Jessie-Jess Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 My laptop computer (PC) has held up for years (for which I really do credit and thank the Lord), though it's been through a lot. Although it didn't make the noise (that I know of) the last time I used it, the old worn down computer was making funny noises a couple/few recent times that I tried to use it. It still works well, but it's bulky and I no longer have a case for it. I'll be moving soon, and I've thought of selling the computer or leaving it behind, though I'm not sure yet. If I do leave it behind, I would want to clear out any and all of my personal information, and that of the one(s) who bought the computer for me, if the computer is even storing the information. I also want to clean out all my files and remove its ability to restore the computer from the last time that I saved a back up on the computer (Basically, I don't want anyone to be able to "restore" old files on my computer.). Can anyone explain to me, or share with me some helpful links that will teach me how to clean out my computer, while still (if possible) preserving the original programs, so that there's no memory of my files that anyone can retrieve, and also so that all the personal information (if any is stored) is removed from the computer? Or is there a safe place that buys computers that will only use them for parts, or will clean them out before selling them? I'm sure that the people are rare who would buy a computer simply to steal someone's information, and may be overly cautious, but I still would like that security. In case it matters, it's Windows Vista operating system, and was purchased back in 2007. Any helpful advice would be appreciated. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B/W Photodude Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 Unless you are knowledgeable in military grade data wipes, destroy the hard drive! You can find replacement harddrives cheap enough on Ebay. You just have to decide how seriously you want your data erased. There should be a mylar tab on the side of it. Remove it and you should be able to see the platters. Pour in some corrosive liquid. If you really want to make sure it is never seen again, following the previous described maneuver, wrap the hard drive in dirty diapers and no one will ever open it up again! When my kids were little, that is how I got rid of credit cards I no longer needed. Cut them up and put some of the pieces in a REALLY offensive diaper and after several diapers, Voila! No more worries about the credit cards! Betcha Hillary wishes she had had the info in this post! Quote >>>Texts in blue type are quotes<<< ***************************************************************************** And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. --Shakespeare from Hamlet ***************************************************************************** Bill Liversidge Seminars The Emergent Church and the Invasion of Spiritualism Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outta Here Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 A ball peen hammer can do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted August 22, 2015 Moderators Share Posted August 22, 2015 1) I have drilled multiple holes through the hard drive and all platters. 2) There are many utility programs that will offer to wipe your files clean. The DOD standard is a 6X wipe. Anything less fails to meet the military standard. Some utility programs offer to do up to a 10X wipe. The more wipes you do the more time it takes, and the larger the size of the total files the more time it takes. NOTE: To total destroy you need to know if you have any files stored in the Cloud. You may have without knowing it. Quote Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B/W Photodude Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Macs will wipe up to 35 times. You have to really be afraid sometime is after whatever you want to erase. There are some videos on youtube for doing "platter transpants" which is why I suggested making sure the platters are wreck up. Quote >>>Texts in blue type are quotes<<< ***************************************************************************** And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. --Shakespeare from Hamlet ***************************************************************************** Bill Liversidge Seminars The Emergent Church and the Invasion of Spiritualism Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted August 22, 2015 Moderators Share Posted August 22, 2015 Yes, it is quite easy to wipe more than 10 times. Quote Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoarrge Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 I just take a mallet and awl to them. Outta Here 1 Quote To be an agent of creation is to serve the Creator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie-Jess Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 I don't want to destroy my computer...I want to sell it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outta Here Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted August 24, 2015 Members Share Posted August 24, 2015 I don't want to destroy my computer...I want to sell it... Just replace the hard drive!! If you fear that some info will not get destroyed when reformatting the drive, than just put a new one in. Or you can take it to a competent computer store, like say Best Buys Geek dudes, and they will take care of it for you! Or maybe you have a local computer store, they will also do this for you. Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie-Jess Posted August 24, 2015 Author Share Posted August 24, 2015 The computer probably wouldn't sell for what the new hard drive would be worth. I might get 25-50 dollars out of my computer, or maybe up to $100, I suppose. It's old and falling apart. It works well, right now, but it's also chunky and so it's not easy to carry. Still, I'd sooner keep it with me or sell it to a friend. I'm not worried about the government hacking into it to find out about my past, so much as I am some simple criminal who wants money sneaking in there and stealing my identity. If it's not an easy thing to do, then I probably don't need to get a new hard drive, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B/W Photodude Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 If I were buying a hardrive for an old computer, especially if selling it, I would get one off eBay. Security wise, people are getting wiser about wiping drives, but I used tp play with drives and undelete software. You would be surprised how much people used to leave behind that they thought was deleted. And a sidenote, many copiers such as at Kinkos also have harddrives. Images of your private papers getting copied are left behind on harddrives when you leave the store! Quote >>>Texts in blue type are quotes<<< ***************************************************************************** And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. --Shakespeare from Hamlet ***************************************************************************** Bill Liversidge Seminars The Emergent Church and the Invasion of Spiritualism Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie-Jess Posted August 24, 2015 Author Share Posted August 24, 2015 (edited) *sigh* I get it...I guess I'll have to either keep the computer or destroy it...or sell it or give it to a close and trusted friend with orders not to give it to anyone else... Edited August 24, 2015 by Jessie-Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted August 25, 2015 Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 *sigh* I get it...I guess I'll have to either keep the computer or destroy it...or sell it or give it to a close and trusted friend with orders not to give it to anyone else... Do you have the original operating OS disk? If you do just reformat the