Most effective way to clean a hard drive.

[wPod]

I am about to sell my 12" PB (in my sig) and want to make sure the HD is nice and clean of all of my data before I sell it. I want to delete the HD completely, then do a fresh install (so everything is nice and neat for whomever buys my computer. I am sure there must be a thread like this already, but I couldn't find it. I was thinking about hooking it to my new PB in target disk mode, then using disk utility to erase the old PB. Then put in the original CD for the old PB and load everything fresh from there. would this be good? Thanks!

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Check out the Erase my Mac completely-thread. Should answer most questions...

 

[livingfortoday]

Soap and water should get it pretty clean.

Seriously though, if it's something like a hard drive with personal info, I usually take it out of the computer and hook it up externally do another Mac and do the 35 pass write/erase thing. Just to make sure. I wouldn't leave it in the computer and do it, just because I don't want to leave the computer running needlessly for two days.

 

[wPod]

Soap and water should get it pretty clean.

Seriously though, if it's something like a hard drive with personal info, I usually take it out of the computer and hook it up externally do another Mac and do the 35 pass write/erase thing. Just to make sure. I wouldn't leave it in the computer and do it, just because I don't want to leave the computer running needlessly for two days.

well, i put it in the dish washer to get the outside nice and clean, so maybe a round of hand washing the HD would get it clean. . . interesting thought! heh. . .

I think ill go for the 7 pass write/erase thing. But i dont have another mac i could put the hd in. i only have my new 15" pb. not to mention removing the HD would void apple care, and amazingly the computer still has about 6 months of apple care on it that i will happily pass on to whomever decides to buy it. speaking of, i should go start a thread trying to sell it here!

 

[Will Cheyney]

Soap and water should get it pretty clean.

Seriously though, if it's something like a hard drive with personal info, I usually take it out of the computer and hook it up externally do another Mac and do the 35 pass write/erase thing. Just to make sure. I wouldn't leave it in the computer and do it, just because I don't want to leave the computer running needlessly for two days.

I was thinking along those lines when I first came into this thread!
Your solution is exactly what I'd do too.

 

[wPod]

well, i wasnt COMPLETELY paranoid about my data. so i opted for the 7 pass cleaning instead of the 35. it only took 5 hours for the 40GB drive. if i was as paranoid as a 35 pass clean, then i would never get on an unsecured wireless network (but i do that every day!) so i decided to walk on the wild side!