10
The PC will be given away, but it should be reduced to a clean and empty disk without any OS on it, with a user in mind who is possibly interested in recovering confidential data.
The PC was reset to work settings, hence features just Win 8 Pro. But that needs to go as well.
In the end, nothing should be on the disk, and it ideally should consist of 0 partitions.
Disk Management does not offer formatting the OS partition, and a good old Format C: won't work either. Also MSConfig doesn't seem to offer a solution. What else can I try?
1Within WinPE delete the partitions then cancel the installation and shut the PC down. – Ramhound – 2018-01-26T10:32:03.283
2
Download Slitaz (https://slitaz.org/), its small sized linux OS and can be make as a bootable using Rufus(https://rufus.akeo.ie/). Then use linux disk format tool..
– Vishwa – 2018-01-26T11:55:13.973Possible duplicate https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/5749/how-can-i-reliably-erase-all-information-on-a-hard-drive
– user2320464 – 2018-01-26T14:15:53.903Do you have a magnet? Or perhaps some butane and a lighter? – Lightness Races with Monica – 2018-01-26T14:18:59.413
@Herb What is your definition of clean anyway? You mean clean to the average user? Or clean that somebody can't undelete something with an undelete program? Update your question accordingly – LateralTerminal – 2018-01-26T14:35:08.213
3not really an answer, but depending on your hourly rate or busy schedule, a new drive off the shelf might be faster, cheaper (and guaranteed clean) option. – Yorik – 2018-01-26T15:41:34.897
@Yorik: I kinda wish people also factored in the environmental impact. – user541686 – 2018-01-26T23:42:45.417
1Just secure erase it. – Michael Hampton – 2018-01-27T08:40:47.317
4
Possible duplicate of Securely erasing all data from a hard drive
– Michael Hampton – 2018-01-27T08:41:17.4171Depending on the PC make and model, the BIOS may have a secure erase option. – Harry Johnston – 2018-01-27T11:04:29.573
As an alternative to SliTaz Linux, Tiny Core Linux (http://distro.ibiblio.org/tinycorelinux/downloads.html) is also a small bootable Linux distribution which is able to erase all data from the hard drive. You need to reboot to Linux (e.g. from pen drive), and run the appropriate
– pts – 2018-01-27T11:26:12.533dd
command there.