How to help make sure all data is erased on hard drive.
Question
How to help make sure all data is erased on hard drive.
Answer
If you concerned with data being read or recovered from your hard disk drive after it has sold or given away, we highly recommend you try the utilities found at the below web pages. Using one of these utilities will allow you to completely remove all data and make it impossible to be recovered or read. After it has been erased you can re-install Windows.
If you
have an OEM computer (e.g. Acer, Dell,
and Hewlett Packard) the hard drive may have a
hidden system recovery partition.
Using the below utilities may could erase this partition, making it
impossible to restore your computer without a disc.
| Product | Web Page | Info |
| DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) | http://dban.sourceforge.net/ | Free |
| Blancco | http://www.blancco.com | Free and commercial version |
| Disk Wiper | http://www.diskwiper.com | Cost |
| Eraser | http://www.tolvanen.com/eraser/ | Free to all |
| Experteraser | http://www.experteraser.com/ | Cost |
| FileAssurity | http://www.articsoft.com/fileassurity_securedelete.htm | Cost |
| Harddisk Eraser | http://www.linux-kurser.dk/secure_harddisk_eraser.html | Free to all |
| M-Sweep | http://www.secure-data.com/ms.html | Cost and only available to certain customers |
| NecroFile | http://www.necrocosm.com/nfinfo.html | Free to all |
| No Trace | http://www.comtechnologies.com/notracemain.html | Cost |
| Permanent Erasure | http://www.winhex.com/security/index-m.html | Free to all |
| SDelete | http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/source/sdelete.shtml | Free to all |