How to Clean a Hard Drive
Download DBAN., Back up anything you want saved., Burn the DBAN program., Reboot your computer., Set your computer to boot from the CD/DVD or USB drive., Save and exit., Start DBAN., Choose the hard disk you want to erase., Begin wiping the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Download DBAN.
DBAN is an open-source program that runs when your computer boots, and will securely delete all of the data on any connected drive that you specify.
When files are erased normally, the contents of the file remain on the drive and are marked to be overwritten.
This means that with the right tools, some of your data may be recoverable, even after you format the drive.
DBAN will overwrite your drive with 1s and 0s three times, making recovery of your data virtually impossible.DBAN can be downloaded for free from the developer’s website at dban.org.
DBAN comes in ISO format, which will be burnt to a CD or DVD -
Step 2: Back up anything you want saved.
DBAN will erase everything on the disk, including Windows or any other operating system.
If you are planning on using the hard disk again as the primary disk, be prepared to reinstall Windows.
Save any files you want to keep to an external hard drive, or burn them to a DVD. , Once you have downloaded DBAN, you will need to burn it to a disc so that you can boot from it.
If you’d like, you can create a bootable USB drive instead. , Make sure that the CD/DVD or the USB drive is still inserted.
As your computer boots, press the Setup key to enter your BIOS.
The Setup key varies from system to system, but is typically F2, F10, or Del.
You have to press the Setup key quickly or else your computer will continue to boot normally.
If you miss the window, you will have to reboot and retry.
The Setup key for your system is displayed on the same screen as the manufacturer’s logo. , Once you are in your BIOS menu, navigate to the Boot menu.
You need to set the drive that contains DBAN to boot before your hard drive.
Most systems use the “+” and “-” keys to move the entries.
If you are using a flash drive, the menu may refer to it as a Removable Drive. , Once you’ve changed your boot order, save and exit the BIOS to reboot your computer.
DBAN should load automatically.
If it does not, enter the BIOS again and check that your drive order is correct. , When DBAN begins, you will be taken to the boot: menu, where you can start the DBAN program.
Press Enter to open DBAN and configure the wipe process.
You can also enter some quick commands from this menu.
If you intend to wipe every hard disk that is connected to your computer, type autonuke.
This will start a standard wipe on all of your drives, using the three-pass method. , If you only want to erase a specific drive, or you want to change the settings, press Enter at the boot: menu to enter Interactive Mode.
Use the Space bar to select the drives that you want to erase.You can change the wipe method (M), the random number generator (P), the number of rounds (R), and the verification (V) by pressing the appropriate key.
Each section has a detailed explanation about each of the options.
Most of the default settings for DBAN should be sufficient for home and small business users. , Once you have selected the drives and options, press F10 to begin the wipe process.
The time until the process completes will be displayed in the Statistics box.
Depending on the method chosen and the size of the drive, the wipe process could take days to complete. , After the wiping process is complete, you will receive a message from DBAN instructing you to remove the DBAN disc and shut down your computer.
Your drives are now securely erased, and you can safely sell or reuse them.
Drives will have to be reformatted for use with your operating system.
If you wiped the disk with your operating system, you will need to reinstall Windows. -
Step 3: Burn the DBAN program.
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Step 4: Reboot your computer.
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Step 5: Set your computer to boot from the CD/DVD or USB drive.
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Step 6: Save and exit.
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Step 7: Start DBAN.
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Step 8: Choose the hard disk you want to erase.
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Step 9: Begin wiping the drive(s).
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Step 10: Restart your computer.
Detailed Guide
DBAN is an open-source program that runs when your computer boots, and will securely delete all of the data on any connected drive that you specify.
When files are erased normally, the contents of the file remain on the drive and are marked to be overwritten.
This means that with the right tools, some of your data may be recoverable, even after you format the drive.
DBAN will overwrite your drive with 1s and 0s three times, making recovery of your data virtually impossible.DBAN can be downloaded for free from the developer’s website at dban.org.
DBAN comes in ISO format, which will be burnt to a CD or DVD
DBAN will erase everything on the disk, including Windows or any other operating system.
If you are planning on using the hard disk again as the primary disk, be prepared to reinstall Windows.
Save any files you want to keep to an external hard drive, or burn them to a DVD. , Once you have downloaded DBAN, you will need to burn it to a disc so that you can boot from it.
If you’d like, you can create a bootable USB drive instead. , Make sure that the CD/DVD or the USB drive is still inserted.
As your computer boots, press the Setup key to enter your BIOS.
The Setup key varies from system to system, but is typically F2, F10, or Del.
You have to press the Setup key quickly or else your computer will continue to boot normally.
If you miss the window, you will have to reboot and retry.
The Setup key for your system is displayed on the same screen as the manufacturer’s logo. , Once you are in your BIOS menu, navigate to the Boot menu.
You need to set the drive that contains DBAN to boot before your hard drive.
Most systems use the “+” and “-” keys to move the entries.
If you are using a flash drive, the menu may refer to it as a Removable Drive. , Once you’ve changed your boot order, save and exit the BIOS to reboot your computer.
DBAN should load automatically.
If it does not, enter the BIOS again and check that your drive order is correct. , When DBAN begins, you will be taken to the boot: menu, where you can start the DBAN program.
Press Enter to open DBAN and configure the wipe process.
You can also enter some quick commands from this menu.
If you intend to wipe every hard disk that is connected to your computer, type autonuke.
This will start a standard wipe on all of your drives, using the three-pass method. , If you only want to erase a specific drive, or you want to change the settings, press Enter at the boot: menu to enter Interactive Mode.
Use the Space bar to select the drives that you want to erase.You can change the wipe method (M), the random number generator (P), the number of rounds (R), and the verification (V) by pressing the appropriate key.
Each section has a detailed explanation about each of the options.
Most of the default settings for DBAN should be sufficient for home and small business users. , Once you have selected the drives and options, press F10 to begin the wipe process.
The time until the process completes will be displayed in the Statistics box.
Depending on the method chosen and the size of the drive, the wipe process could take days to complete. , After the wiping process is complete, you will receive a message from DBAN instructing you to remove the DBAN disc and shut down your computer.
Your drives are now securely erased, and you can safely sell or reuse them.
Drives will have to be reformatted for use with your operating system.
If you wiped the disk with your operating system, you will need to reinstall Windows.
About the Author
Cheryl Jimenez
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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