[blurblur]

Apparently my problem in the other thread is hardware related, so fixing it with software won't cut it. I have been told to get a new hard drive, luckily I have a cozy warrenty that I think will cover this.

But I believe they will replace the hard drive and keep my old one. Perhaps to fix, or diagnose the problem. But someone having access to everything I have ever done on my computer makes me uneasy. I have purchased many things online with credit cards, and communicate a lot online with people, so is a huge loss of privacy. Is there anyway to wipe out my hard drive's memory(esp email/aim logs/credit card info, but a full wipe out would be best) so as not to open up my personal life to best buy employee's?

I actually did a system restore, which wipes out everything to try to fix my HD, but that can be undone can't it?

Edited by blurblur, 11 August 2005 - 01:11 PM.

[Advertisements]

I recommend downloading CleanUp! It deletes all your temporary Internet files such as cookies, history etc. That way companies won't be able to trace you. It helps protect your privacy.

You can get CleanUp for free here: http://www.geekstogo...tion=show&id=49

Edited by LIONWOODS, 11 August 2005 - 01:23 PM.

[LIONWOODS]

I recommend downloading CleanUp! It deletes all your temporary Internet files such as cookies, history etc. That way companies won't be able to trace you. It helps protect your privacy.

You can get CleanUp for free here: http://www.geekstogo...tion=show&id=49

Edited by LIONWOODS, 11 August 2005 - 01:23 PM.

[Murray S.]

Howdy:

If you are really worried about all that, the ONLY sure way is to physically destroy the disk.. As that would remove any chance of you getting your replacement, I would suggest downloading and running the hdd manufacturers Utility Program and use that to wipe the disk..

Your info would still be available to the more experienced retrieval people/programs but I doubt whomever you are sending your disk back to are all that concerned with what ws on it before..

Murray

[sevver]

I recommend using what the government uses: DBAN
You have a good reason to be paranoid too though. My mom sent her computer in the HP and had to get her board replaced, and with that, someone stole her ebay identity and card numbers and made things a mess for her, she had to change usernames, passwords, PayPal, and credit cards around. And HP basically told her to take a hike, they were not responsible.
Gotta love reliabiliy.

Edited by sevver, 11 August 2005 - 01:31 PM.

[LIONWOODS]

Or you may want to try out KillDisk.

Wipes out all floppies and hard disk drives completely by secure overwriting data on physical level using [One Pass Zeros] data destruction method.

[paulcomputerman]

I recommend using what the government uses:  DBAN
You have a good reason to be paranoid too though.  My mom sent her computer in the HP and had to get her board replaced, and with that, someone stole her ebay identity and card numbers and made things a mess for her, she had to change usernames, passwords, PayPal, and credit cards around.  And HP basically told her to take a hike, they were not responsible.
Gotta love reliabiliy.

Sevver,
According to HP policy, they are required to do a clean install of Windows XP before they are allowed to work with it and test it.
Paulcomputerman