Remove Personal INformation

[Imaginary Friend]

Do i need to erase my ssd before i sell it or do i just do a factory restore on windows which deletes all the files?

 

BTW do you guys have any tips for selling stuff?

[Majestic]

If you want to be sure, you need to do a secure erase. Any format or delete can easily be recovered.

 

HDD's you need to painstakingly rewrite block for block. There's some DOS programs for that.

[Thony]

I would completely erase the SSD but you could always just sell it without the ssd and keep it for games or something

If u were a privacy freak you wouldnt sell your ssd as data can be recovered with a bit of effort.

[Majestic]

1 minute ago, Thony said:

If u were a privacy freak you wouldnt sell your ssd as data can be recovered with a bit of effort.

Secure erase sets everything to 0. Pretty sure you can't recover it.

[Thony]

1 minute ago, Majestic said:

Secure erase sets everything to 0. Pretty sure you can't recover it.

Nothing is impossible  But thats the topic for "freaks" not regular users with almost no sensitive data.

[Imaginary Friend]

9 minutes ago, Thony said:

I would completely erase the SSD but you could always just sell it without the ssd and keep it for games or something

If u were a privacy freak you wouldnt sell your ssd as data can be recovered with a bit of effort.

I don't think anyone will buy a pc without any storage like ssd or hdd or is it just me?

 

Sorry i haven't bought any used pc parts or pc's before

 

9 minutes ago, Majestic said:

If you want to be sure, you need to do a secure erase. Any format or delete can easily be recovered.

 

HDD's you need to painstakingly rewrite block for block. There's some DOS programs for that.

Do you have any videos that show how to erase a ssd because i have been searching for hours and i couldn't find anything good

 

BTW shouldn't your name be Delrith

[Majestic]

2 minutes ago, Sans said:

Do you have any videos that show how to erase a ssd because i have been searching for hours and i couldn't find anything good

 

BTW shouldn't your name be Delrith

Which drive is it.

 

Not really, I just use the gif for mockery.

[Imaginary Friend]

2 minutes ago, Majestic said:

Which drive is it.

 

Not really, I just use the gif for mockery.

Samsung 850 EVO 250GB

 

Nah i was just kiddin  

[Prysin]

14 minutes ago, Sans said:

Do i need to erase my ssd before i sell it or do i just do a factory restore on windows which deletes all the files?

 

BTW do you guys have any tips for selling stuff?

Personally, i would never give away or sell a storage medium. Destroy it for your own safety.

 

7 minutes ago, Majestic said:

Secure erase sets everything to 0. Pretty sure you can't recover it.

Not with normal consumer software. You need professional equipment to do it. But you should be able to do it, given enough time.

[Majestic]

4 minutes ago, Prysin said:

Not with normal consumer software. You need professional equipment to do it. But you should be able to do it, given enough time.

But it's enough for low-profile people to comfortably sell of their drive, knowing some wizzkid isn't going to recover data from it.

 

I'd not safely discard a drive with high-profile material previously on it. they invented HDD shredders for those.

[DawN the 13 year old]

I use this program to clean my hard drives before I sell them to the company I do a few jobs for. (link is www.dban.org) it contains the methods used by the US government so if it's good for them, it's fine for you. The most powerful clean can take up to 7 days to finish but the weakest one (1 run of rewriting the hard drive with positive and negative binary digits) takes about 4 hours and its fine for me. The SSD should take an hour to do. Good luck on fixing it mate!

 

 

and for a bit of help selling things, try piling together a cheap used pc and sell it as refurbished, it works a charm and nets you some cash in the wallet for another.

[Prysin]

2 minutes ago, Majestic said:

But it's enough for low-profile people to comfortably sell of their drive, knowing some wizzkid isn't going to recover data from it.

 

I'd not safely discard a drive with high-profile material previously on it. they invented HDD shredders for those.

you never know when some creepy basement dweller will get your shit, extract info from it using home made tools able to do it (sure you can make even pro scanners at home), then extort you with the info he/she digs up.

