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Ask Slashdot: How To Clean Up My Work Computer Before I Leave?

Posted by timothy on from the lysol-in-all-the-vents dept.

An anonymous reader writes "I'm leaving my current job for a new one. I've been at this job for 10+ years so I'm sure there is tons of personal stuff stored on my machine. Since I can't take it with me does any one have a suggestions of tools or practices to clean off all of that data. I've already got my personal documents and files. I'm most worried about CC, debit card numbers and web site passwords I've used in browsers. Does clearing the cache, cookies, temp files do a good enough job? BTW it's a Windows 7 system if that makes a difference."

2 of 547 comments (clear)

  1. 10 year old Win7 comp? Outstanding! by dAzED1 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    That's really impressive, actually...

    Easy. Start with not storing personal stuff on a work computer. Next step - assuming you're an admin on your box - create another admin account on the box. Log off your account, log in to that account, delete your profile off the box.

    Why would your CC info be on the box, anyway? Do you really type out your CC number into text files and leave them on your PC? Why?

  2. Re:Nuke it from orbit by icebike · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Forensics has never recovered more than a few random bytes, not so much as a single sentence in real world tests of single pass over-writes.
    Even using electron microscopes and the whole nine yards. The more you research this issue the more you realize all (yes ALL) the stories are based on contrived situations where they researchers knew EXACTLY what was written previously, EXACTLY where, and EXACTLY what it was over written with.

    Even three letter agencies don't even bother trying on disks they know have been overwritten. Nobody has demonstrated it in the real world on ANY hard drive, let alone a recent one.

    --
    Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.