How to make sure all data is erased on a computer hard drive.
If your concerned with data being read or recovered from your hard drive after it has sold or given away, we recommend trying the following utilities. These utilities will remove all your existing data and make it impossible to be recovered or read. After your data has been erased or overwritten, you can then reinstall Windows or another operating system on the computer.
Warning: If you have an OEM computer (e.g., Acer, Dell, Hewlett Packard, etc.), the hard drive may have a hidden system recovery partition. Using the utilities below may erase this partition, making it impossible to restore your computer without a disc.
Product Web Page Info
DBAN(Darik's Boot
and Nuke) https://dban.org/ Free
Blancco https://www.blancco.com/ Free and
commercial version
Disk Wiper https://www.paragon-software.
com/home/dw-professional/ Cost
Eraser http://www.tolvanen.com/eraser/ Free to all
ArcticSoft
FileAssurity http://www.articsoftpgp.com
/pgp_encryption_software.htm Cost
Harddisk Eraser http://www.linux-kurser.dk/
secure_harddisk_eraser.html Free to all
No Trace http://www.comtechnologies.com/
notracemain.html Cost
Permanent Erasure http://www.winhex.com/
security/index-m.html Free to all
SDelete https://technet.microsoft.com/
en-us/sysinternals/sdelete Free to all
Additional information
How to erase my hard drive and start over.
How can I securely delete computer file?
See our erase and zero fill definitions for further information and related links.
Hard drive help and support.
If your concerned with data being read or recovered from your hard drive after it has sold or given away, we recommend trying the following utilities. These utilities will remove all your existing data and make it impossible to be recovered or read. After your data has been erased or overwritten, you can then reinstall Windows or another operating system on the computer.
Warning: If you have an OEM computer (e.g., Acer, Dell, Hewlett Packard, etc.), the hard drive may have a hidden system recovery partition. Using the utilities below may erase this partition, making it impossible to restore your computer without a disc.
Product Web Page Info
DBAN(Darik's Boot
and Nuke) https://dban.org/ Free
Blancco https://www.blancco.com/ Free and
commercial version
Disk Wiper https://www.paragon-software.
com/home/dw-professional/ Cost
Eraser http://www.tolvanen.com/eraser/ Free to all
ArcticSoft
FileAssurity http://www.articsoftpgp.com
/pgp_encryption_software.htm Cost
Harddisk Eraser http://www.linux-kurser.dk/
secure_harddisk_eraser.html Free to all
No Trace http://www.comtechnologies.com/
notracemain.html Cost
Permanent Erasure http://www.winhex.com/
security/index-m.html Free to all
SDelete https://technet.microsoft.com/
en-us/sysinternals/sdelete Free to all
Additional information
How to erase my hard drive and start over.
How can I securely delete computer file?
See our erase and zero fill definitions for further information and related links.
Hard drive help and support.
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