Returning a Trading Computer

[infolode]

Quote from 1flyfisher:

I am not concerned about the "manufacturer" doing anything/ .
What I am concerned about is The pc will be sold to god knows who. I am concerned about someone who ends up with my pc. get it? Not the manufacturer.

Then no point in leaving anything to chance. condorll's suggestion would give you the greatest peace of mind at the cost of a duplicate hard drive and a few minutes of your time.

Quite a bargin considering the possible alternatives.

 

[1flyfisher]

Hey everyone thanks for all the help.

Here is what I did.....
I ran DBAn, or I should say I am running DBAN, ...it will take hours/likely days. Major pain in the arse. Took me all day to get it figured out and working. I Had to read all the FAQ's at their website, instructions, etc. Also I had to go to their website to find solutions to get it to work. Eraser is basically the same program as DEBAN, DBAN is built into Eraser. Dban is used for wiping the ENTIRE HD. Eraser is used for wiping select files.
If you ever have a Vista machine and need to wipe your hard drive with DBAN make sure you go right to the BETA version. The other version doesn't work. Spent a few hours finding that out. I am running DBAn right now, god knows how long it will take. It is very slow they say with Core 2 Duo machines. I am running it in the DOD setting. There are 5 or six possible settings. I don't know the difference between them. I just picked DOD because someone else here said they used that setting.

I'll let you all know how long it actually took. But if my calculations are correct it will take 7 hours!:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

[1flyfisher]

Update.
I wiped it twice, once with DOD and a second time with DODshort,
If you have a pc you are selling or sending to the pc junk yard I suggest DBAN....especially if you have used the pc for online banking, trading etc.
Peace of mind.

happy trades.

 

[HoundDogOne]

Quote from da-net:

Total destruction is the ONLY way. Anyone can recover data, not just fanatics and it can be done quickly. DoD wiped data can be recovered. Think I might be wrong?

http://downloads.zdnet.com/download.aspx?docid=244321

How much value is there in identity theft? in raiding trading accounts? in impersonation? This is "white collar" crime and gangs are now involved in it!

IF I was as concerned about it as the OP, I would move all the data to one folder on the drive. DoD wipe the slack areas several times. Then DoD wipe the data within the folder several times and then steganography or 256 bit encrypt the folder or both depending on the level of paranoia .

A good hard drive costs $100.

Why not just toss it in the lake or river...
And buy a new one?

Oh... I forgot...
FBI frogmen will recover your drive from the bottom of the lake...
Reconstitute all of your porn bit by bit...
And then send it to the Vatican.

 

[gnome]

Quote from HoundDogOne:

A good hard drive costs $100.

Why not just toss it in the lake or river...
And buy a new one?

Oh... I forgot...
FBI frogmen will recover your drive from the bottom of the lake...
Reconstitute all of your porn bit by bit...
And then send it to the Vatican.

Yeah, it'd really be the shits if anyone discovered that some man was interested in naked girls.

 

[cd23]

Quote from HoundDogOne:

A good hard drive costs $100.

Why not just toss it in the lake or river...
And buy a new one?

Oh... I forgot...
FBI frogmen will recover your drive from the bottom of the lake...
Reconstitute all of your porn bit by bit...
And then send it to the Vatican.

It is interesting to note that Junk for Jesus has some subdivisions.

They include: Hard drives for Herod and Poker cards for Peter. The poker cards need to be destroyed because they can be back played to determine past users' strategies. John Netto told me this, personally.