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Got a bad section on my hard drive, Dell is sending technician over to replace/install a new drive in my laptop next week,the technician will take the hard drive with him. I'd like to ask how I can erase all information as much as possible from the drive.
Vista Home Premium
Any tips?
Txs.
FMZ "...the technician will take the hard drive with him. I'd like to ask how I can erase all information as much as possible from the drive."
"...can I erase info and still use the computer after wards?"
So which is it? If you're giving up the hard drive, you can use the program.
Txs for all your suggestions.
To Scott; The technician will need to run a test and verify if indeed the drive is bad, so he will need to be able to use the laptop. Once he established that is the case he will replace the drive and take the drive with him back to Dell. I want to erase as much personal information on the drive as possible but with still the ability to run the operation system. I hope you understand.
@Scott: I wouldn't recommend that as depending on the warranty or software they use that could affect whether they give a new hard drive.
@FMZ: In that case I don't understand why they would take the drive back. If the tech determines it's bad it does no good for them to take it back.
I suggest you ask them why they need the drive back if they know it's bad and ask if you can keep the drive to erase it with software like DBAN or hardware like a hammer.
If they don't see the logic in that ask them if between the time they find it's bad and the time they send it back if you can using something like DBAN to erase it (Which unfortunately would take a few hours to run depending on the hard drive size).
Hi FMZ, I think this program may help without erasing Vista. Look into the tutorial (top right blue box "getting started guide")
http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/
I've had more than a few Dell laptops and we currently are running two. In the past when I've complained about HDs, they have offered to replace them free, while under warranty. They send me a new one, I send the old one back. Period.
I quess it's not really to your benefit to have a tech come over, I'm sure you know HDs are easy to replace yourself. Dell, in my experience, doesn't make a big stink about small items (battery packs, etc) as long as they get the defective part back. I doubt you're in violation of anything if you erase it.
That said, one of two things will happen. If the tech is able to 'fix' your HD, no harm, no foul. If not, you'll get either a new blank one, or one loaded with Vista and possibly mucho crapware. Of these latter two scenarios, I rather have a blank one and reinstall Vista anew.
In any case, backup what you can and please do stop by tomorrow and fill us in on how it went.
On the Eraser program, that would probably work, one would have to remember all the places like temp folders that data would be to remove all your data from the drive.
I've searched online, I think what Dell must be doing is trying to fix the drive to sell it to someone else.
I found a Dell page that basicly said they do try to erase the drive before that but don't guarantee anything.
As for replacing hard drives it's only easy if this is a desktop, for laptops, everything is smaller and easier to brake when dealing with it.
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