Wiping my computer

[ultraman7k]

Hi everyone,

After thinking long and hard about selling my rig, I've decided that I'm going to do it.

Long and short, the guy is coming to buy today, and if he decides to pick it up, then I'll obviously need to wipe my computer before turning it over to him.

I have programs on my 500gb which is fine, that's easy to wipe, but how do i remove win7 off the SSD? Do I boot up a new install, have it format and then leave it at the serial key screen?

Thanks in advance.

[dandelioneater]

if you have another drive that you aren't giving him you could install an OS on it and use it to secure erase the win7 ssd. I think if you were to format the win7 ssd then use ccleaner to secure erase the ssd. This would take a while but would work. I'm not sure of any other way to properly clear your boot drive when you are using it.

[AkG]

Download CMRR's sani erase. extract it to a Dos bootable USB thumb drive, reboot. Run it. THEN re-initialize the SSD (run windows installer and format it...then you can stop). This will nuke the data and unless he has access to a clean room the buyer aint recovering the data (though the only 100% way is Thermite...and burn it into a puddle of goo....if you need a recipe just let me know :P). If you dont reinitialize it and he doesnt use it on the new rig he could lock up the ssd temporarily. Big old PITA. So re-initialize the drive and reformat it for him. Then you are safe and he will be happy. :)

CMRR - Secure Erase

[sswilson]

And be prepared to be shocked at how fast securely wiping an SSD is..... :)

[ultraman7k]

awesome...thanks!!

[NyteOwl]

The utility on that website looks like it was intended for wiping magnetic media (ie HDD's), which is not an effective way to clean off an SSD.

[AkG]

Secure Erase program sends the official erase command to erase. It works. It was recommended by Intel back in the X25 gen 1 days....and by basically every mfg'er since then. The Toolboxes do the same thing...just in a windows environment instead of Dos. Once you nuke the drive with the AT secure erase command...the data is gone. This followed by a quick format ensures its GONE.

[mrcapncaveman]

Originally Posted by AkG

Download CMRR's sani erase. extract it to a Dos bootable USB thumb drive, reboot. Run it. THEN re-initialize the SSD (run windows installer and format it...then you can stop). This will nuke the data and unless he has access to a clean room the buyer aint recovering the data (though the only 100% way is Thermite...and burn it into a puddle of goo....if you need a recipe just let me know :P). If you dont reinitialize it and he doesnt use it on the new rig he could lock up the ssd temporarily. Big old PITA. So re-initialize the drive and reformat it for him. Then you are safe and he will be happy. :)

CMRR - Secure Erase

Just an outsider looking in, but thanks for the info.