Or more, the HDD content?

Id like to give the kit away to charity but Mrs K is paranoid about the data residimg on the hard disk – best options to “cleanse” it?

DBAN it and give it away.

Yes as orangespyderman says, DBAN or even a full (not quick) erase using the windows CD and reinstall and is good enough.

Retro, a quick erase and reinstall will not prevent data retrieval. It’ll make it harder but not impossible compared to DBAN.

See how long it can stay on the Internet with no antivirus and not get infected.
Or see how many infections it can get on the internet with no anti-virus

Eh? I specifically said full and not a quick erase!! 😆

It doesn’t matter, unless your format the drive and have multiple passes writing 0’s then data can be retrieved.

When I said quick erase and reinstall (I meant in the process of it eg: it doesn’t take long to do that, a full DBAN wipe on mechanical HDD will take a while)

Actually, it does matter. Getting data back from a fully erased hard disk is a myth. Getting data back from a quick erased drive is trivial.

As I said, it’s fine to use DBAN, but it takes a lot of time and is not necessary.

Read this, (or at least the conclusion) before you post again:

http://privazer.com/overwriting_hard_drive_data.The_great_controversy.pdf

It doesn’t matter, unless your format the drive and have multiple passes writing 0’s then data can be retrieved.

Yes but as the effort required to reconstruct the drive will go far outweigh the value of the content a full format will probably be fine and a single glass dban pass more than effective unless your wife is hillary Clinton 😉

what’s on the drive that your mrs is keen to hide Kryten, eh?

Wot no suggestions to get all violent on the HD to make sure?

The reality as retro suggests is that any data removed such that forensic techniques are required to retrieve it is safe in the real world, and a full format accomplishes this. Nobody is going to be using forensic techniques on your drive if it isn’t full of government secrets, it’s just not worth it, however important those recommending multiple passes might think they are.

I have a small issue with that article being mainly about forensic/MFM data retrieval techniques. This method doesn’t work with the high density disks we see nowadays and certainly not SSD technology. I mean who actually removes the platter from the drive to do this??? (brings up the pertinent point of the drive cylinder/head alignment and the errors these cause but you know that as you read it)

Anyway, my real life data retrieval experiences show this article to be not entirely true. Make of that what you will but I’d choose to believe my own findings.

Retro, a quick erase and reinstall will not prevent data retrieval. It’ll make it harder but not impossible compared to DBAN.

A quick format and reinstall will not prevent some data retrieval by a hacker who knows what they’re doing, but it’s probably good enough if you’re giving it to your average layman / a mate. DBAN will render it irrecoverable (as will a full format for all practical purposes).

Hmm, I’m not sure I’d trust some of my mates not to find data after a quick format (I’m working on the poacher/gamekeeper principle here – I’m not sure I’d be above going delving 😈 ). Though I think we’re all agreed a full format is sufficient – it would be enough to put me off!

I DBAN but only as it’s probably the least hassle. If I’m giving to a charity shop I might stick Mint back on it, to prove its working rather than securing it.

It’s worth pointing out that a standard charity shop probably won’t be interested in your old computer – though there are specialist charities who do deal with that sort of thing.

Wherever you will take it will just sell or dispose of it as WEEE for the value of the metals in it so just remove hard drive and bash it reopeatedly and then bin the rest, its useless and worthless

It’s worth pointing out that a standard charity shop probably won’t be interested in your old computer – though there are specialist charities who do deal with that sort of thing.

Particularly if it’s got Mint on it!

Bung another couple of hard drives in it and set it up as a media/backup server.

A lightweight Linux install and have a play around for a bit.

Install remix os on it.

http://www.jide.com/remixos-for-pc

Download SNES and Megadrive emulators and build an arcade cabinet around it- hadoken!