Home Office: Old Hard Drives, Priceless Data

The hard drive as a window into the soul; cruelty to penguins.

Steve Bass

A hard drive can tell you a lot about its owner and the PC it's attached to. If your old drive falls into the wrong hands, this information could cost you a bundle. Handled correctly, it could save you a wad of dough. So this week I've dug up some articles that can save you some grief (and cash)--whether you're dumping an old system, buying a used one, or trying to squeeze another year out of an old rig.

Going to the Junk Yard?

My hard drive holds everything someone might need to steal my identity, including social security and credit card numbers, and scads of scandalous details I'd prefer others didn't see. That's why I find it astonishing that people haven't figured out that when they throw away--or worse, give away--a computer, all that information goes along with the drive.

If you're planning on tossing or selling your PC, don't even think of letting it go until you scrub the hard drive of all your personal data. Sure, I know, you're smart and you'll take care of business. But not everyone's as sharp as you. Tom Spring, one of our reporters, made a nasty discovery. Of the ten used hard drives he got his hands on at a town dump, nine had personal--and even sensitive--data still accessible. (What was Tom doing at the dump? I won't even ask.) Tom interviewed one scavenger who claimed he found a tax return on an abandoned drive. Want the gory details? Read "Hard Drives Exposed."

You might feel a little concerned, as you should. Make sure you read Tom's recommendations for wiping a drive clean. Then read Lincoln Spector's "Answer Line: Wipe Your Drive Clean of All Its Sensitive Data," where you'll find details about the Department of Defense's secure delete standards.

My approach to dumping an old hard drive is a little different. At a recent user group meeting, a hard drive forensic investigator gave me some golden advice: "If you really want to make sure no one can get to the data on your drive, use the ball peen technique." It's easy: Remove the drive from your system, set it on something solid, say, a sidewalk, and slam it with a hammer. Apparently I'm not the only one who's got this idea--there's a guy from the U.K. who's also into hard drive distruction.

Dig This: If you're a fan of The Matrix, or even if you're not, you might enjoy a bastardized version. If you have the bandwidth, take a look at a nifty ASCII version too. (I loved the first, but the last one was a dud.)

Buying Used Equipment?

On the other side of the fence, you may be considering buying a used PC, say, something for the kids to bang around. Kirk Steers has a comprehensive story with tips on buying a used system. His focus is on kicking the tires--knowing what to look for to determine if the system's been abused or is no longer shipshape.

One the best ways to judge the condition of a used PC? You guessed it: Check out the hard drive. You may be able to spot imminent disk trouble by running ScanDisk in Windows 98 and Me (click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools) or Error-checking in Windows 2000 and XP (open My Computer, right-click the hard drive and select Properties, Tools). Read Kirk's "Hardware Tips: Stretch Your Technology Dollar with a Used PC."

Dig This: It seems as if there are lots of neat little 404 error pages floating around the Web. I found a new favorite, one you might like too (provided you don't mind being insulted).

Getting an Old PC Repaired?

Maybe you've decided to hang onto your old system and have it repaired. Better think ahead. Here's a story about someone who sent a notebook to Hewlett-Packard for a repair, and asked HP not to touch the hard drive. Unfortunately, when the system wouldn't boot, a technician promptly replaced the drive. Sorry, the story doesn't have a happy ending. Read "On Your Side: Hard-Drive Repair Horror" for the shocking details.

The moral of the story: Back up your system early and often before you have trouble with the drive--and before you send it out for service (if possible). You can do this with any number of low-cost tools. Our World Class winner is Stomp's BackUp MyPC, and I've found it as low as $40 with the PCWorld.com Product Finder.

Dig This: I have some pointless stuff to help you waste time while waiting for a deadline to quietly pass by. First, play around with a bunch of interactive penguins. (Don't worry, they're not harmed--and they love the excitement.) Then take a minute with Butch Mushroom (ha--you'll be at it for an hour) and catch a couple of insects as they swoosh past you.

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