is your mom going to do with it, if the hard disk is blank when you give it to her? Are you buying her a copy of Windows, or downloading a Linux distribution? In any case, the machine will need to have an OS installed on it after you wipe it clean. That OS will come with an install disk, and that disk will be able to format the hard drive and wipe everything. The exact step-by-step details vary, depending on the tool. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/5 "2007-02-24T06:11:04Z")
That’s a good point, and I do not know. Ok, let me ask a diffirent question: is there a way I can get rid of everything on here so that she will, in essence, have a blank computer? I mean, is it really as simple as just putting everything in the little trashcan and deleting it? ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/6 "2007-02-24T06:27:27Z")
If you don’t mind stuff being recoverable, a simple format and reinstalling windows will work just fine. If you were using this computer for your massive pr0n collection, then perhaps [DBAN](http://dban.sourceforge.net/) it, just so that it won’t be accidentally found. Then reinstall windows. Both options will clear any and all data off the drive, but the easier one is just to, as **Jman** said, just chuck in the OS disc and format and reinstall. > [@](#): > > is there a way I can get rid of everything on here so that she will, in essence, have a blank computer? Do you mean completely blank? as in no OS or anything? Because that would mean that the computer is completely useless until an OS is installed. Because you can always just format and not reinstall the OS. DBAN will do that by default as well. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/7 "2007-02-24T06:29:04Z")
Well, first you get this REALLY BIG eraser, … 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/8 "2007-02-24T06:40:37Z")
Yeees, but I have no OS disk. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/9 "2007-02-24T10:08:32Z")
I’m pretty sure there is software you can buy at many computer retail stores that serve the purpose of scrambling up the data, as to their efficacy I cannot say. ---
**Author:** ![Tiamatpuppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Tiamatpuppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiamatpuppy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/10 "2007-02-24T10:17:51Z")
Format it, install OS, then use Tracks Eraser Pro with 10x blank space overwrite. After that even the CIA wouldn’t be able to get anything off it ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/11 "2007-02-24T10:31:20Z")
How to clean your computer: 1. Find the “Add/Remove Programs” thing. Remove all your applications. 2. Run “Windows Explorer” and find all your files and delete them. 3. Run “Internet Explorer” or whatever you use to browse the internet and clear the Cache and all the Cookies. 4. Run your email program and delete all of your emails (assuming you have them backed up and moved to your new computer.) Delete them again from the Deleted folder. 5. Tell the Trashcan to totally dump everything. And if you have any drives **other than C:** , you can format **those** in Windows Explorer by right clicking them and choosing “Format”. But you don’t want to do that if there are any applications still installed on them. You do not want to format C: or else Windows will crash and burn and you’ll have a nice happy paperweight with a keyboard (unless you can find a Windows install disk.) And no, there is nothing particularly wrong with manually deleting stuff off of your computer as opposed to doing a fresh install of Windows. The disadvantages to it though, are that: 1. You will miss some things. This is just a given. 2. It’s tedious. 3. It is theoretically possible to reconstruct the files that you deleted (of course, even reinstalling Windows would still leave some data that could be reconstructed.) But unless your mom has a very bored, technically capable, and sinister young kid spending gobs of time around her house, that’s not a big worry. Nor if you’re worried that the Russian Mafia is going to invade her house. ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/12 "2007-02-24T10:32:30Z")
[QUOTE=Love Rhombus] Yeees, but I have no OS disk. [/QUOTE] In case you haven’t guessed from the various replies, you’re gonna need one. They’re available for download and purchase, depending on your opinion of copyright laws. _Fairly_ full details can be found [here](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcopyright1.htm)😉 ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/13 "2007-02-24T14:26:00Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] And no, there is nothing particularly wrong with manually deleting stuff off of your computer as opposed to doing a fresh install of Windows. The disadvantages to it though, are that: 1. You will miss some things. This is just a given. 2. It’s tedious. 3. It is theoretically possible to reconstruct the files that you deleted (of course, even reinstalling Windows would still leave some data that could be reconstructed.) But unless your mom has a very bored, technically capable, and sinister young kid spending gobs of time around her house, that’s not a big worry. Nor if you’re worried that the Russian Mafia is going to invade her house. [/QUOTE] **Love Rhombus** … let’s get real here. How much unsavory material is on your computer, and how willy-nilly have you been about it’s storage? A manual delete shouldn’t be that tough. It really shouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/14 "2007-02-25T06:34:34Z")
Just wanted to thank everyone for their help-I did finally just restore the computer to it’s “just from the store” configuration, so no more naughty stuff. It was a combination of the eleventh-hour deadline and my frustration over my tech stupidity. Now I’m on my new computer, and yes I kept all the disks this time. Now I crawl back into my shell-thanks again, ya’ll. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/15 "2007-02-25T16:30:29Z")
[QUOTE=essell] In case you haven’t guessed from the various replies, you’re gonna need one. [/QUOTE] No, you do not. People, **read** what the OP is asking. This is for is your mother, who is unlikely to have the knowledge, tools, or inclination to search through deleted files and see what she can recover. It’s a safe bet that unless she actually sees a file, she’s not going to go looking for it. So deleting the files and emptying the recycle bin is going to be fine for your purposes. **Sage Rat** lists some other good suggestions in order to remove programs and your cache. But unless your mother is an IT pro or FBI agent, deleting the files will do the job for her. If you’re really worried, defragment the hard drive after you’ve emptied the recycle bin (it’s under “Start” “Accessories” “System Tools” and make sure nothing, including your screen saver, is running when you run it). ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/16 "2007-02-25T16:59:47Z")
