How To Remove Sensitive Information From Laptop

[minxfishy]

So Im selling my sony vaio laptop on a well known auction site, as the screen cracked in a top corner a few weeks ago, but has now gotten to the point where I can barely see half the screen

Wanted to know if there is a program I can download whereby I can remove all passwords, history etc, without wiping the hard drive, as I need to sell it with the hard drive in tact, system programs etc still on it.

I will of course be changing all my passwords anyway once my new laptop arrives tomorrow and I know I can delete all emails etc, but I assume that someone computer savvy could soon find this information again.

Any ideas, easy enough for technophob to follow??

 

[Ryefish]

the only thing i can think would be to format the harddrive and re-install all the basic software

 

[minxfishy]

No discs to reload the software and no clue how to reformat

 

[Darkstar]

To be honest, even after a completely fresh install...a tech savvy person could still probably retrieve most if not all of your documents.

The only real solutions are at to buy another fresh hard drive and reinstall of your programs(which isn't an option by the sounds of it) or use a program like Eraser or Killdisk which will repeatedly write random data over the hard drive until there is no chance of getting the original data back.
Having said that, and in the nicest possible way, chances are a tech savvy person isn't going to be buying a second hand vaio anyway....although I admit that is probably little comfort if you're concerned about someone finding your personal files.

The simplest solution would probably be to manually delete your files, then delete your profile and then use the Sysprep utility to return the machine back to the day you bought it...it won't stop people restoring any data you've deleted if they're commited to doing so, however it will give the appearance of a freshly installed machine. However this maybe too techincal to do if you're already having to ask this question.

So you're best bet is probably just to manually delete your work and then delete your profile.

However if you delete your profile, then before you do you should know the admin password otherwise the buyer won't be able to logon and they'll need to do a complete wipe and reinstall - or find a program which allows them to reset the admin password.

 

[minxfishy]

Thanks, well I can delete all passwords etc and Ive already taken the password of the administrator account, so anyone can get the machine on. There isnt anything particuarly interesting on my computer and changing passwords on every site Im registered with is easy enough, so Im probably worrying unnecessarily, just wondered if there was an easy program to use to wipe stuff, but having a look around, most places wipe the hard drive, which isnt what I want.

Thanks for your help

 

[Darkstar]

ok well the simplest thing then is to, delete your profile which contains all the files held in 'my documents' your desktop etc etc.
Once you've copied all your work off, right click on the 'my computer' icon and go to 'properties'. Click the 'advanced' tab and then 'user profiles'. Find your logon account name, highlight it and then click 'delete'. This will mean all of the work located in your profile will be gone and the only account left to logon with would be the admin account (assuming you don't have mutiple logon account of course)

hth Darkstar.

 

[MOW4T]

try pressing f11 when its starting up if u dont have discs

 

[minxfishy]

OK, once Ive got everything off this one trf to the new one, I will follow those instruction

try pressing f11 when its starting up if u dont have discs

Why, what will that do??

 

[5teady_2012]

open internet, delete all cookies, clear all history, remove all password and form data.... then in control panel dlete your user account, then create a new one...

Or rather than do that to the accounts, just restart your comp, keep tapping F10 during boot up, when the screen comes up follow the steps to restore to default factory setting and bobs your uncle all done


OR the easiest way.........

1. Click the "Start" button on your Task Bar. In Windows Vista, the "Start" button will look like a blue button with the Windows logo.
2. Step 2 Locate and click the "Control Panel" option located inside of your "Start" menu. This will bring up your "Control Panel" screen.
3. Step 3 Double-click the "Vaio Recovery Wizard" button. This will bring up a window.
4. Step 4 Follow the instructions given during the Vaio Recovery Wizard. When prompted, confirm that you want to reset your Vaio to its original factory settings.
5. Step 5 Allow the computer upwards of an hour to properly restore itself to factory settings.

 

[minxfishy]

Problem when I get to step 3, there is no vaio recovery wizard!

 

[kaivalagi]

The only secure way to remove data is to "zero fill" all the disk so no recovery tools can bring anything back...just deleting or even formatting will not result in data being removed on the disk itself.

Most people wont know how to get any data back so you would probably be fine but if you want complete peace of mind you'll need a "low level format" tool which will fill with zeroes.

There are a few tools out there for free but I am unsure on what's best, I don't use windows so I can't advise based on experience...maybe someone else has an opinion of tools they've download and used for free?

edit: This tool has come recommended by some in forum posts: http/www.killdisk.com/ It can "zero fill" for free apparently...

edit2: just read Darkstars posts and they more or less cover what I said...use the above tool if you want peace of mind The site explains things pretty well too.

 

[5teady_2012]

If all your bothered about is passwords to sites etc, just clear the full history on your web browser, and change all the passwords like u said, its simple, less messing about, and you have this way you have done all u can to avoid any (very unlikely causes) .......

Formatting and all that crap is pointless when u can change your passwords.

There is a programme called ghost, it demolishes the hard drive data, but i dont even know if this programe is still available on the net, i got a copy somewhere and if i find it il post u it, but this is really dramatic thing to do lol

 

[kaivalagi]

The previously linked app will demolish data too and it's free, ghost is now owned by Symantec so will cost money...low level formatting might be considered as a hassle (pointless crap I think you called it) until your personal life and associated details are used in a fraudulent manner...might never happen but....

That said you're probably right in saying just change the passwords....but to remove all sensitive data 100% requires a low level format...without one it's just a question of who will get hold of the hardware and if they are dubious enough then what they might want to try and do with the recovered data they manage to get...

Just trying to help

 

[5teady_2012]

As long as they change the passes before getting rid of it, there is NO problem at all lol, and, recovering sensitive information form a hard drive is far from straioght forward, it requires a lot of time, hours of scanning the sectors, even recovering data can actually cause other data to get corrupted in such a way it becomes usless.... if someone was willing to do this for s few site passes, or personal information like passes for internet banking sites etc, The user can avoid anything happening by a simple password change on the site, as STATED so many times.

Easy does it......

 

[kaivalagi]

Okay boss

Do what you see is fit, you have a couple of opinions to go with on this one...