HD Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie-Jess Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 Do you have the original operating OS disk? If you do just reformat the HD No...Thank you for the advice, though. That makes more sense. If I ever had that disk, I wish I kept it. *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted August 26, 2015 Members Share Posted August 26, 2015 You might be able to get a replacement on ebay Quote phkrause By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aliensanctuary Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 What's your next computer going to be? Quote The Parable of the Lamb and the Pigpen https://www.createspace.com/3401451 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie-Jess Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 I can't afford to buy a computer nor a hard drive right now, not even on eBay. Even if I were to buy one, I don't know how long I'll be in the area here, and I'm supposed to be out of the place that I'm staying at least by next Friday. If I can, I'll hold on to my computer for now. If I need to get rid of it or if it breaks, I don't know when nor what the next one will be. I'd really rather buy a new one, if possible (even a small one, like a notebook or something), since there are so many risks involved with buying a used computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B/W Photodude Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I can't afford to buy a computer nor a hard drive right now, not even on eBay. If you are concerned about your data, you can create an account at dropbox.com and store it there. I forget how much you can have for free, but if you need more, you can get more space for a fee less than a harddrive. If out of a computer, most libraries now have computers for public use to access your data, email, etc. Quote >>>Texts in blue type are quotes<<< ***************************************************************************** And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. --Shakespeare from Hamlet ***************************************************************************** Bill Liversidge Seminars The Emergent Church and the Invasion of Spiritualism Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Bravus Posted August 30, 2015 Moderators Share Posted August 30, 2015 I think a lot of the info in this thread was overkill for what Jessie-Jess was really asking. We're not talking (I assume), about military secrets. A format of the hard drive, perhaps with a couple of runs of over-writing, would be plenty. Sure, it's *possible* to recover data, but it's either expensive or time-consuming or both: someone would need to know there was something valuable on there to look for, and be very keen to find it, to bother. A couple of wipes would be plenty to thwart idle curiosity. You'd need an operating system to install, though, Jessie-Jess: most people buying a cheap laptop are going to want it to already have Windows on it, rather than a bare hard drive that they have to install an OS on. I guess if someone wanted a cheap machine to play with Linux on or for uses like that, a laptop with a wiped drive would be OK. Hope this is useful, and all the best with it. Jessie-Jess and Naomi 2 Quote Truth is important Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie-Jess Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 If you are concerned about your data, you can create an account at dropbox.com and store it there. I forget how much you can have for free, but if you need more, you can get more space for a fee less than a harddrive. If out of a computer, most libraries now have computers for public use to access your data, email, etc. Thank you. I have a couple flash drives/USB drives or whatever they are called these days, on which I can store the files that I don't want to lose. I know I can store things on copy.com, too, but I only store there what I plan to share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie-Jess Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 (edited) I think a lot of the info in this thread was overkill for what Jessie-Jess was really asking. We're not talking (I assume), about military secrets. A format of the hard drive, perhaps with a couple of runs of over-writing, would be plenty. Sure, it's *possible* to recover data, but it's either expensive or time-consuming or both: someone would need to know there was something valuable on there to look for, and be very keen to find it, to bother. A couple of wipes would be plenty to thwart idle curiosity. You'd need an operating system to install, though, Jessie-Jess: most people buying a cheap laptop are going to want it to already have Windows on it, rather than a bare hard drive that they have to install an OS on. I guess if someone wanted a cheap machine to play with Linux on or for uses like that, a laptop with a wiped drive would be OK. Hope this is useful, and all the best with it. Yes, that is useful information. No, we're not talking about military secrets. Thank you Is there any way other than wiping the hard drive? For example, can I delete all of my files and then run a back up, so that when they restore, they'll restore the most recent back up of windows? Is my personal information, or that of the person who purchased the computer, even stored inside of the computer? Is it easy to retrieve? I suppose even if it is in there, but is not easy to retrieve, I wouldn't mind selling the computer to a close friend for some petty cash. Edited August 30, 2015 by Jessie-Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted August 30, 2015 Moderators Share Posted August 30, 2015 One might be surprised at what can be hacked. Data stored on the cloud potentially can be hacked. Quote Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie-Jess Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 (edited) Data stored on the cloud potentially can be hacked. What do you mean by "the cloud"? I keep picturing adobe, because they have this thing called "cloud". My computer was purchased back in 2007. I'm not sure it has a cloud, and I don't really have much, if anything to do with adobe cloud. Edited September 1, 2015 by Jessie-Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted September 2, 2015 Moderators Share Posted September 2, 2015 (edited) Many companies will allow you to store whatever you want in what is called the cloud. You will be able to access that data from any place in the world, if you have Internet access. Some software programs that you may have installed on your computer automatically store you data in the cloud. The above involves your data being stored on a server, somewhere that you can access outside of your home and home computer. Western Digital and Seagate both have systems that you can purchase that allow you to control your own cloud storage. This means that any data that you put into their systems can be accessed from anywhere in the world, if you have Internet access. In these versions of cloud storage, you physically have possession of the hardware that stores your data. That physical hardware is probably attached to you computer, But, it can operate independently of your computer. And you can access it from anywhere in the world if you have Internet access. When you have such a system, attached to your computer, your computer is probably automatically sending a copy of your data to the hardware device for storage and Internet access. So, when you travel to France and attempt to access it, you are not actually accessing your computer, but you are accessing a copy of your computer data on the hardware device that may be sitting next to your computer. Depending on exactly how you have set it up, you may have access to just about everything on your computer and the latest version of it as well as older versions. Edited September 2, 2015 by Gregory Matthews Quote Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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