How to sanitize a computer that won't boot?
October 16, 2008 9:02 AM Subscribe
Computer won't boot - how do I erase my personal information?
Ok, so the old box (Windows XP) was dying, and we made the decision to become a Mac family. Bought the PowerMac, took everything in and the Geek Squad transferred our files over (I could have done this myself and saved the $100, but didn't want to run the risk of losing anything). Brought it all home and love love love the Mac.
I want to recycle the old Windows machine, but when I hooked everything back up to download some freeware and wipe the hard drives (one original, one I added), it wouldn't even boot up. The drive would spin for about 1/2 second, and then the green light on the power button would turn yellow. (Obviously we got the Mac just in time!)
I don't want to put too much effort into this, but is there an easy way to wipe it clean before dropping it off somewhere? Should I even care? Everything "important" (pictures [some of a personal nature] and music) was on the secondary drive, so I could pull that out and smash it with a hammer. But on the main C drive there's probably some of the iTunes library files, some teaching stuff, etc.
Ok, so the old box (Windows XP) was dying, and we made the decision to become a Mac family. Bought the PowerMac, took everything in and the Geek Squad transferred our files over (I could have done this myself and saved the $100, but didn't want to run the risk of losing anything). Brought it all home and love love love the Mac.
I want to recycle the old Windows machine, but when I hooked everything back up to download some freeware and wipe the hard drives (one original, one I added), it wouldn't even boot up. The drive would spin for about 1/2 second, and then the green light on the power button would turn yellow. (Obviously we got the Mac just in time!)
I don't want to put too much effort into this, but is there an easy way to wipe it clean before dropping it off somewhere? Should I even care? Everything "important" (pictures [some of a personal nature] and music) was on the secondary drive, so I could pull that out and smash it with a hammer. But on the main C drive there's probably some of the iTunes library files, some teaching stuff, etc.
If the computer won't start from the hard disk but will boot from CD/floppy/usb, there's DBAN.
Otherwise, your options are to either connect the drives to another computer, or to physically destroy the drives (such as with a hammer). The hammer is obviously the simplest of these options.
posted by Mike1024 at 9:20 AM on October 16, 2008
Otherwise, your options are to either connect the drives to another computer, or to physically destroy the drives (such as with a hammer). The hammer is obviously the simplest of these options.
posted by Mike1024 at 9:20 AM on October 16, 2008
If you buy a drive enclosure you can remove the second drive from the XP machine and use it as a backup drive. That way you could also take out the first drive, see if it fires up in the enclosure and wipe it if it does. Drive enclosures are cheap.
posted by mandal at 9:21 AM on October 16, 2008
posted by mandal at 9:21 AM on October 16, 2008
Response by poster: Caddis, I can't get the computer to even turn on though.
posted by tr33hggr at 9:23 AM on October 16, 2008
posted by tr33hggr at 9:23 AM on October 16, 2008
Sounds like there's something bum with the motherboard, since the power button't turning yellow- or, best case scenario, the BIOS is bum and you can just take out the BIOS battery and let it reset itself so the computer knows how to boot again.
But if you want to recycle it, what's wrong with just smashing the hard drives (or disassembling them for their fun magnets)? If everything was copied over by the Geek Squad, then pulling and destroying the main C drive is just as easy to pull as the secondary drive, just open the case with a screwdriver.
Of course, if the Geek Squad got their mitts on your computer, there's a chance that your [personal] photos might already be out in the wild.
posted by dunkadunc at 9:28 AM on October 16, 2008 [1 favorite]
But if you want to recycle it, what's wrong with just smashing the hard drives (or disassembling them for their fun magnets)? If everything was copied over by the Geek Squad, then pulling and destroying the main C drive is just as easy to pull as the secondary drive, just open the case with a screwdriver.
Of course, if the Geek Squad got their mitts on your computer, there's a chance that your [personal] photos might already be out in the wild.
posted by dunkadunc at 9:28 AM on October 16, 2008 [1 favorite]
If the computer won't boot from any device then you can pull the drive, put it into a USB drive housing (these are cheap these days) and access the drive through another computer. If it is still working you will now have a USB drive and don't even necessarily need to throw it away. If it isn't working then no one is going to go the the extraordinary lengths necessary to get the data off.
posted by caddis at 9:32 AM on October 16, 2008
posted by caddis at 9:32 AM on October 16, 2008
If Geek Squad transferred the files directly from the drive, maybe they didn't put all of the cables back correctly? Check everything's properly hooked up to the drive and motherboard.
posted by malevolent at 10:38 AM on October 16, 2008
posted by malevolent at 10:38 AM on October 16, 2008
I would take it back to geek squad and tell them that they only did half the work. If they did not plug the drive back in then they should fix that for free. Did you ask them to wipe it and now dont remember?
I'd also try DBAN as someone mentioned above. Perhaps the machine can still boot from CD.
posted by damn dirty ape at 10:52 AM on October 16, 2008
I'd also try DBAN as someone mentioned above. Perhaps the machine can still boot from CD.
posted by damn dirty ape at 10:52 AM on October 16, 2008
Could be an unplugged cable (have you checked the power cables feeding the hard drives and motherboard aren't loose?), or possibly a displaced CPU heatsink (this can happen when you shift a machine around: if the heatsink isn't sitting perfectly on the CPU the system will fail to boot as the thermal protection kicks in to prevent damage from overheating). If you're comfortable doing so, you could try removing and reseating the CPU and heatsink.
If you're not sure where the PC is going to end up when it's recycled, then you probably should care about the data on it (cached passwords in your browser, any personal detalis in your temp files etc.).
posted by boosh at 1:36 PM on October 16, 2008
If you're not sure where the PC is going to end up when it's recycled, then you probably should care about the data on it (cached passwords in your browser, any personal detalis in your temp files etc.).
posted by boosh at 1:36 PM on October 16, 2008
Best answer: Remove the drive from the dying pc, recycle the pc with no drive. Disassemble the dead drive for the strong magnet, and because it's mildly entertaining. Then put it in the recycling bin. The magnet will destroy the finish on a fridge, so be careful.
posted by theora55 at 1:44 PM on October 16, 2008
posted by theora55 at 1:44 PM on October 16, 2008
The only really secure way to erase your data from a hard-drive is with a hammer.
posted by Hogshead at 4:13 PM on October 16, 2008
posted by Hogshead at 4:13 PM on October 16, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by caddis at 9:10 AM on October 16, 2008