Re: What about OLD computers??

["Lin Sims" <ljsims -dot- ml -at- gmail -dot- com>]

On Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 10:14 AM, Christine Sigman <c -dot- m -dot- sigman -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> (I hope this is not too off topic.) As so many of you have been kind enough
> to provide advice for acquiring a new laptop, perhaps you can help me with
> the opposite problem -- getting rid of an old one (or two).
>
> My husband and I have a few out-of-date but still functioning computers we
> need to get rid of. I know of several charitable organizations that will
> ensure they get to a good home, but am concerned about lingering data on the
> hard drives. Is there any program or technique for definitively scrubbing
> old machines? Any restore disks belonging to these machines are long gone.
>
> We're not trying to outwit a forensic squad from the IRS, I swear -- just
> trying to come up with the equivalent of shredding financial papers before
> putting them in the bin.

Try a google search for "secure wipe hard disk". There are tons of
utilities out there that will do this up to and including ones that
meet government spook specs.

What they essentially do is write the hard disk over and over and over
again with all 1s, or all 0s, or combinations, etc. It will take a
LONG time to do it even once, and most recommend that you do it at
least 3 times. But it is a reasonably secure way to wipe your disks
short of extra-powerful electromagnets or hammers.

HTH,

Lin Sims
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