Help!

[elleestelle]

I don't have any idea what to do with my very old, very broken Dell Inspiron 5100. I would just throw it away, but I don't know if there is still private file information in it. I did have the files "transferred" but I don't know if that means that no personal info is left on it. Is there anyway to erase it? What do I do

Comments

[anonymous]

hard drives are a target of choice for a decent rifle cartridge.

--Trevor

[francesbcat]

Heeey, *I* have a very old, very broken Dell Inspiron 5100 too! (I've been ignoring it for a year.) When you figure something out, let me know...

[zanespeak]

If it is just files you are worried about, I can get the hard drive out and you can go to town on it with a hammer. Or just take it apart (there's a pretty awesome, powerful magnet in hard drives that is fun to fish out).

[elleestelle]

Zane, of everyone's suggestions, yours requires the least mind-numbing reading and seems easiest overall. It also has tidbits for Jane and Trevor.

So I imagine it could go something like this:

1)Sometime I could bring you my computer or you could stop by (a plus would be that you could meet my three month old kitten)to extract the hard drive. Jane could do the same.

2)Jane and I will destroy the rest a la the fax machine from Office Space.

3)The three of us pick up Trevor and take the hard drives to the shooting range where I get my first shooting lesson.

4) Julie meets us for pizza.

[zanespeak]

Well, yeah, except for in all of that you, Julie, and I are the only people in this state.

[elleestelle]

Oh crap, Jane and Trevor aren't here - blast them for having abandoned all of us! Disregard my other comment at this point. Can I meet you at some point to extract the hard drive?

[mermaid_poet]

There are a few methods and a bunch of free programs that will wipe your hard drive clean (you can't just delete the files; the data will still be there until it is overwritten). I've never done this before, but these links look good...hopefully they will help.

http://lifehacker.com/software/hard-drives/ask-lifehacker-how-do-i-clean-a-computers-hard-drive-before-i-sell-it-229531.php

http://lifehacker.com/software/utilities/permanently-delete-data-from-your-hard-drive-196210.php

http://lifehacker.com/software/how-to/erase-a-hard-drive-for-good-257376.phpReply

[mlmp08]

In this vein, just read Cyrptonomicon. Sure, it's about 900 pages, but by the end, you'll know what to do.

[mermaid_poet]

Trevro,
goddamnit...well, maybe just one of those links would have sufficed, but i didn't want to give incomplete information.

Lauren,
Sorry for overwhelming you with information. Just do this:
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/windows/geek-to-live-how-to-format-your-hard-drive-and-install-windows-xp-from-scratch-157578.php
or get someone to do it for you in exchange for delicious baked goods.

[elleestelle]

Thanks Whitney, I appreciate the help. And it always encouraging to know that there are females on the planet that have computer expertise.