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Wiping memory before selling on!

  • 23-03-2010 12:32am
    #1
    duckygalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 173 ✭✭


    I'm selling on a laptop I own. Haven't used it in a while as it stopped working. Got a bid for it on eBay but want to recover all the files I have on it and wipe the memory before I send it on. Can I do it myself? Have a new laptop! Other laptop won't turn on...


Comments

  • #2
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 93,581 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    use an external USB hard drive to copy files to


    to wipe use dban will remove windows too


  • #3
    duckygalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 173 ✭✭duckygalway


    The laptop in question won't turn on for me!!


  • #4
    Idleater
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,236 ✭✭✭Idleater


    duckygalway wrote: »
    The laptop in question won't turn on for me!!

    Remove the Hard Drive so, and replace with a new one.

    If you want the stuff on the drive, get a 2.5" external usb case and plug it in to another computer.


  • #5
    bonzodog2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,285 ✭✭✭bonzodog2


    before you buy an external case,check if the drive is IDE or SATA


  • #6
    duckygalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 173 ✭✭duckygalway


    OK - I bought the external case and have successfully connected it to my new laptop. However, it is now telling me I need to format the disk. Will this erase all the data I have on it? While I want to wipe it I was hoping to transfer some of my stuff over to my new laptop!


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  • #7
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 93,581 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    when you said your laptop did not start , what message did it give ?

    data corruption on the drive could make it appear to be unformatted
    testdisk might fix that
    photorec will also pull files off bare metal

    or pop the drive back in the laptop and use a linux live cd to see what it can see


    a dead drive might give that message, unlikely, but is it making strange noises ?

    formating will not wipe data, unless you do a long format

    dban will wipe the drive, but not safe to use on an external drive unless you know what you are doing, - simply put the drive back in the laptop when you use dban to wipe it


  • #8
    duckygalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 173 ✭✭duckygalway


    When I turn the old laptop on it with the hard drive in, it just says;

    Invalid configuration information - please run SETUP program
    Primary hard disk drive 0 not found
    Time-of-day not set - please run SETUP program
    Strike the F1 key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility

    What now?


  • #9
    duckygalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 173 ✭✭duckygalway


    I've set the time and date now so all that comes up when I start is;

    Primary hard disk drive 0 not found

    No bootable devices--strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility


  • #10
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 93,581 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    it's not seeing the drive - again is the drive making any strange noises ?


    what make/model is the laptop - look for a reset / defaults options in the BIOS
    look for a way to set the hard drive type to auto on older ones only


  • #11
    duckygalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 173 ✭✭duckygalway


    No strange noises. It's a Dell Inspiron 500m.

    I'm not seeing a default/reset option in the BIOS. Have moved the boot order around but to no avail. Is there something I could put on CD-ROM to boot of that which would allow me sort something out?

    It says no Primary Hard Drive found even though it's in there!


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