Wiping Computer Clean Before Selling

[cnkp21]

Hi

 

I am hoping to sell my laptop in the near future and want to ensure the hard drive is completely clean of all sensitive data and can not be recovered. 

 

There is conflicting and ambiguous information on the internet so I am a little confused. 

 

Would it be sufficient with no risks of my previous data being recovered to delete all user profiles, use the CC Cleaner Disk Wipe utility and then return the laptop back to factory setting. 

 

My laptop is a Windows 7 Acer Aspire 5741Z and I can not find the windows recovery CD's. 

 

I will appreciate people's assistance. 

 

Many thanks 

 

Chris 

[mta]

Hi Chris and welcome to the forums.

 

You're going to get many different views on this subject - as it sounds like you have already discovered.

But for my 2 cents worth - it all comes down to how 'sensitive' is the data you don't want recovered.

 

If it is not sensitive, what you describe will suffice; reformat the drive and reload Windows. (however you actually do that doesn't matter, the end result will be the same - as fresh install of Windows on a clean drive).

 

But if the data is sensitive or you simply want 100% chance of it not to be recovered then nothing short of replacing the hard drive will suffice.  No matter what happens to the current drive, if someone has the correct software, enough knowledge, motivation and time then the data (or part thereof) can be recovered.

 

Of course the recovery process will be tedious and 'data' will be recovered in 'portions' if the drive has had all the I/O from the format and reinstall but if you have ever been on the wrong end of Murphy's Law then you can bet that file containing your passwords will have a section recovered enough that will show something you didn't want known.

 

You are going to be up for the drive wipe and software reinstall anyway so why not add 5 more minutes to the task and $60 and buy a new 500gig drive and be done with it.

 

The new buyer will appreciate a new drive (with manufactures warranty) on an old laptop and you can always increase the sale price accordingly.

You also have the old drive to recover data from later if something was forgotten and to whack into an external enclosure to use as a backup medium.

 

As to not having the recovery CD's, you may still be able to make them from the ACER software that should be on the laptop.  Or just use anyone's Windows 7 disk that matches your version and use the Product Key that should be stuck on the underside of the laptop.  You could also burn an ISO image of Windows 7 from a download from a trusted web source.

[login123]

Agree w/ mta: 

1.  If the data are really sensitive, destroy the drive. 

2.  If not, reset the laptop to factory and wipe it like you described.  That will wipe the data beyond the reach of almost everybody. 

 

For that second option, you can try to reset the laptop to factory original settings, using the built in restore partition. That would be easiest. 

That usually starts with pressing f10 at startup, but it often is not straightorward.  Toms Guide has many references to how to do it.  Go see: 

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/s/restore+acer+aspire+5517+factory+settings/
or more generally
http://www.tomsguide.com/forum/all.html?tag=aspire&refine=restore
see also here 
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2219400

If you have to reinstall windows you can download the necessary iso file from here.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery

You'll need the product key, usually on the bottom of the laptop, and be sure you download the correct version of win 7.

 

If you need the drivers for your laptop, they can be found here by entering the model number: 

http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/drivers

[cnkp21]

Guys,

 

I appreciate your assistance. My data will be limited to website passwords, bank information, national insurance numbers, addresses, personal information etc from general Internet usage only.

 

Obviously this is sensitive to myself but from what you both describe, returning the computer to factory default and using Ccleaner disk wipe will be more that sufficient.

 

Would you recommend that I carry out the disk wipe first then the factory reset or vice versa.

 

Many thanks

 

Chris

[mta]

That would depend on where the factory reset was coming from.

As @login123 stated, one way is to use the Recovery partition if your ACER has it, so if this was going to be done, doing a drive wipe may effect that.

It all depends on what the wipe does, what partitions get included, if you have a Recovery partition.

 

If you don't want to go down the 'buy a new drive' path, and you consider the chance (however small) of having any data potentially recovered, then if it was my laptop I was selling, I would get the Windows 7 installation CD ready, my Product Key and any drivers needed to reinstall the network card, sound card, video card, USB3 ports etc ready, then I would MAKE SURE MY DATA IS BACKED UP, and reboot the PC changing BIOS to boot from CD first.

 

I would have had my Windows 7 in the tray, tell the laptop to boot from DVD and during the Windows installation process, tell it to delete my current partition and start again.

 

I can't stress enough, once you go down the path of 'wipe and reload' there is no turning back.  Once you sell the PC there will be no "Whoops, I forgot to save my bookmarks" avenue to get anything back.

 

If you haven't backed up ALL you data before when reloading Windows, there is always some niggling thing you forget.

 

Up to you, but I still think you should consider buying a new drive option.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your skill set in installing a new drive, or backing up your software, or performing a factory reset?

Just trying to gauge if I'm teaching you to suck eggs and you already have a handle on all this.

[login123]

"Would you recommend that I carry out the disk wipe first then the factory reset or vice versa."

