![]() After you have burned the CD, insert it in the computer containing the hard drive to be securely erased. ![]() ![]() It is an ISO image file so, once downloaded, you need to burn it to a CD as an image – see how to burn an ISO to CD. Step 1 – download the free version of DBAN from the button at the top of the page here. How To Use DBAN To Securely Erase a Hard DriveĭBAN (Darik’s Boot And Nuke) is a popular free program to delete all information stored on hard disk drives in a PC or laptop. Reinstalling Windows might overwrite some old files (making them unreadable) but, with the huge sizes of modern hard drives, there is a good chance that most of your old files will not be overwritten, so they could still be retrieved later. With the right software, these ‘deleted’ files can be retrieved if the space they occupy has not subsequently been overwritten by a new file – a godsend if you deleted files by accident but a security nightmare if someone disreputable gains access to your drive… Can I Just Format the Hard Drive or Reinstall Windows?įormatting a drive does not permanently erase files stored on it – it just makes it look as if they’re not there. When you delete a file, Windows does not actually delete it – the first letter of each file name is just changed to a ‘?’īecause Windows ignores any files that start with a ‘?’ it looks in Windows as if the file has been deleted – but the file itself is still on the hard drive. In my computer repair business it can be hard to convince people of the need to destroy their data properly before disposing of a computer by selling it, giving it away or taking it to the dump… Why Securely Erase A Hard Drive?Įven if you empty the recycle bin after deleting files, they are still stored on your hard drive. Here is how to use DBAN to securely erase a hard drive.
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