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Love Calm Quiet · Jul 9, 2005, 01:22 PM

I think Dad's about to go OS-X ! But he wants to donate his old Dell Windoze to community org.
Problems:
He's VERY computer slow (age 80) & can't tell how to zap all his DATA files before donating the PC.
Plus: I am a 20-year Mac dude... and don't even know how to navigate folders (directories?) on a PC.
I don't really want go to PC forums

... and wondered if someone can:
1) walk me through how to find "Finder"-like function in Windows
2) tell me how to EMPTY Trash (recycle?) can on PC
3) let me know if there's any freebie way to further secure "trashed" files (that might have SS #, passwords, etc) - WITHOUT wiping the drive.

Warung · Jul 9, 2005, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by Love Calm Quiet

1) walk me through how to find "Finder"-like function in Windows

It's called "Windows Explorer" - Left column navigates through folders etc., right column is your files etc.

It should be in your "Quick-start menu" (Windows key)

Originally Posted by Love Calm Quiet

2) tell me how to EMPTY Trash (recycle?) can on PC

Right mouse click on trash can -> empty trash

Originally Posted by Love Calm Quiet

3) let me know if there's any freebie way to further secure "trashed" files (that might have SS #, passwords, etc) - WITHOUT wiping the drive.

Don't think there is one, - but dumping the trash should be pretty secure. If it's a big issue though, your dad should really "wipe" the drive.

hth

Captain Obvious · Jul 9, 2005, 01:54 PM

take the harddrive out, put it in a firewire or USB enclusre and keep and backup everything you want on a Mac.
I would never donate a computer without keeping or destroying the HDD. Too much personal data can be recovered if people want to get at it.

Railroader · Jul 9, 2005, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by Captain Obvious

take the harddrive out, put it in a firewire or USB enclusre and keep and backup everything you want on a Mac.
I would never donate a computer without keeping or destroying the HDD. Too much personal data can be recovered if people want to get at it.

What CO said.

Buy a cheap HD and install from the recovery discs that came with the computer. Wa-La... fresh new system to give away and your personal data is secure.

skalie · Jul 10, 2005, 06:12 AM

The windows key in combination with an "E" opens the explorer, btw.

Just thought I'd mention that as I have no idea how to find it any other way.

OogaBooga · Jul 10, 2005, 06:46 AM

Notice how we don't have Mac Nubies asking how to browse for files and empty the trash on OS X. Hmm... I wonder why...

mitchell_pgh · Jul 10, 2005, 08:24 AM

Whenever I sell or give away my older computers, I take out the HD and replace it with a new one. Most of the time, I'll buy a $30 HD and install a clean OS.

I feel MUCH better knowing there is nothing personal on the computer I'm selling. Well worth the $30 IMHO.

Warung · Jul 10, 2005, 08:34 AM

I didn't realize it was that easy getting information from a formatted HD.

I've known quite a few people who tried to recover data which they had erroniously deleted, and they had to go through quite a lot of trouble getting it back.

tie · Jul 10, 2005, 08:51 AM

Run google for erasing files. I used a disk wiping program which claimed at least to only overwrite the files you gave it.

ghporter · Jul 10, 2005, 09:17 AM

I like Railroader's process the best for a number of reasons. First, from a computer security standpoint it's the most secure. Secondly, it gives the organization you donate the computer to a clean slate of a computer-they don't need to devote a lot of time to rebuilding the computer to suit their needs (but DO donate the recovery/restore discs that came with the computer as well!). Further, for not much money, you can get a much larger drive than the one that came in the computer for a replacement-a very nice extra for the organization you're donating the computer to!

OogaBooga, it took me quite a bit of fumbling to figure out how to empty the Trash on OS X, because I did not have any background in MacOS to start with. Having a degree in Computer Science did not help me either. A little perusal of the manual/help system fixed that problem(and a number of others) rather quickly. If Love Calm Quiet had bothered to try the help system in Windows, he/she would have found plenty of simple and straightforward instructions for that particular function in seconds. ALWAYS read the manual or help files first-they will at least help you ask better questions.

SVass · Jul 10, 2005, 11:33 AM

The first and most important issue would be to transfer his "important files" to a new computer. The second (and probably lesser) is to erase his personal data. If he does not do online banking or stock trading, then he has little to worry about. A local computer dealer that sells both Macs and PCs might take care of both areas for less than $100 if he buys new from them. (My area has a Computer USA store that sells and repairs both.) Transferring files to a CD and wiping/reinstalling Windows is a fairly straightforward task for a reputable repair shop. sam

demograph68 · Jul 10, 2005, 12:01 PM

Nuke the harddrive. Info secured.

ghporter · Jul 10, 2005, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by demograph68

Nuke the harddrive. Info secured.

The only problems with this are a) what exactly do you mean by "nuke the harddrive," and b) how you would go about it.

To me, "nuking" a harddrive refers to doing a full repartitioning of the drive, and formatting it with a new format (like going from FAT32 to NTFS, for example). Not hard to do, and the information on the disk is 95% certain to be irrecoverable. It's that other 5% that bothers me. There is a small but non-zero possibility that the data could be recovered, so this is a situation where you need to consider what kind of data you're talking about and compare it to how hard it would be to recover. Repartitioning and reformatting is perfectly adequate for any "personal data" such as bank account numbers, SSNs, and the like.

REALLY serious security shops go to extremes to make the data totally irrecoverable. Of course the drive is toast after subjecting it to an industrial degausser several times, but NOBODY is going to get any data off of it.

Link · Jul 10, 2005, 04:54 PM

Stick the hard drive in the microwave?

demograph68 · Jul 10, 2005, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by Link

Stick the hard drive in the microwave?

Exactly.

ghporter · Jul 11, 2005, 08:04 AM

How about an industrial electromagnetic crane-the kind they use at auto smashing facilities? That would indeed "nuke" the drive.

Really, there are simple ways to completely clean a drive within the limits needed for personal information, including some software from big names like Symantec. But this stuff is to be used Very Carefully because it will completely eradicate ANY AND ALL data on a drive. Best just to replace the drive...

wataru · Jul 11, 2005, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by Railroader

Wa-La...

voilà

ghporter · Jul 11, 2005, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by wataru

voilà

And cello to you.

Railroader · Jul 11, 2005, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by wataru

voilà

I like wa-la better. It always gets only the truly anal irritated.

wataru · Jul 11, 2005, 09:30 PM

You're right, why bother with correct spelling when you could purposely annoy people?

budster101 · Jul 11, 2005, 09:41 PM

Actually, I like wala better too. It was cute.

Your correction just makes you look mean and nastea. (Spelling error done by a professional in an enclosed environment, do not attempt at home.)

Get some Nestea for your Nastea. < I just thought that up on the fly and is now copywrited, by me. >
Get rid of the Nastea with Nestea < Same here.

July 11, 2005

Railroader · Jul 11, 2005, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by wataru

You're right, why bother with correct spelling when you could purposely annoy people?

Have you met athens yet?