We’ve sold our old laptop, we have deleted everything off but I’ve read in the past about using some software to totally clean the drive.

Can someone point in the direction of what software to use, would also like to keep the current operating system installed for the new user but am not sure if this is possible???

take out the old one ,sell it without HDD . only way imo , is to destroy it compleaetly. im sure an adult will be along in a bit with some other advice.

There is software available.
I’ve used Killdisk at work, but you need to pay for that.
This one is free and meant to be good. Never used it, though it uses a similar method to Killdisk. DBAN

For the entire drive, google dban.
For wiping specific directories something like Eraser:
http://eraser.heidi.ie/

Or Ccleaner may help.
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Trick is to find all those nooks & crannies where your stuff is stored without compromising the OS.

Entire drive is safer.

http://www.dban.org/

Nuke the entire site from orbit—it’s the only way to be sure

Remove the drive and destroy it.

I think I’m correct in saying even the best HDD cleaners can’t access bad sectors that have been marked as unusable, or HDD Cache memory, which may still contains data (i.e. family names, bank details etc.)

What do security savy professional companies do? Yup, you guessed, destroy them.

There are two ways of doing this.

1) DBAN.

2) Incorrectly.

Choose wisely.

(Destroying a disk to a point of irrecoverability is surprisingly difficult. You need to reduce the platters to powder, ideally.

I once set upon one armed with a claw hammer and rage, granted I’m a sickly vegetarian but they’re shockingly resilient.)

I tried this myself once too, with a drill, clawhammer and 6 inch nails.
Not very easy to do.
DBAN it. From orbit, just to be sure.

1. Electromagnet

then

2. Sledgehammer

Just use DBAN.

Physically destroying it is overkill in 99.999999% of cases.

The remaining 0.000001% applies to drives that contain something that the security services (“ours” or “theirs”) may be interested in, or any gossip that News Of The World might publish. 🙂

Shred is a utility on Knoppix/Ubuntu that can be booted via a live CD and used to wipe the disc. I over writes the data with random data a multiple of times at a very low level so there is nothing readable left. Was the US DOD standard for a while and free!!

Used it many times no problems

If you have $$$$ to burn then a degausser:

Used one at work for several drives recently, fun!!!

Otherwise, DBAN.

Nuclear bomb. The EM pulse should wipe it.

Another vote for DBAN

DBAN worked for me but if you’ve sold it, make sure you have the OS disc to reinstall it. The person who bought it might be a little upset otherwise.

Either that or stick Ubuntu on it.

Thermic lance. surprisingly easy to make. Random O2 cylinder, any old pipe, box of swan vestas and hey presto. cuts concrete, steel, even silicon wafers like butter…..

oh and get some PPE, flip flops not recommended

I’ve got an old road-man’s spike at home, that’s pretty effective.

DON’T take it to PC World, whatever you do.

if you’ve sold it, make sure you have the OS disc to reinstall it.

Someone else’s problem, shirley.

would also like to keep the current operating system installed for the new user but am not sure if this is possible???

Aha.

Depends on the laptop, but is there a manufacturer’s “recovery” option where you can wipe and restore to factory default setup? That’s probably your easiest option.

(whilst your old data may technically be recoverable by security professionals following this sort of reset, I very much doubt that it’d be recoverable by someone buying an old second hand laptop).

Thanks for all the options everyone.

The recovery option sounds like a goer tbh, will give it a go this evening, or maybe tomorrow as doing tech stuff whilst drinking probably isn’t a good idea 8)