"Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Mark Frost — Sun, 12 Jun 2016 22:50:28 GMT

CCleaner Free - I have used this to clear old memory cards & hard drives before selling/giving away - have used the multi overwrite function - has options of simple overwrite/3 pass/7 pass etc... and free space only or whole drive - whole drive useful if erasing a non system drive - can get a very cheap SATA to USB cable on ebay to plug drive into a different computer and then do full drive erase. I have tested with some basic data recovery software and was unable to retrieve info after three pass erase so that's good enough for me, but I would probably use 7 pass for more sensitive data - takes a long time though depending on size of drive (i.e. 1tb drive on 3 passes took more than 24 hrs, but 32gb sd card on 3 pass took around an hour - obviously 7 pass much longer!).

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Andy Elliott — Sun, 12 Jun 2016 22:37:02 GMT

I have always removed the HDD and then recycled the rest of the hardware to whoever can take it/use it.

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 17:13:45 GMT

They did? I guess it was quicker from their point of view. More dramatic. And it taught the Grauniad people a lesson.

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Gareth C. — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 16:50:40 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]

Plenty of free programs for Windows. Perfectly up to the job!

[/quote]

Interesting then that MI6 (or poss GCHQ) found it necessary to go into the office of the Gaurdian newspaper and take a hammer to the computer hardrives after one of the wikki leak episodes!

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Bob Russell — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 11:28:01 GMT

Plenty of free programs for Windows. Perfectly up to the job!

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Iain Richards — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 22:52:33 GMT

OK, 35 pass erase wins!

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 22:51:48 GMT

[quote user="John Wessels"]

you ll then have to overwrite all the sectors otherwise it is still there.

Sledgehammer only 100% safe method.

[/quote]

No.

"Zero out data" erases the information used to access your files and writes zeros over the data once. That would prevent anybody recovering the stuff with the common-or-garden disk recovery applications.

"7-pass erase" writes over the data seven times. It meets the US Department of Defense 5220-22 M standard for securely erasing magnetic media. That should be more than adequate, even for the most nervous, for wiping old clinical and financial information from practice computers.

"35-pass erase" writes over the data 35 times. Even the most ludicrously paranoid should be happy with that. Perhaps, maybe, the US or Chinese secret services have somewhere hardware, software and a team of technicians who might be able to extract little odd bits of data still, but would they be interested in acquiring Simon Neuhoff's old computers and trying to find out whether Binky Bloggs had a worm dose in 1999?

Surely there's software for Windoze that can do the same (albeit more clunkily) as Disk Utility for Mac OS? (By the way, you don't have to buy it, it's there ready provided along with a lot of other stuff on any Mac).

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Iain Richards — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 22:51:47 GMT

A huge electro magnet might do the trick, or a blow torch

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

John Wessels — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 20:08:40 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

Absolutely no need to smash anything with a hammer.

I only know Macs, but surely Windoze computers have something equivalent to Disk Utility that offers a range of degrees of erasure, from a simple "erase" after which someone (if they were bothered to) could retrieve most data with a little effort, right up to "35 x pass" that would defeat even the US Department of Defense.

And don't forget to "erase free space'.

No technical know-how required, nor time beyond that taken to click a few buttons.

[/quote]

you ll then have to overwrite all the sectors otherwise it is still there.

Sledgehammer only 100% safe method.

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 12:27:13 GMT

Absolutely no need to smash anything with a hammer.

And don't forget to "erase free space'.

No technical know-how required, nor time beyond that taken to click a few buttons.

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Iain Richards — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 11:15:55 GMT

If the machine is old, then it's the HDD that could be failing, so binning the HDD makes sense. They are remarkably hard, hammering only works if on a hard surface with a sledgehammer. IF you want to donate the whole machine, delete everything, including hidden fees the use one of the overwrite programmes to fill the disk up. As I understand it, "delete" just means that section of the disk can be overwritten and the overwrite programme fills th disk up with gibberish

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

John Wessels — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 10:22:39 GMT

remove the HDD's and destroy with hammer.

The rest of the pc can be used with a new HDD.

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Bob Russell — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 10:07:55 GMT

I have Secure Eraser on my laptop at home. This has data sanitising within it. Not tried it so not sure if it leaves the operating system or clears the lot!

Not got much that needs secure erasing but it makes me feel as if I am cleaning up the computer! Perhaps I am just old fashioned and cleaning up the discs was more important when they were much smaller!

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Simon Neuhoff — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 09:44:53 GMT

Thanks Alastair

What I had in mind really was donating the computers to a worthy cause. I just want to be certain I am not causing any issues re data protection/client confidentiality.

RE: "Recycling" computer equipment - safe?

Alastair Franklin — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 09:42:50 GMT

Generally speaking, it can be quite hard to completely remove all information from a hard drive (and still be usable). Depends how 'safe' you want to be. Best way is to use a data destruction program (potentially applied several times). Just deleting or formatting is not secure.

Best way though to make sure no one can access the data ever, is to go to town on the drive with a hammer, large magnet, and fire. Then repeat.

I don't know personally about the company mentioned, but use a certified refurbisher if in any doubt. But, for the costs involved, you may be better off just replacing / removing the drives and trashing the originals as above.