Printer-friendly version
Author:
I am ready to get rid of a computer whose HD is in the imminent failure mode but still sorta works. It seems that MS Word no longer allows you to straight up delete files. What should I do before I get rid of it? I'll likely give it to someone who wants to attempt to put a new HD in it. I am told that getting at the HD on this machine is nigh on impossible without breaking the display. Its got an INTEL i chip in it, so he wants to save it.
Suggestions?
Comments
first thing
Make sure you save anything off the old PC that you want to keep, pictures, stories, etc.
After that I would probably download one of those freeware drive eraser programs and wipe the drive before giving it or throwing it away.
We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Reformat
If you have a Windows 10 OS disc use the option to repartition and reformat the hard drive this was put back in due to people falling for the you have a problem phone calls and popup saying do not shut down your computer, you call give them remote access and they lock your system they hold it hostage you pay they unlock your system they now rinse and repeat. the true fix once you fell for the scam was to repartition and reformat the hard drive or re place it this might also fix your hard drive problems. Have a good day and enjoy life.
Have a good day and enjoy life.
Save then wipe
Save off what you want in the way of data, pictures, music, word files, etc. Then wipe the hard drive.
A format alone, or a partition and format will not get rid of the data. You computer may not be able to see it, but it is still there and there are utilities that can read and recover data from formatted hard drives.
You should google "7 pass wipe" to find a decent freebie utility that will do the job for you.
I thought
everyone knew about bleach-bit? I don't know if it is free, but you should be able to get a 7-10 pass scrambler program that writes random nonsense to your HD. Well what it does in essence in a reformat is take everything outside of the boot sector and write over it randomly at least 7 times.
The HD is of the spinning rust variety?
If so, then all previous comments apply.
Optionally, if you want to really remove info, remove the disk platters and heat them to
say 770C, iron loses the ability to retain magnetic domains.
If your drive is an SSD, I am guessing it’s not, but, physical destruction is essential since an SSD has extra space in it to even wear and to replace failed elements. This will not get erased by erasure programs.
Unless it's one of a very few
Unless it's one of a very few laptops, it's worth replacing the hard drive. I haven't found one yet that I couldn't replace the drive in less than 30 minutes, and that was a complete disassembly down to the motherboard in a netbook.
What model of machine might it be? I can point you to the instructions on how to do it, and hard drives are cheap, especially if you can make the restore image to a flash drive before trashing it.
bw
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
HP Envy
I went to YouTube to look at this machine and that is what put me off on doing the replacement. It is the model of the HP Envy all in one where the screen is glued in, and that makes it almost impossible to get the curved screen off without breaking it. Very high risk. The later models have screws holding the screen in and if I had that one, I would have done it.
My other area of uncertainty is doing all the stuff to the new drive to make it work. I don't know how to do it.
I already have its replacement, so I must march on.
Gwen
Well, if you want to just
Well, if you want to just make sure the drive isn't really usable, if it can still run at this point, download DBAN and burn a CD (or flash drive) with it. I'd suggest using a flash drive and YUMI multiboot creator. It makes it pretty simple. Then plug the flash drive in, force it to boot from the flash drive, and tell it to scrub the hard drive. Even if the hard drive is damaged, it should manage to destroy everything on there.
As for the unit, I have _never_ run across a system where you had to remove the screen to get to the hard drive. You pop the bezel loose from the back, and pull the back off. THAT'S where the hard drive lives. I'll try to find that Youtube video and see what they're doing.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX-w23jlUVI
HP Envy 34" I can see where you have to pull the screen, but it doesn't appear to be too complicated. Just tedious.
If I was close, I'd come get it :)
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Models vary
As far as I can tell, some models have screws that secure the screen. On mine, the screen is secured with glue, and for me that makes it too risky. I like to write, and I do not find working on things like a mechanic to be enjoyable. I have done it out of need, or because there was enough money in it. At my age, it is just about the fun, and if it ain't fun ...
