dumping my spare mac mini , how do I wipe out all personal information without do a re install? Not much on it, just want to dump my browser bookmarks and stuff
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how do I clear all personal data from computer
- Thread starter fkntotalkaos
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QuantumLo0p
macrumors 6502a
I would still do a secure erase of free space.
After creating a new user account and deleting the old accounts I would still do a secure erase of free space. If not, any average Joe can recover deleted files using easily available software tools. Set it to do multiple passes to be sure; single pass overwrites have been shown to be recoverable. If it is going to take a long time to complete, I would let it run and walk away for a while.
After creating a new user account and deleting the old accounts I would still do a secure erase of free space. If not, any average Joe can recover deleted files using easily available software tools. Set it to do multiple passes to be sure; single pass overwrites have been shown to be recoverable. If it is going to take a long time to complete, I would let it run and walk away for a while.
If you do into Disk Utility there is an erase free space option. http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=diskutility/10.5/en/duh1010.html .
QuantumLo0p - Which tool recovers that data? Wouldn't the original poster want to wipe the entire drive, if that paranoid?
QuantumLo0p - Which tool recovers that data? Wouldn't the original poster want to wipe the entire drive, if that paranoid?
DoFoT9
macrumors P6
that isnt going to work. the OP most likely wants to delete bookmarks/files etc just to palm off to a family member or something like that.
creating a new user account is probably the best idea - either that or manually deleting all the files/bookmarks etc from the applications directly. it is possible to safe the user account so that it can be brought back at a later date btw.
Personally whenever I'm about to sell a computer, I reformat the harddrive with the 7-Erase setting. Its writes 0 to every space on the hard drive . . . 7 times, NOBODY is going to have a chance of grabbing any of your old data at that point.
That is especially important if you ever did taxes, logged into you bank or anything with your personal information on that machine.
-iGrant
That is especially important if you ever did taxes, logged into you bank or anything with your personal information on that machine.
-iGrant
DoFoT9
macrumors P6
yup def and i do that too (7 pass is still slightly possible to get some data back however), but im not sure if the OP is after that.
i guess he will have to clarify 😀
I'd do the 35 pass (or is it 30 . . . ) but it takes freaking FOREVER!!! Usually I can get teh 7 pass to run over night without any issues.
-iGrant
DoFoT9
macrumors P6
DoFoT9
macrumors P6
well.. its important to me - but it wouldnt care if anybody took it. id probably go to jail but you know 😉