Backup your system before doing anything. You should always backup important files before wiping (or erasing) your hard drive. Erasing your hard drive will make recovering your files challenging and you do not want to lose anything important.
Use DBAN. If your computer contained any sensitive documents, photos or informations which could be used to steal your identity, you will want to use a more secure method of removing your data. DBAN (or Darik’s Boot and Nuke) is a commonly used, free program used to securely erase your hard drive. It also works for Macs running at least OS X.
Make sure your computer is set to boot from a CD. If it is not, follow these instructions.
Type “dodshort”. When the computer boots from the disk, the easiest method to wipe the computer will be to type in either “dodshort” for a simple wipe or “dod” for something stronger (leave off the quotation marks for both). Both are the standard erasing methods for the Department of Defense and are very secure. You can use the interactive mode if you want more wiping options.
Hit enter. Once you’ve entered your preferred method, hit enter. You’re done: it will start wiping. You will, however, need to reinstall an operating system and restore your files. [1][2]
It will take a VERY long time. Don’t worry. It’s normal.
OPTION 2
Backup your system before doing anything. You should always backup important files before wiping (or erasing) your hard drive. Erasing your hard drive will make recovering your files challenging and you do not want to lose anything important.
2Reformat the hard drive using the installation disk.
Insert the disk into the CD-ROM tray. Reboot your computer. Watch carefully for a message to flash on the bottom of screen. This message will tell you what key you need to press in order to enter the Setup mode.
Press the key indicated during the boot process and enter Setup. Common keys are F2, F8 or F11. Look for an option to boot from a disk or CD and choose it.
Select the "Reformat hard drive" option when prompted.
If you have more than one partition on your hard drive, the second one likely holds recovery information. If this is the case, you can leave that partition alone.
If your second partition holds an alternate operating system, you may want to delete it.
Choose the NTFS option for the drive's type.
Choose either Quick or Normal, depending upon your reasons for reformatting.
If the computer will be going to a new owner, choose the Thorough or Normal option for higher security.
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