Computer geeks unite

[Rolex]

I have an e-machine sitting around that was given to me a month ago, and someone just asked to buy it.
I'm running all the basic cure-all programs on it to speed it up and clean it out.
I prefer to run a total destructive system restore on it, but can't find anything other than a restore point, and there are none set.
I've hit all the basic F keys during boot up, but I can't find it.
It's running Windows ME.
I'd rather do it that way than do a full format and install of XP Pro.

 

[flm_savage]

format and reinstall. It really is the only way.

Its not worth the time if you keep Me on it. No amount of scrubbing will really ever get it running like it should. My guess is that since its an older e-machine the specs are subpar and that coupled with Me is going to be nothing but trouble for you. Once you sell a computer you are basically signing yourself up for lifetime support.

 

[ThunderTiger]

Actually...........................

To fully remove all prior and private data REMOVE THE HARD DRIVE !!!!

It is a known fact that NO MATTER what you do, you will NEVER remove data from a hard drive regardless of what ANYONE sais or what methods you use, it is a FORENSIC FACT.

Nort even physical destruction can stop forensic recovery of data.

Swap out a cheapy new hard drive into the thing and slap good 'ol Win ME on it.

 

[DuckStang]

I think gateway makes E-Machines. I know there is a hidden partition on the hard drive that you can access by hitting ctrl+f11, but i am not really sure what the keys are, I know it's ctrl plus one of the high number f keys. I have done it before on gways and emachines.

When you access that, you can restore your computer to factory software/settings, however you will loose all prior data.

 

[ThunderTiger]

You may lose prior data, as readable by the "Software" but forensically speaking, it IS still there and could be partly or fully recoverable depending on what tools / methods you use.

 

[beason]

Actually...........................

To fully remove all prior and private data REMOVE THE HARD DRIVE !!!!

It is a known fact that NO MATTER what you do, you will NEVER remove data from a hard drive regardless of what ANYONE sais or what methods you use, it is a FORENSIC FACT.

Nort even physical destruction can stop forensic recovery of data.

Swap out a cheapy new hard drive into the thing and slap good 'ol Win ME on it.

wow.. some people will claim anything after watching a few csi marathons...


i work for a government/military contractor. we have software approved by uncle sam, to do just what you are saying is impossible.

a simple low level format will clear everything. It sets every bit on the drive to 0, and can be set to cycle between 1 and zero a set # of times before setting it to final 0. impossible to recover.

if all else fails, degauss will kill it.

now to rolex. the old emachines, didnt come with a recovery option built in. they were shipped with a disk that would automatically reload the drive to factory settings.

as others have said, your best bet is to format and toss an os on it.

if you are afraid of any data, most hard drive companies offer there own low level format utility for download from there website. just crack it open, and see who made it, then do a little googleing, then get online and go find the utility. that will wipe any trace of anything.

 

[RC Addict]

All hail beason!!!

God I hate ME. My first laptop had that crappy OS on it. Bane of my existence. I am sooo loving Windows 7! Upgraded both my laptop (32 bit) and my desktop (64 bit). Good luck with the good old "Minimum Entry" OS, Ralph!

 

[flm_savage]

wow.. some people will claim anything after watching a few csi marathons...


i work for a government/military contractor. we have software approved by uncle sam, to do just what you are saying is impossible.

a simple low level format will clear everything. It sets every bit on the drive to 0, and can be set to cycle between 1 and zero a set # of times before setting it to final 0. impossible to recover.

if all else fails, degauss will kill it.

now to rolex. the old emachines, didnt come with a recovery option built in. they were shipped with a disk that would automatically reload the drive to factory settings.

as others have said, your best bet is to format and toss an os on it.

if you are afraid of any data, most hard drive companies offer there own low level format utility for download from there website. just crack it open, and see who made it, then do a little googleing, then get online and go find the utility. that will wipe any trace of anything.

glad you wote that so i didn't have to.

dban works for me.

 

[ThunderTiger]

Easy beason, that isn't from CSi.............................

That was from a brit comp mag testing "digital data destruction" to it's limits on an HDD.

Right or wrong, that was what they came up with. You will of course have noted the term "data" was the word used not docs, pics et al.

I'm not looking for a fight, or problems.

Hell, if i'm wrong, i'll admit it.

 

[beason]

we use shred. its ancient.. will not read ntfs. you have to fdisk back to fat32, format, then shred. This is why i use the degauss machine instead.

nasa hasnt gotten with the times apparently, they will probably use shred to wipe the 8088 and 486 machines in the shuttles....

your mag, may have been testing software that claims "total destruction", to see just how good they are. I have also dabbled in a little data recovery, i can tell you its not nearly as easy as they make it look.

 

[Rolex]

I don't care what's recoverable. It wasn't mine but it was given to me since it got so desperately slow and kept freezing up. I got it in exchange for setting up her new one. There's nothing in it since she only used it for internet access. It probably picked up a zillion infections along the way since it had no virus program installed.
It's not possible to access the partition that I can see, and it's true, it was shipped with a disk, according to my research. She hasn't got it.

For $40, I don't want to spend any more time on this than I have to.

Dban has DOD wipe which is Department of Defense. Multi wipe of all zeros and ones, leaving no data recoverable.
I recently ran it on a laptop and it took over 40 hours. On a tower of reasonable speed it will wipe in 2 or 3 hours.
I guess I'll start it tonight and install XP in it tomorrow.

 

[ThunderTiger]

oki doki........... Brit mag BS at it's best then.........nowt unusual there.

Is there a good data destroying prog ?

 

[RC Addict]

nasa hasnt gotten with the times apparently, they will probably use shred to wipe the 8088 and 486 machines in the shuttles....

It is hard to imagine that those machines, and the machines that run them, and older than half our members...

 

[Rolex]

Is there a good data destroying prog ?

We posted at the same time while I was adding info.
See my above post for Darik's boot and nuke, better known as DBAN.

 

[ThunderTiger]

cheers rolex :thumbup:

 

[Cupooterluvr]

Personally I use Iolo Drivescrubber. It has multiple settings, namely the '7-Pass DoD Certified' setting, lol. There's an option to set to all zeroes as well.

It's actually fairly easy to delete something so it isn't recoverable without scrubbing the entire drive. One method is to use a file shredder (which does the same thing as a drive scrubber, except only on that file) and the other is to just fill your drive with crap. Once the memory where the file was is written over, it's gone.

 

[Rolex]

I have a shredder in my PC, and it will delete anything you drag and drop in it with as much as a 30X overwrite.

 

[Cupooterluvr]

There are ones out there that have a right click option so you just right click and shred it that way.

 

[ThunderTiger]

I know about Evidence eliminator, but that's about all, apart from the ones mentioned in this thread that is

 

[WoodiE]

You geeks make me chuckle. When I replace a drive and want to ensure that the contents of the old drive is gone I simply take the drive to the garage, take hammer and beat on the drive until the platters inside are shattered. I then throw away the drive - no data is recoverable from it.

Then again I'm also the same one that will put a used CD with data on it in the microwave for 3 seconds before throwing it away when no longer needed.