Inc: How to Wipe Your Hard Drive before Junking Your PC

A step-by-step process to help make sure those critical files aren't available to anyone else.

AUGUST 1, 2006
by Marc Saltzman

For many companies faced with aging computer hardware, the attitude is: out with the old, in with the new. But there is plenty of sensitive data on the hard drives of those old models that could potentially hurt a business if it fell into the wrong hands.

Whether your company is dumping a series of aging PCs or simply want them to run as smooth as they did the day they arrived in the building, there are certain rules to follow when wiping your hard drive before tossing your PC. Some companies make the mistake of simply trying to uninstall their problems and manually delete important or confidential files. But be forewarned: there's always a way to retrieve data.

This following guide will help you wipe your hard drive clean and install a fresh copy of Windows XP before you donate it to a charity, relative or coworker.

Click the URL above to read the full article