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does bestbuy do HDD wipes?

Aytex
By Aytex
in Storage Devices
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Go to solution Solved by Captain_WD,

how do you wipe it....

use it at as a secondary drive

 

Once you install the OS on the SSD, connect the HDD to your system, copy everything you want to keep, navigate to Disk Management, find the drive with its partitions, right-click on them and choose "delete partition" on all of them and then simply create a new one. Your drive will be empty and ready to go after this. Here's a link with some explanations: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/delete-a-hard-disk-partition#1TC=windows-7
 
Then all you have to do is to create new partitions and assign drive letters. Here's a link to that too: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-format-hard-disk-partition#create-format-hard-disk-partition=windows-7
 
Captain_WD.
Posted

Pc just died so salvaging what still works

Probably not. Why would you do that (unless you're selling it)?

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Posted

Probably not. Why would you do that (unless you're selling it)?

Because you should always do this! There are people that hang around these places for the sole purpose of stealing drives with info on them...

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Posted

Pc just died so salvaging what still works

HDD Wipes? If you're going to re-use the drive you can wipe it yourself O.o

"Rawr XD"

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Because you should always do this! There are people that hang around these places for the sole purpose of stealing drives with info on them...

maybe he can just take the drive and keep it

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Posted

Because you should always do this! There are people that hang around these places for the sole purpose of stealing drives with info on them...

What places?

LTT's unofficial Windows activation expert.
 

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What places?

Stores that accepts broken computers etc. Always wipe your storage stuff before letting it go! Just in Norway there are many instances of people returning phones, and there's still stuff on them when people buys them again.

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How? My PC doesn't boot up... The HDD is fine and pretty new so might as well keep using it.

When installing Windows you have the option to delete any partitions and reformat the drive you're installing it to.

 

Also, if it's just a data drive you can wipe it from within Windows later. No point in paying someone to wipe a drive your going to be using.

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Posted

Pc just died so salvaging what still works

 

Hey Aytex, you can connect the drive to an already working computer via a SATA to USB cable, docking station or a simple external enclosure and format it with an application. It is recommended to do so if you are selling the drive. If you are getting a new drive, it is also recommended to perform a low-level format before using it due to safety reasons. 
Also when you put the drive on a new system and start installing the OS, you will be asked how to partition the drive. You can format all the partitions on an old drive from there. 
If you still need the data from the drive, I wouldn't try to wipe it and simply connect it to an already working computer externally or contact a data recovery company. 
 
Captain_WD.

If this helped you, like and choose it as best answer - you might help someone else with the same issue. ^_^
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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Author

 

Hey Aytex, you can connect the drive to an already working computer via a SATA to USB cable, docking station or a simple external enclosure and format it with an application. It is recommended to do so if you are selling the drive. If you are getting a new drive, it is also recommended to perform a low-level format before using it due to safety reasons. 
Also when you put the drive on a new system and start installing the OS, you will be asked how to partition the drive. You can format all the partitions on an old drive from there. 
If you still need the data from the drive, I wouldn't try to wipe it and simply connect it to an already working computer externally or contact a data recovery company. 
 
Captain_WD.

 

ill be getting a ssd and putting the os there so i need to just install the os on the hdd and move it?

FPS <3

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ill be getting a ssd and putting the os there so i need to just install the os on the hdd and move it?

 

You can simply put the OS directly to the SSD, no need to install in on the HDD at all. 
After you put the OS on the SSD, simply connect the HDD in any way (internally to the motherboard, externally with a cable, enclosure or a dock station) and wipe it. 
You should be able to access the HDD after installing fresh the OS on the SSD in order to get all your data from the HDD.
What exactly would you like to do?
 
Captain_WD.

If this helped you, like and choose it as best answer - you might help someone else with the same issue. ^_^
WDC Representative, http://www.wdc.com/ 

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After you put the OS on the SSD, simply connect the HDD in any way (internally to the motherboard, externally with a cable, enclosure or a dock station) and wipe it. 
 
What exactly would you like to do?
 
Captain_WD.

 

how do you wipe it....

use it at as a secondary drive

FPS <3

Flick G1 Review

Nixeus Revel Review

 

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  • Solution

how do you wipe it....

use it at as a secondary drive

 

Once you install the OS on the SSD, connect the HDD to your system, copy everything you want to keep, navigate to Disk Management, find the drive with its partitions, right-click on them and choose "delete partition" on all of them and then simply create a new one. Your drive will be empty and ready to go after this. Here's a link with some explanations: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/delete-a-hard-disk-partition#1TC=windows-7
 
Then all you have to do is to create new partitions and assign drive letters. Here's a link to that too: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-format-hard-disk-partition#create-format-hard-disk-partition=windows-7
 
Captain_WD.

If this helped you, like and choose it as best answer - you might help someone else with the same issue. ^_^
WDC Representative, http://www.wdc.com/ 

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Posted

thanks :)

 

You are welcome :) Feel free to ask if you happen to have more questions.

 

Captain_WD.

If this helped you, like and choose it as best answer - you might help someone else with the same issue. ^_^
WDC Representative, http://www.wdc.com/ 

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