How To Erase Your Hard Drive
- January 12, 2010
- 1,901 Views
Writer
Jacob_Beavers
Prevent identity theft by thoroughly erasing the information contained on your hard drive.
You Will Need
- A computer with internet access
- A drive-erasing tool
- A blank CD or USB drive
- An external hard drive (optional)
Step 1: Back up everything
Before you erase your hard drive, back up everything you want to save on CDs or an external hard drive.
Step 2: Download a drive-erasing tool
For a PC, download a dedicated drive-erasing tool for free online.
Look for a tool that is recommended on reputable tech web sites or by the manufacturer of your computer.
Step 3: Create a boot disk
Create a boot disk using a CD or USB drive by following the instructions from the drive-erasing tool.
Step 4: Follow instructions
Read and follow the instructions for the drive-erase tool to erase the hard drive by overwriting the data.
Step 5: Erase a Mac hard drive
Erase the hard drive on a Mac by going to Applications, Utilities, and opening the Disk Utility. Select the drive in Disk Utility, click the Erase tab, then Erase Free Space.
Step 6: Using Disk Utility
In the popup menu, choose Zero Out Deleted Files, 7-Pass Erase, or 35-Pass Erase. 7-pass takes seven times longer than the zero out option, and 35-Pass takes 35 times as long, since they write over the disk seven and 35 times, respectively, ensuring you have thoroughly cleaned the drive.
Did you know? Gilbert Hyatt at Micro Computer Company patented the microprocessor in 1971.
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