 

Not very sure about this, would be interested to hear what other members think.

But, I think you do the reset first, then use CCleaner to wipe the free space. 

 

Out of curiosity, is the Acer factory reset method available for you? 

 

Edit:  mta posted while I was typing so I didn't see it.  

. . . For my part, I could plan it for a year and would still forget something. 

[mta]

In my experience, almost all manufactures factory reset process includes a 'drive wipe', either by a quick reformat or by deleting the current Windows partition.

[cnkp21]

mta - I am no expert and although computers are becoming more complicated every day, I am generally ok to a certain degree. I have used the factory reset on this laptop and other laptops in the past so I will have no trouble doing that or backing up data. I have not replaced a hard drive but have removed one from another laptop. Generally if I dont know how to do something, a quick google search and I am usually sorted. On this occasion it is proving more difficult. 

 

As stated I do not have windows restore CD or any other recovery CD's and the windows licence key bar code has rubbed off the bottom of my laptop. Although I am generally ok with computers I am concerned that if I fully wipe the hard drive I may struggle to restore it back to original. 

 

I have read online that if you use Dban Nuke and Destroy then it will wipe the entire hard drive including any recovery partitions, therefore it probably would be best to restore to factory setting and then download Ccleaner and wipe the free space. This may be a ridiculous question but if I restore to factory settings, is the free hard drive space the only place that my data can be restored from? 

 

I do not feel that my data is that sensitive apart from financial information and if I can restore to factory settings and run Ccleaner, so that my data is more or less impossible to recover without the use of sophisticated and expensive recovery software, then I am sure that would be sufficient. 

 

ISO-later - If I press F8 during start up then it brings an option to repair the computer and then to restore to factory settings. 

 

I will look forward to hearing from you both. 

 

Cheers 

 

Chris 

[Andavari]

...is the free hard drive space the only place that my data can be restored from?

 

MFT could be a place.

 

While some people have claimed they can recover files using Recuva, etc., after using CCleaner's Wipe Free Space I personally haven't been able to - but then again I'm on an old XP system.

[cnkp21]

Andavari - Thank you for your message. If you were in my situation would you be happy to just carry out the procedure that I have described?

 

I am not a massively paranoid person so if it would be extremely difficult to recover my data following the use of Ccleaner then I would be satisfied.

[login123]

For some of your questions:  

"Would you recommend that I carry out the disk wipe first then the factory reset or vice versa."
The easiest way will put your old files beyond the reach of anybody except some government agency:  
- First back up the data you want to keep.
- Next do the factory reset.
- Next install an antivirus and firewall if you want them.
- Next reinstall Windows updates, (so you must get on the 'net).
- Next wipe with CCleaner.  
- Next, if you wish, use Recuva to see if anything is leftover.  
- Next, if you wish, verify that with other free recovery tools.

After the factory reset, some links to your old files might still be "floating around" on the HDD.  
The wipe with CCleaner will take care of that if you have the right boxes checked.  

"I am concerned that if I fully wipe the hard drive I may struggle to restore it . . ."

If you mean fully wipe like with DBAN, you will have to format the drive and do a complete reinstall of windows and (I think) the drivers for your computer.  DBAN is effective but extreme.  If that is your choice, a new hard drive would actually be easier.  As in post #3 above.

Basically the Acer reset reformats the drive and reinstalls the factory original software for you.
The Acer restore partition will still be there to use again if need be.   
CCleaners wiping functions will not remove the Acer Restore partition nor any software unless you select it.  

". . . is the free hard drive space the only place that my data can be restored from?"
Internet activity and most any computer activity leaves tracks all over the place; on the individual computer, on the ISP servers, on the sites visited, etc, etc.  But, as to just cleaning up your own computer, it is much easier.  
 

[cnkp21]

Cheers ISO- Later

 

I think I will go with that and using Recuva to check for any left over data is an excellent idea. I didn't even think of that.

 

Thank you for all your help guys.

 

Regards

 

Chris

[login123]

You're very welcome. 

Do post back and say how it goes, if you have time. 

It's always frustrating to not know if something worked, there are soooo many variables. 

I have done one acer restore, the MBR was messed up and all the time went to getting that right. 

Once the Acer restore function started working it was a breeze. 

[Andavari]

Andavari - Thank you for your message. If you were in my situation would you be happy to just carry out the procedure that I have described?

 

What login123 just posted sounds good.

 

Given the fact that you don't have an install CD or recovery discs you'd need to go the non-destructive route.

[cnkp21]

I am not planning to do it for another month or so until my wife finishes Uni and I can commandeer her newer laptop, but I will definately post my results. I have returned it to factory settings before and it was an easy process so I am not anticipating any issues.

 

Thanks again

[mta]

and on the rubbed out product key front, programs like Speccy or Belarc should be able to retrieve that for you.

I suggest you use more than one of them just to verify that they both give the same answer.