How to Wipe Out & Restore a Computer Hard Drive
When selling a computer, you will need to wipe out the hard drive to be sure that nobody can access the data previously on the system, including data such as your Social Security number, credit card information and login information to your online banking system. Wiping is different than erasing or reinstalling an operating system. Without a hard drive wipe, a multitude of software will be able to retrieve information from your hard drive even if it seems empty.
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Instructions
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Look for a wiping utility that provides the DoD 5220.22M wiping scheme and download the bootable image to your computer. Burn the image onto a CD or DVD using the "burn image" tool and not the "burn file."
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Insert the disc that you just burned into the drive of the computer that you want to wipe. Boot the computer and follow the instructions on screen until you get to the wiping utility.
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Select the disc that you want to wipe, select the DoD 5220.22M scheme, and press "Start." Do not turn off the computer until the process ends.
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Refer to your manual to start the restoration process if your computer has a restoration partition. The process is pretty much automatic. If your computer does not have one, then insert your operating system disc and reboot the computer. While the system is installing, note the registration information from the side of your computer or the CD/DVD box. Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall your operating system.
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Tips & Warnings
Wiping the hard drive is a lengthy but worthwhile process. Keep in mind that the hard drive wipe can take a few hours to a few days depending the size of the discs that you are wiping.
If your computer is not configured to let the CD/DVD drive boot first, you will need to select your CD/DVD drive from the boot menu. Refer to your manual to find out how to get the boot menu to display during the boot process.
