I will be donating my XP version PC, but before I do, I want to know if there is a free computer clean up that will erase ALL information that has been stored on my pc… like all my pics, music, personal info etc. anyone have any suggestions? Thanks you!
Darik’s Boot and Nuke is a free program that can wipe the hard drive completely clean of data. You can download DBAN for CD/DVD, USB drive, and even floppy. If you have any question on how to use DBAN for deleting data check out their FAQ.
Another way to wipe the hard drive clean is to format the hard drive and reinstalling Windows. If you happen to have your Windows install disc you can format the drive and put a fresh copy of the operating system on the computer with Windows disc. It’s sometimes called a “restore disc”, this will take the computer back to the state when you first bought the computer, completely fresh.
Thanks for the info on pc clean-up it is very helpful and a valuable useful tool to know about.
The only thing about reformatting your computer is that it does not irrevocably delete your data. All it does is remove the address to the file. The data is still written to the hard drive and you can use file recovery software to recover personal information. The only way to really delete the data is to overwrite it and that is where dban is such a great solution
Boot and nuke is the best way to go. After you create the cd, you boot from it and will take a while, but it will destroy your data. We use it all the time when its time for computer “recycling”