I am not advertising but I am asking if there is a place where I can to donate or ewven sell the computer I have. It is not really old (I'd say early 2000) but ast the same time it is not something brand spankin' new either, I know I am better off buying a neew computer but I want to know any places where I can at least donate it or sell it? I know about EBay.
By wipe everything, arflech of course means run D-BAN on the drive first.
If you're paranoid that will work.
An easier idea is to insert a Linux LiveCD and reformat as a new partition type, then either remove the partition or install the OS of choice.
Lithopolis, OH
@Arflrck, I never tried Linux before but I will wipe out the data and install the OS like you said.
https://shipit.ubuntu.com/
Of course if you'll sell or donate it soon then a better idea would be to download an ISO and burn it, which is then just as easy as using DBAN
Joined: 3/11/2004
Posts: 1058
Location: Reykjavík, Ísland
I remember a time when an extra computer meant something to me. I could set up Linux on it, or something (not that I ever actually did that). Now computers are everywhere. We're drowning in old computers. Even laptops aren't special anymore. *sigh*
My old computers tend to sicken me by the time I get a new one, and I can't stand having it around. Even my current computer is now ancient. What a loud, weak, hulking beast. *shudder* What's worst about it is that I usually recycle at least some part of my old computer into my new one, so it's not even a usable computer anymore, which means it turns into useless junk which I still don't want to throw away. It's very depressing.
That said, if it is a usable piece of equipment, please donate it to someone who can use it rather than just throw it away.
My old computers tend to sicken me by the time I get a new one
Well, don't get new ones then. That way you won't additionally contribute to global warming and the growing trash problem in development countries.
If you feel that it's absolutely necessary for you to buy new computers, just throw the old ones on the dump and forget about them.
Joined: 3/11/2004
Posts: 1058
Location: Reykjavík, Ísland
Swedishmartin wrote:
Blublu wrote:
My old computers tend to sicken me by the time I get a new one
Well, don't get new ones then.
That's like saying don't buy new food if your old food goes bad.
throw the old ones on the dump
I fail to see how that's any different from not throwing them away, environmentally speaking. They'll be thrown away or recycled eventually either way, so what's your point?
That's like saying don't buy new food if your old food goes bad.
You don't need computers to live. Also, old computers are still usable. I don't understand your metaphor, to be honest.
Blublu wrote:
I fail to see how that's any different from not throwing them away, environmentally speaking. They'll be thrown away or recycled eventually either way, so what's your point?
I meant if you got sickened by seeing them, why not just get rid of them?
Also, your insistence of buying new computers despite of your guilt about your old ones is hypocritical. You should either be ignoring the climate or helping it, preferably the latter.
I am trying to fix an old PC to sell on EBay or Donate it to some charity but I want to transfer my current computer settings to other one so that I won't have to go to the process of setting every thing up again. I used the Files and Settings Tranfer Wizard to transfer some of my settings to the othew PC but the FAST Wizard on the other PC doesn't see the files that I placed on my disks and Removable Disk. am I doing something wrong? Is there a better way to transfer old files to the new PC?
Joined: 3/11/2004
Posts: 1058
Location: Reykjavík, Ísland
Swedishmartin wrote:
I meant if you got sickened by seeing them, why not just get rid of them?
Ah, ok. I don't really know exactly what I was thinking when I made that previous post. It doesn't make sense.
Also, your insistence of buying new computers despite of your guilt about your old ones is hypocritical. You should either be ignoring the climate or helping it, preferably the latter.
By wipe everything, arflech of course means run D-BAN on the drive first.
If you're paranoid that will work.
An easier idea is to insert a Linux LiveCD and reformat as a new partition type, then either remove the partition or install the OS of choice.
I've used forensics tools that would see straight through that. If you've ever typed a social security number on a computer, you can't be too paranoid about what happens to the disk. I usually suggest thermite.
By wipe everything, arflech of course means run D-BAN on the drive first.
If you're paranoid that will work.
An easier idea is to insert a Linux LiveCD and reformat as a new partition type, then either remove the partition or install the OS of choice.
I've used forensics tools that would see straight through that. If you've ever typed a social security number on a computer, you can't be too paranoid about what happens to the disk. I usually suggest thermite.
How about making a file that is exactly 4KB (or the size of an allocation unit) and then copying it until the disk is full and then removing all of those copies?
Flipping bits on the hard drive involves changing the magnetic field strength in a small area. But magnetic field strength isn't digital; it's analog. So you define ranges and say "that's 0" (even though it's never actually completely nonmagnetic) and "that's 1" (even though the actual strength is always different). When you write a 1 where a 0 used to be, you change the field strength, but the new value depends in part on the old value; thus, with some skill and heuristics, you can still read it even though the old value is "gone".
For more information, see the Wikipedia link.
Pyrel - an open-source rewrite of the Angband roguelike game in Python.
A full "zero fill" of zeros then ones renders all but the absolute best forensics tools unable to recover data. DoD specs specify at least 17 passes IIRC.
Also, Derakon is talking about how a 0 might actually be 0.3 if it was previously a 1 and 0.0 if it was always a 0.
Joined: 11/30/2008
Posts: 650
Location: a little city in the middle of nowhere
Although the suggestions you are making are valid, none of you have suggested hard methods of destroying data on hard drives.
For this I recommend Hydrochloric acid. This can be acquired at your local pool shop. The stuff that I get is minimum 330g HCl per L of water (9 molL-1), which is concentrated. I guarantee if you expose the platters to about 3 litres of this, there will be no platters left to recover. Make sure when dong this, you use it in a well ventilated (like outside) area with no open flames, and obviously, don't use a metal bucket to put it in.
Although the above was a half joke, if you have very high value data on that drive, you can't be too careful. As for a soft method, definitely run D-BAN. chances are, whoever gets the drive will not have the equipment to recover any data.
Although the suggestions you are making are valid, none of you have suggested hard methods of destroying data on hard drives. […] Although the above was a half joke, if you have very high value data on that drive, you can't be too careful.
Deja vu.
superjupi wrote:
If you've ever typed a social security number on a computer, you can't be too paranoid about what happens to the disk. I usually suggest thermite.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
A full "zero fill" of zeros then ones renders all but the absolute best forensics tools unable to recover data. DoD specs specify at least 17 passes IIRC.
Also, Derakon is talking about how a 0 might actually be 0.3 if it was previously a 1 and 0.0 if it was always a 0.
DoD is 7 passes for Secret and up, 3 passes for Sensitive and down.
But a simple 0 fill should make the data unrecoverable to anyone who wouldn't just go and kidnap you to get the information you hid.
Build a man a fire, warm him for a day,
Set a man on fire, warm him for the rest of his life.
Depends, have you put any of your personal information on it that can be used to steal your identity?
I think Warp's question was more along the lines of "who would bother checking if you had?" Using data forensics tools when you don't know what you're looking for (how do you know a string of characters you've found is a social security number?) sounds infeasible at best. I mean, looking through gigabytes of data to locate a several-byte-long number? You must definitely have some bad enemies in that case.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
