Nemetona
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reformat hard drive
We are moving office and I need to dump several old PC's. I would like to remove all the data from them and just leave the os intact.
Is there a quick way to do this or should I just drive a nail through the hard drive?
Is there a quick way to do this or should I just drive a nail through the hard drive?
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If you want to sell or give the PC's away, you MUST also remove the OS, as company PC's usually use Volume Licenses, and those licenses are company property and can't be transfered to new owners (unless of course you transfer all the licenses to the same person).
If the licenses aren't volume licenses, you should still reinstall the OS from scratch, so there is no software left on the PC's that would be licensed to you, and also because a 2nd hand PC should just have the bare factory setup on them.
So use DBan (already mentioned above), to clean the complete disk along with the OS, and then either sell / donate the PC's without OS, or if they originally came with OEM OS versions installed, restore them to the original factory setup.
If the licenses aren't volume licenses, you should still reinstall the OS from scratch, so there is no software left on the PC's that would be licensed to you, and also because a 2nd hand PC should just have the bare factory setup on them.
So use DBan (already mentioned above), to clean the complete disk along with the OS, and then either sell / donate the PC's without OS, or if they originally came with OEM OS versions installed, restore them to the original factory setup.
Depends on type of computer.
Most newer computers have recovery partition to recover to a state in wich you purchased them.
I would run that as this will wipe and replace info as if computer was just purchased.
Most newer computers have recovery partition to recover to a state in wich you purchased them.
I would run that as this will wipe and replace info as if computer was just purchased.
or install ubuntu (free ) on them
Hi,
wiping works but will take a long time - the bigger the drive the longer; and then you have the job of reinstalling a copy of an unlicensed OS. Given the trouble and time that takes and you used the word "dump", I vote for the nail/drill.
Mike
wiping works but will take a long time - the bigger the drive the longer; and then you have the job of reinstalling a copy of an unlicensed OS. Given the trouble and time that takes and you used the word "dump", I vote for the nail/drill.
Mike
i never use that method - but i don't like to dump things either
what you can do, is put another drive in it, and keep the disks
you can then erase them when you've got more time (holiday?)
what you can do, is put another drive in it, and keep the disks
you can then erase them when you've got more time (holiday?)
It's not manpower time it uses that much. You just need to start the erasing process, and after that the PC/disk does it's job without needing user input. You just need a room to be able to keep the PC's running somewhere undisturbed. What might take time is installing a fresh, non Volume License OS, so just sell the PC's without OS (then the new user can decide what he wants to install and use).
Hi,
Yes, I see your points. Unfortunately I am talking from the experience of being required to wipe a 1TB drive using something similar to DBAN. After about 36 hours I had to give up on it and do "format quick". Some things just take a long time, so am trying to set expectations.
Mike
Yes, I see your points. Unfortunately I am talking from the experience of being required to wipe a 1TB drive using something similar to DBAN. After about 36 hours I had to give up on it and do "format quick". Some things just take a long time, so am trying to set expectations.
Mike
usually, deleting partition, and installing a fresh OS is sufficient for most
i agree there is a possibility that some data is not overwritten then
i agree there is a possibility that some data is not overwritten then
http://www.dban.org
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/dw-professional/
If drives are too small and useless then simply destroy them as you want.