 

That is exactly why you destroy a storage medium today. No questions. Physical destruction > "theoretically ereased through software".

 

Best way to destroy a HDD/SSD:

Stuff you need:

1L of Petrol

A lighter

A steel cooking pot or barrel.

A Sledgehammer.

 

Step 1: Pour 0.5L of petrol into the cooking pot. and light fire to it. Drop SSD or HDD into the fire.

Step 2: After fire has burnt out. Take the SSD or HDD out, warning it will be HOT, and smash it with the sledgehammer multiple times.

Step 3: gather the remains of the SSD or HDD, put it into the pot. Pour the remaining petrol over it and set it on fire.

Step 4: If paranoid, give it another beating with the Sledgehammer.

Step 5: Deposit at certified electronics waste disposal for proper waste management.

[Imaginary Friend]

2 minutes ago, Prysin said:

you never know when some creepy basement dweller will get your shit, extract info from it using home made tools able to do it (sure you can make even pro scanners at home), then extort you with the info he/she digs up.

 

That is exactly why you destroy a storage medium today. No questions. Physical destruction > "theoretically ereased through software".

 

Best way to destroy a HDD/SSD:

Stuff you need:

1L of Petrol

A lighter

A steel cooking pot or barrel.

A Sledgehammer.

 

Step 1: Pour 0.5L of petrol into the cooking pot. and light fire to it. Drop SSD or HDD into the fire.

Step 2: After fire has burnt out. Take the SSD or HDD out, warning it will be HOT, and smash it with the sledgehammer multiple times.

Step 3: gather the remains of the SSD or HDD, put it into the pot. Pour the remaining petrol over it and set it on fire.

Step 4: If paranoid, give it another beating with the Sledgehammer.

Step 5: Deposit at certified electronics waste disposal for proper waste management.

So you mean i shouldn't sell my pc with my ssd in it and instead destroy it?

 

[Majestic]

1 minute ago, Sans said:

So you mean i shouldn't sell my pc with my ssd in it and instead destroy it?

 

Just reuse it.

[Prysin]

1 minute ago, Sans said:

So you mean i shouldn't sell my pc with my ssd in it and instead destroy it?

 

Take the SSD out and keep it.

 

It may even come in handy one day as a "backup" of old files you have.

[Imaginary Friend]

33 minutes ago, Prysin said:

Take the SSD out and keep it.

 

It may even come in handy one day as a "backup" of old files you have.

Smart idea!

 

33 minutes ago, Prysin said:

Take the SSD out and keep it.

 

It may even come in handy one day as a "backup" of old files you have.

 

33 minutes ago, Majestic said:

Just reuse it.

Wait... wai... wa? doesn't it lower the chance that someone will be able (want) to buy the pc or?

[Prysin]

30 minutes ago, Sans said:

Smart idea!

Just be sure to power on the SSD (Sata Power only) every 6-12 months, as data degrades faster on SSDs then on HDDs.

Corruption has been proven to happen with some SSDs as fast as 6 months without power. Others have had no signs of degredation before after a couple of years.

 

28 minutes ago, Sans said:

 

Wait... wai... wa? doesn't it lower the chance that someone will be able to buy the pc or?

nah. Many want to reuse old drives for new PCs, even used PCs, because then they can keep their OS and personal files. Unless we are talking about a Samsung 950 Pro or Intel 750 NVMe SSD, it shouldnt matter much when it comes to both sales value and buyer interest

[Imaginary Friend]

1 minute ago, Prysin said:

nah. Many want to reuse old drives for new PCs, even used PCs, because then they can keep their OS and personal files. Unless we are talking about a Samsung 950 Pro or Intel 750 NVMe SSD, it shouldnt matter much when it comes to both sales value and buyer interest

Ok cuz i see alot of people selling their pc's with their hdd's and ssd's and i was a little worried

 

But thnx super cool spider man guy?