I've got a laptop that needs fixing/scraping, it's under warranty but the battery only now lasts 20 mins and the buttons have sort of 'collapsed'. Anyway i want to take it in to be fixed, but what is the best way to remove all files and personal data prior to this? I've heard that some info stays on the system even when deleted, although i have no idea if that's true or not. I can't format the HD as i don't have an XP disc, it never came with one, or a recovery disc. I just want to hand it back pretty much as i got it, is there any way of doing this on XP?
Cheers in advance, and no i'm not really Gary Glitter or that guy from The Who.
Do you need to take it in to be fixed? Probably get a battery from ebay, and when my keyboard failed to recover after being splashed with tea, I got a new one off ebay for about £15, and replacing it was just a case of prising off the speaker grill, four tiny screws and one connector for the foil wiring tab.
If you want to renew it to how it was when you got it, you might find there is a recovery console in the start menu, on mine the recovery stuff is stored on a separate partition on the hard disc (D)
Why do you need to remove all data before having it fixed? If they steal anything that is your property then it is theft - perhaps then you should take it to someone you can trust?
Above Keyboards are simple to replace, if you can find a new one, normally a couple of screw underneath and a simple data connection.
DBan boot and nuke to wipe the data, can be burnt to cd (fdd!), pxe, or put onto USB stick... www.dban.org
Though if you don't have an operating system disc, what are you going to load it with once repaired?
Most techies are not interested in your data, not quite sure why your so worried about it, ok they might browse what you do have if there really nosey - just delete those piccy's of you and the vaccum off it, no ones going to waste time looking to recover data whilst fixing a pc
hmm re-reading your post, don't use dban... off-hand nothing will get you back to the 'basic' OS (no data or programs) other than your recovery disc*.
If it's a large brand make you might find some-one with one of these if you look/ask round - might even be worth going back to the manufacturer.
* Unless there a recovery partition, which should appear as an option as you boot?
Otherwise just delete the data normally from within XP, as above, no one going to start recovering data unless you ask them to (or are under observation/investigation for silly/nasty stuff....)
It's just a standard warrentee thing really, I just wanted to take steps to make sure my information was secure, if it's easy to do then there's no harm in doing it, only potential harm in not doing it.