I urge you to reinstall the OS, even if you could delete stuff that will not be needed. It’s cleaner and safer. Deleting stuff wholesale can lead to unforseen problems that crop up later; it’s a real gamble. I believe companies like Dell and Gateway will sell you a replacement install disk for about $30. In your case, it’s probably worth it. A second source might be eBay. Failing this, get a new OS, format everything and install the new one. Just be sure the OS will work with the hardware you have, or be prepared for some upgrade costs. A manufacturer’s replacement install disk must match your hardware model, of course. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/17 "2007-02-25T18:12:12Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] I urge you to reinstall the OS, even if you could delete stuff that will not be needed. It’s cleaner and safer. Deleting stuff wholesale can lead to unforseen problems that crop up later; it’s a real gamble. [/QUOTE] Huh? If all the OP wants to do is delete browsing history and files and other stuff that his mother might not want to see, i don’t see how this is likely to cause any problem. There’s no reason that deleting documents and other nonessential stuff should have any effect whatsoever on the operation of the computer. Of course, if the OP were to accidentally start deleting essential dll files or program files, that would be different, but that’s hardly likely to happen in this case. I know the OP has already solved his problem, but if i were passing on a computer to my tech-challenged mother, and didn’t have an OS disc, this is what i’d do: [ul] [li]erase all the documents and files from the My Documents section, and anywhere else that i had stored stuff[/li][li]backup and then erase my email[/li][li]go into Control Panel \> Add/Remove Programs and get rid of any programs that my mother wouldn’t need (no point taking up space with Endnote or Dreamweaver)[/li][li]run antivirus and antispyware programs just to confirm that there are no malware nasties on the computer[/li][li]run a free program like [CCleaner](http://www.ccleaner.com/), which will: clear the cache/temp files of all browser; clear cookies, autocomplete, and browsing history; clear the recently opened documents sections of various programs; clear out a bunch of other unnecessary stuff.[/li][li]run disk defragmenter to consolidate the free space that you’ve cleared and unfragment any large files[/li][/ul] It’s very unlikely that such a procedure would have any adverse effects whatsoever on my computer. I would even consider using a partitioning tool (a free bootable disc like [GPartEd](http://gparted.sourceforge.net/) would do the trick) to partition the hard drive, leaving the OS and programs on one partition, and freeing up the other partition for file storage. This would also, if i were really paranoid, allow me to format the empty partition multiple times without erasing the OS. The reason i didn’t include this in the list above, however, is that i’ve heard of people who repartition their drive and lose the Windows installation. It doesn’t happen often, but it can happen. After i did all this, the CIA or FBI could, if they were so inclined, still probably discover my browsing history and recover some deleted files. But my mother, whose technological skills are limited to powering up and writing email, wouldn’t have a hope. Hell, if i left a folder clearly marked “Porn” somewhere other than right on the desktop or in My Documents, it’s unlikely my mum would stumble across it. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/18 "2007-02-25T19:29:29Z")
Don’t most new computers come without an OS disk? The OS is installed and basically configured, but the raw OS is still living on the hard drive ready to be reinstalled from the hard drive itself? Gota go to the set up bios for this I assume. That’s what I was told when I bought my Dell a few years ago. It did not come with an OS CD. The OS was pre-installed, and I was told repeatedly that I could do a re-install from the hard drive itself. I made a pain of myself and said that if I bought this software (XP) I want the install disk. I made an issue of it. They sent me TWO of them. :snerk:. Being polite and firm sometimes pays off. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-erase-my-computer/393479/19 "2007-02-25T19:41:46Z")
[QUOTE=mhendo] > [@Musicat](#): > > I urge you to reinstall the OS, even if you could delete stuff that will not be needed. It’s cleaner and safer. Deleting stuff wholesale can lead to unforseen problems that crop up later; it’s a real gamble. Huh? If all the OP wants to do is delete browsing history and files and other stuff that his mother might not want to see, i don’t see how this is likely to cause any problem. There’s no reason that deleting documents and other nonessential stuff should have any effect whatsoever on the operation of the computer. Of course, if the OP were to accidentally start deleting essential dll files or program files, that would be different, but that’s hardly likely to happen in this case. [/quote] Deleting just some data files doesn’t sound like it will do enough, but that’s up to Mr. Love Rhombus: > [@Love Rhombus](#): > > I’m giving it to my mom and I’d like it to be pure as snow for her. To answer mhendo’s “huh?”, installing and uninstalling programs, features and adjusting system settings over the lifetime of a computer can lead to much junk, garbage, and strange happenings. Many programs do not cleanly uninstall; others interact in ways that cannot be reversed. The registry can become mangled, the disk fragmented, and stubs of unused programs can take up space. Not only is it very easy to reinstall an OS if you have the reinstall disk(s), it is the only reliable way to reverse the ravages of time on a used computer. It’s as much of a sure thing as All The Way Wanda was in my high school. And compared to your suggested long list of things to do (defrag, run antivirus, crap cleaner, remove programs, erase email, wipe out history, etc.) reinstalling an OS is quicker and simpler. The alternative is a lot of uncertainty.