I suspect it's mostly that
I suspect it's mostly that there's glue tape (sometimes double sided tape) holding the bezel plastic to the glass, but using a credit card or similar can separate that while you peel loose the bezel. However, since I'm not there, and you are, I'm not going to really second-guess you, especially since you've found someone who will try :)
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
DIY
Visit youtube, just search for your model. There are videos showing how to replace the hard drive of almost any computer.
But is it worth the time or effort?
Just because a video exists, does not always make the effort worthwhile. I have laptops that upgrading the ram or HDD are undoing a screw, opening a panel, and sliding said item out, and a new one in. I have others that would require removing the keyboard, then the motherboard as the ram is on the backside of the motherboard (the bottom) but there are no access panels in the plastic. Plus Gwen has fallen foul of the trend to GLUE stuff in place, because manufacturers don't want you to fix PC's, they would rather you replace them.
-HuGs-
-Piper
Thank you.
I think the point that I failed to comprehend was: how to set up the new HD to work, formatting, partitioning, and installing all the software. This points to the possible need for me to learn how to do that. I think that I may be able to find a class for that. I have a funny brain in that I don't learn by reading. If someone tells me what to do and helps me do it the first time, then I'm on. Lots of people tell me that I'm very intelligent, but somewhat learning disabled. Figure that one out? I guess we are all different.
I did find out how to cable a SATA drive and that is simple. I am thinking that I might want to set up a dual 1 tb HD situation such that the C: drive is duplicated. Then the next time my HD fails, I don't lose information?
Completely Cleansing an Old HDD
Download and burn a 32 bit version of Ubuntu "live". Boot the burned disk and follow the directions provided here that refer to the wipe program.
That process is good enough to stop a busybody. Physical destruction is needed, when entities with sophisticated tools are your target.
G/R
D-BAN is easier to use, and
D-BAN is easier to use, and can be run with mil-spec or better wipe. As she knows someone that is going to try to salvage it, I suspect that being given the old hard drive to physically destroy isn't out of the question.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Glue in computers is evil!!!!
I remember back in the day when cheap computer makers like eMachine soddered components down or used a melted plastic to make it so replacing parts to repair or upgrade were impossible. Then they stopped too much consumer backlash. then they started doing the complex assembly where you had to remove case screws then partially remove components to get at more screws, Made repairs a royal pain in the nether region. I started buy commercial grade systems that were made with repairs and upgrades in mind. But now those are fading away since they think people only want sleek and thin. So your RAM is built into the system board no upgrades aloud, the CPU is soddered down as well wireless cards are all built in, along with bluetooth, so if something breaks you have to basically have to send it off or replace the whole unit. the only exception for now is the storage drive being either an SSD or HDD, and then PCIE M.2 or SATA. and then the seal the unit up with glue so they do not have to use screws. The ability to repair our stuff is dying fast.
"Cortana is watching you!"
An alternative
I got tired of continually having to migrate to new equipment as the older stuff either broke or became unable to keep up with software upgrades.
I split the functions: The main processor, memory and disks are in a rack-mount chassis I purchased and put together myself. Apart from making sure that the heatsink is low-profile and the fans are good enough but not too loud, this is no different than putting together any other kind of box.
In fact, I now run four such boxes. One houses my firewall, another a 'reference' box which acts as a software cache and saves downloading patches every time I do a security upgrade. This also acts as a NAS for photos, documents, etc. A third runs my mythtv server which has ~2Tb of video storage and is connected to a dedicated front end in the living room. The last is the main server which has 16Gb of memory and twin 750Gb server-grade disks set up with Raid 1.
I have been building machines since 1978; I understand that most will not find this so easy but it really isn't any more difficult than putting together (or upgrading) any tower box. Laptops are a completely different matter.
Right. So that lot lives in a cupboard with a fat UPS looking after it. To actually use said boxes, I have thin clients: The one I am using now is a thin client that has *no* disk in it but gets booted over the network. I can use any cheap old box that can't be useful any other way.
There's another 'thin client' downstairs which is a 20-year-old Samsung laptop. Because it is so old it has to remain permanently plugged into the mains but that's fine. It isn't going anywhere. All I have to do when powering up is to 'F12' it to network boot, no need to use the old hard disk it still has in it.
