If you do not want the new owner to dig into your data after selling your computer or laptop, if you are afraid that the device may become proof of your not entirely honest earnings, you can prevent this in a radical way. Erasing a hard disk not only destroys your data and the installed operating system, but also removes partitions from the disk, turning it into unallocated space with the original size of the hard drive.
The hard drive will look as if a new hard drive has been introduced into the assembly of your computer or laptop, just from the assembly line of the manufacturer's hard drive. If you wish, you can wipe the hard drive thoroughly so that no data recovery software finds what you are trying so hard to hide.
Below we will consider detailed instructions on how to completely erase a hard disk.
We will entrust the operation of erasing the hard disk to the AOMEIPartitionAssistant program - the assembly of various functionalities for working with the hard disk. This is an analogue of the more popular software products in the circles of systems engineers for working with a computer's hard disk - Acronis and Paragon. Compared to the latter, AOMEIPartitionAssistant is simpler and more understandable for the layman. In the example below, the software version will be used - ProfessionalEdition 5.5. It can be downloaded from the Internet without any problems.
So, install the AOMEIPartitionAssistant program and run it. In its main window, you will see the organization of your hard disk - how many are reserved for the needs of Windows, how many disk partitions there are, and their sizes. In the left part of the program window, its functionality is displayed. You need the bottom part - Disk operations... Click here "Erasing a hard disk".
A window will appear in which you need to set the number of passes to erase the hard disk. What number should I specify? Up to 7 passes - such an erasure of the hard disk is considered simple, and if desired and the specialist has professional skills, the latter will be able to recover some part of the data. More than 7 passes - such a hard disk erasure does not leave even the brightest minds of the special services a chance to find at least something. The more the number of disk erasing passes, the longer it will take to carry out the operation. Here, the choice is only yours. Set the number that suits you and click "OK".
Further, the AOMEIPartitionAssistant program will inform you that after erasing the hard disk, you will no longer be able to start the operating system. This is a kind of protective maneuver from enthusiasts who are driven by curiosity to launch such programs and functions, and not by the need for business. Click "Yes".
The program will return you to its main window, where you will see a picture of the planned operation.
This is how your hard disk will look after the erasure procedure - a continuous unallocated space. If you change your mind, you can cancel erasing the disc by pressing "Reset" or "Cancel" in the upper left corner of the program window. If you decide to continue, press the button Apply- this button will start the process of erasing your hard drive.
Then a window with service information will follow, according to the settings you specified. Click "Go".
The familiar Windows restart window will be the last thing you see from the signs for now "alive" operating system. With Windows, you will be able to meet only after the new disk layout and reinstallation of the system.
After rebooting, the AOMEIPartitionAssistant program will start and perform the intended operation to erase the hard disk.
Upon completion of the work of AOMEIPartitionAssistant, the computer will reboot, and all that is available to you on the computer is the BIOS. After all, the hard disk will be, recall, unallocated space without any data.