| It can be an advocacy but usually, companies that | | | | fraudulently? If not, then, it is high time you wipe hard |
| dispose old computers when they buy new units often | | | | drive of your computer. |
| donate the equipments to institutions and to some | | | | Disk wiping is the process of erasing saved data on |
| people who need personal computers. This is a widely | | | | storage devices like compact discs, thumb drives and |
| acceptable practice. But are you ready to give much | | | | hard drives. When you wipe hard drive, you are |
| more than the worth of the personal computer you | | | | ensuring that all previously deleted files on the personal |
| are donating? You might not be fully aware of it but | | | | computer would never ever be recovered or |
| when you are giving your old personal computer to | | | | accessed even with the use of the most powerful |
| other people, you are also giving the recipient the | | | | data recovery software. Wiping hard drive is actually |
| opportunity to access your old files and information | | | | working by overwriting the entire hard drive not just |
| saved previously on the hard disk. | | | | once but several times. Thus, you can rest assured |
| Even if you have deleted the files in the Windows | | | | that no data or file would ever remain in the computer |
| operating system and in the Recycle Bin, there would | | | | memory for life. To put it simply, it is impossible to |
| always be traces of the deleted file somewhere within | | | | retrieve data that have already been overwritten. The |
| the hard drive of the computer. The simple process of | | | | process is irreversible. |
| deletion would only remove the shortcuts to the files. In | | | | How does the process work? When you wipe hard |
| actuality, the files are still there, though you could hardly | | | | drive, the process generally overwrites the whole disk |
| trace them. But imagine if in the long process of | | | | with zero or one. A reformat would follow. The |
| donating, the personal computer goes to the | | | | overwriting process takes on and repeats itself |
| possession of an expert who could be able to restore | | | | several times, solidifying the security purpose. That is |
| and retrieve the deleted files. There are many | | | | the reason why such computer programs usually take |
| recovery and restoration software available in the | | | | some time to complete. When you wipe hard drive, |
| market that could facilitate instant retrieval of deleted | | | | you are practically disk wiping applications by |
| files. | | | | overwriting master boot record, the partition table and |
| Will you be willing to afford to lose sensitive information | | | | each sector present in the computer hard drive. |
| like trade secrets, personal information, confidential | | | | When you wipe a hard drive, you are ensuring the |
| data, bank and credit account numbers and contact | | | | safety and confidentiality of all files that had been |
| details of clients? Much more, will you be willing to take | | | | saved and later on erased from the computer |
| the risk of sharing such important and confidential | | | | memory. Such pertinent data and information would |
| information to some unscrupulous people who might | | | | never ever be accessed by anyone, especially the |
| use the data inappropriately, maliciously and | | | | unauthorized ones. |