11/26/2018 How to Completely Erase a Computer | Chron.

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How to Completely Erase a Computer

by David Weedmark
When it comes to erasing a computer's hard drive, you have a two options.
If you're not worried about data security, you can simply format the drive
and re-install Windows. This is a good choice if you had a virus and want to
make a fresh start, or if you're giving a computer to a trusted employee or
family member. Formatting alone, however doesn't completely erase the
data and it can still be recovered by anyone with the right software. To
completely erase the drive and make the data much, much harder to
recover, you should wipe the drive first.
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Preparation
1.

Find the computer's Microsoft Windows installation DVD. If you chose the option to create a bootable USB flash drive the
last time you backed up the computer, you should use this instead. Make sure you have a copy of your 20-digit Windows
product key. This is on a sticker with the documentation that came with your computer, on the DVD case or on the
computer itself.

2.

Copy all of your important data to another computer or removable media.

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3.

Consult your computer manufacturer's manual to see which key to press to boot from a removable device. Alternatively,
restart the computer and watch the screen when it starts up. It will usually tell you which key to press to choose a boot
device.

Wiping the Drive

1.

Download a copy of a hard drive erasure program to a DVD or USB flash drive. Microsoft recommends either Active@
KillDisk or Softpedia DP Wiper, which are free to use for a single-pass wipe. However, you can use any software you
prefer, such as Darik's Boot and Nuke, which is also free but has no guarantee or support. (See Resources for links.)

2.

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the computer and press the boot sequence to Completely
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keys to select your removable media
device and press "Enter."

3.

Follow the onscreen instructions to wipe the entire hard drive. Select a single pass to reset all of the data on the drive to
zeros to moderately protect your data from most attempts people may use to recover your data. For better security, use
three passes, which rewrites the data points to zero three times in a row, or up to 35 passes depending on the software
options. The more often the data is written over as zeros, the harder it is to recover.

4.

Select the "Initialize Disk after Erase" option if it's available on your software to prepare it for a re-installation of Windows
when the erase is finished.

5.

Click the "Start" button. The length of time this takes depends on the size of your hard drive, the software you chose and
how many passes you selected. A single pass on a small drive can take several minutes, while 35 passes on a large drive
might take a couple of days.

Formatting the Drive

1.

Insert a DVD or USB flash drive with Microsoft Windows on it. Restart the computer and press the boot sequence key
when it begins starting. Select your removable media device using the arrow keys on the keyboard and press "Enter." The
Install Windows screen appears.

2.

Select your language and other preference as prompted and click "Next." Select "Install Windows." Enter your 20-digit
Windows product key when prompted.

3.

Select "Custom" when the asked, "Which type of installation do you want?" Select the hard drive and the "Format" option.
This formats the hard drive before installing Windows. Click "Next." The Installing Windows progress screen tells you how
the format and Windows installation is progressing. The entire process normally takes between 10 and 15 minutes
depending on the size of the hard drive.

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Tip

If you aren't keeping the computer and it's less than five years old, you can donate it to a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher. The
refurbisher will erase your data for free and then donate the computer to someone in need. (See Resources for link.)

Warnings
Information in this article applies to Windows 8.1. It may vary slightly or significantly with other versions or products.

There is no guarantee that data can't be recovered even if a drive has been wiped repeatedly. The right person with the right tools
and enough time could theoretically recover some data from a wiped drive. For example, the DoD 5220.22-M three-wipe standard
often referred to in wiping programs is not used by the U.S. government for top secret data. The only way to completely protect
data is to destroy the drive.

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References (3)
Microsoft: How to More Safely Dispose of Computers and Other Devices
Microsoft Windows: How to Perform a Clean Installation of Windows
Lifespan Technology: The Myth of the 3-Pass DoD Data Destruction Policy
Resources (4)
Softpedia: DP Wiper1.1
KillDisk: Active@ KillDisk
DBAN: Darik's Boot And Nuke
Microsoft: Contact a Microsoft Refurbisher Today
About the Author

A published author and professional speaker, David Weedmark has advised businesses and governments on technology,
media and marketing for more than 20 years. He has taught computer science at Algonquin College, has started three
successful businesses, and has written hundreds of articles for newspapers and magazines throughout Canada and the
United States.

Photo Credits
George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Cite this Article

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