The down side to this arrangement is that the software setup gets more complex. Rather than just plugging in and firing up, it requires me to do some actual configuring. That all takes time and expertise, which fortunately I have. The expertise, that is. Time is another matter.
Oh, and the house is wired. Making all this work over WiFi is non-trivial, especially with the congestion around where I live.
I have looked at using a raspberry Pi as a thin client, but it requires time and interest I don't have right now. There are other fish to fry.
Penny
Wow !
So, you are a straight up gadgeteer? Good on you.
I have a space of about 8x8 feet for all that I do in regard to computers and writing. I have a desk made from doors and it is horseshoe shaped. That space is undergoing some change right now because of the fading away of my 32 inch HP, all in one.
I've now got a Dell tower with an i chip, and a 1 tb drive, and three 1 tb USB hard drives. One of said drives is almost full now because I worked on getting what I want to keep off the old machine. Eventually, I plan to have the photos on one external drive and the stories on the other. I'll run dual monitors on the new machine, and then plan to set up my smart TV next to all that. The Smart TV is supposed to do a bunch of stuff, but I've not been able to seduce those things into working, but I do watch DVD movies on it. The sound system on it sucks, so one day, perhaps I'll do something about that.
Realistically, I like to write stories, and am not a smart software woman. Hardware is enjoyable to work on though.
Good luck with your projects.
Gwen
Mission control
My room is 99 inches by 106 inches, so a little bigger than yours. The cupboard mentioned above is 31.5" wide by 35" deep and was originally a wardrobe when this room was built as a nursery. I added some sturdy shelving made out of floorboards. There's also a strange flat store-room that's full of family stuff that takes up the rest of that wall.
I have a 6'x3' table-top that I rescued from the ops room at the old computer hall I used to work at in Birmingham, set on some 2"x1" legs. I'm not fussy. The table houses two 22" monitors, two keyboards and five computers, all of which have different purposes, but I mostly sit at the thin client. (I can watch TV on the other monitor if I need to.) There are also two filing cabinets which are at least as old as the table. This room is cosy, but that's fine in the winter.
The whole room is filled with the debris of a life mostly spent in IT. I must 'get around to it' and do some tidying some time... but that would take time away from writing. Such is life.
Penny
Life scat
Lol, I have a big bin under one part of my "Command Centre", and it is filled with Computer Stuff, like cables, speakers, cables, and electrical devices, oh and my fave Movies.
On the wall over my screens is a big map of our Galaxy, with lots of it labelled. There is a picture of a Niqabi from a world far, far away. Anthropologically, women covering themselves is very much older than Islam, likely starting before the Zoroastrians or the Yazidis. None of this is about religion but simply the way ancient cultures worked things out.
When I was writing large stories, I sort of mapped them out there also.
Peace
Gwen
I've said it for years
If there's anything I hate, it's a non-reparable item. I don't know how many sealed units I've cut open to fix something that would have been easy to fix, if they'd just let me inside. My moto tool is my best friend. A little saw blade on that puppy almost surgically cuts open almost anything. Putting it back to gather is sometimes a problem.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
The PC's that have soldered
The PC's that have soldered cpus and memory are basically laptop motherboards - it's a compromise they have to make in order to fit everything in and get proper heat dissipation. Most of the _PC_ units that have soldered cpus, however, have replaceable memory. That, and the soldered CPU's are generally the cheaper ones. Everything boils down to 'what are you willing to pay'.
I have yet to see a system personally that has glue for anything other than tacking cables and small bits into place. - well, laptop bezels.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Well Shoot
If it was me and I was that worried about the information on the HD I'd probably just take it out back and shoot it. A 10 gauge with a load of double O buckshot will make the HD really impossible to retrieve ANY information.
Besides that think of the fun! Take out some of your frustrations!
A puffy white cloud
These days even the Docs challenge my level of Testosterone because I really have almost none. Mostly I calmly float along on a puffy white cloud of Estrogen, so it really takes a lot to get my petticoats in a froth.
There is a guy that thinks he can rehabilitate the machine, so I think I'll just do the best software wipe I can and give it to him.