When it’s time to sell your computer, you need to completely erase the hard drive. After all, you do not want to leave behind any personal or proprietary data or files that could be used by other parties. In this post, we will show you how you can permanently delete all data stored on your computer.
Delete vs wipe data
Anyone can delete the data. Moving items to the basket is not difficult. But this is not the same as erasing data. A deleted file can be recovered using a file recovery program or special hardware. It is good practice to format your hard drive before selling it, but even that is not enough to completely erase the data.
However, you should be sure to erase your hard drive before proceeding. Once the process is complete, you can no longer recover the deleted data.
Erase your data
Follow the steps below to erase data from your Windows or Mac computer. We recommend using built-in tools in the operating system in addition to third-party data destruction software to ensure complete and irreversible deletion of data.
Step 1. Do the preparatory work
Step 1: Do some prep
Before you start, you need to prepare to clean up your hard drive. Here are some of the things you will need.
Data Destruction Software
You will need to download a data cleaning program for Mac or Windows. Some cleaning software can only clean hard drives, not SSDs (solid state drives). You should also look for software that can work with bootable discs such as flash drives if you wipe your entire computer.
Here are our recommendations for Windows:
MiniTool Partition Wizard – The free version of the program lets you wipe your disk and gives you several options, including the super safe DOD option.
Disk Wipe is a free portable application with several different algorithms for securely wiping data.
DBAN is the software that almost every website will offer, so it’s worth giving it a try as well. They are really trying to sell you their paid software, but you really don’t need it unless you are a spy or government agent.
If you are a Mac user, we have the following guidelines:
Active @ KillDisk for Mac – The free version lets you wipe your drive using the One Pass Zeros data wiping standard. If you want more secure methods, including the DoD option, you’ll have to purchase the app.
OS X users should try using the built-in Disk Utility to safely erase your Mac’s hard drive. We’ll talk about this below, in step 2a.
Data backup
Needless to say, please back up any important files before proceeding. You can copy and paste all your data to a temporary location outside of the disk to be erased.
Explore your backup options. In Windows 10, go to Windows Settings> Update & Security> Backup. Here you will find several options for backing up your files.
Product Information
Be sure to keep all information about your product handy. Make sure you protect product keys, for example for Windows. You will need them if in the future you will reinstall the software on another computer.
Boot disk
You will need a dedicated USB stick for data destruction software. You will not be able to run the application from your computer if you clear it. Therefore, you need to save the program to an external drive. You can also save it to CD.
Most cleaning programs are saved as an ISO image file. You cannot simply copy and paste the ISO file. Read our guide on how to burn an ISO file to a CD or flash drive if you don’t know how to proceed.
Step 2: Reset Windows first
Go to Windows Settings> Update & Recovery> Recovery. Under Reset this PC, click Get Started.
You will then be prompted to select an option. You can keep all your files or delete all. Click Remove All.
Windows will continue to delete all of your files. Also, check out our step-by-step guide to reset Windows 10 if you have problems with the steps above.
Note. If you are asked if you want to not only delete files, but also clean up disks, select “Delete files” and “Clean up disk”.
Step 2a: Use Disk Utility on the Mac
The steps to clean up your Mac hard drive are pretty simple.
Shut down your Mac first. Then press the CMD and R keys on your keyboard. While holding down the keys, turn your Mac back on.
Hold it until you see the Apple logo and loading screen. Let go and wait until you see the macOS utilities screen.
Go ahead and select Disk Utility and then click Continue. You will see a list of all drives in the left pane. Select the top-level drive you want to erase to select it and then click Erase.
If you’re erasing an internal SSD, you just need to choose a format (usually APFS or Mac OS Extended Journaled) and a schema (almost always a GUID Partition Map).
If you delete anything else, you will also see a Security Options button.
Here you will be presented with a slider from fastest to safest. The safest method will take much longer, but will reliably erase the data.
Step 3: Run the data wiping software
Each program works differently, but most of them have simple instructions. You will probably need to restart your computer to run the program. Insert your CD or flash drive and restart your computer. After restarting, your computer should give you access to the data erasure program.
If you are having trouble loading the program, you may need to make some changes to your BIOS settings.
To access the BIOS, go to Windows Settings> Update & Security> Recovery. In the Advanced Startup section, click Restart Now.
On the next screen, go to Troubleshoot> Advanced options> Select UEFI settings> Restart. This will open the BIOS after a system reboot.
The BIOS interface will depend on the motherboard used. However, the entire BIOS allows you to change the boot order Reorder CD / DVD or removable devices. This will allow your computer to run the contents of your CD or flash drive, respectively.
Step 4: Physically Wipe the Hard Drive (Optional)
Unless you plan on using your hard drive again, you should consider physically cleaning it up. A rare earth metal can be used for this. Others resort to dismantling the drive by unscrewing it before scrapping everything.
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