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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."

20 of 547 comments (clear)

  1. Nuke it from orbit by GameboyRMH · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's the only way to be sure.

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    1. Re:Nuke it from orbit by admdrew · · Score: 5, Informative

      Agreed. http://www.dban.org/ (although you should probably verify with your IT that they simply reimage old machines).

      --
      LegendMUD
    2. Re:Nuke it from orbit by lorenlal · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If the IT department doesn't reimage old machines, then original poster should be even more inclined to DBAN that thing.

    3. Re:Nuke it from orbit by logical_failure · · Score: 5, Insightful

      DBAN is the only thing I would recommend. Simply re-imaging the machine is not enough.

      --
      Sock Puppets: damn_registrars=pudge_confirmer=jimmy_slimmy=raiigunner=cml4524=a_klavan=red4men=ronpaulisanidiot
    4. Re:Nuke it from orbit by dAzED1 · · Score: 5, Insightful
      damaging the computer in any way (yes, I know the "nuke it" comment was a joke...but the other comments in the thread aren't) is a great way to lose a final paycheck, or otherwise have your former employer be very unhappy with you. You have work on your computer that shows your thought processes while you were doing certain tasks...notes, etc. If something goes wrong 4 months from now, they may want to check those notes.

      Why would your credit card info be on the box, again? I know I already asked, but...huh? What year is this...did I go back in time?

    5. Re:Nuke it from orbit by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Insightful

      For systems with limited access. Where Whipping the PC isn't an option. I would suggest the following.
      Delete Cache, and Cookies, Clear up your Document Folders.

      Then I would run a program that fills the disk with a large file ( or several large files, of random data)
      then Delete that file.
      Then Defragment the drive.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    6. Re:Nuke it from orbit by Thundaaa+Struk · · Score: 5, Funny

      Bit Locker the SOB and then take a crap on it...ain't no one touching it after that.

    7. Re:Nuke it from orbit by tripleevenfall · · Score: 5, Funny

      When a problem comes along, you must whip it.

    8. Re:Nuke it from orbit by durrr · · Score: 5, Funny

      Leave a DBAN disk labled "Private moments with my wife" in the optic drive as you walk out the door for the last time.

      Call in two months later and ask how long your replacement lasted.

    9. Re:Nuke it from orbit by djl4570 · · Score: 5, Informative

      INAL but a complete wipe could be construed as destruction of employer owned data. I suggest a less invasive approach using Eraser from http://sourceforge.net/projects/eraser/ Uninstall the non standard software, use Eraser to wipe the personal and non business related files. Shrink the paging file to minimum size and run an erase of free space. A single pass should be adequate*. Then go to http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/entire/pr2003011a/warn/ and download the 16,000x16000 pixel image of the Helix nebula. Open multiple copies of this image until the system forces an expansion of the paging file. While this isn't a military grade approach it will leave the system intact. An intact system with business docs isn't suspicious. A freshly wiped system might draw attention.

      * Guttman only proposed his thirty-five pass hypothesis; so far as I can tell the hypothesis has never been tested on a real hard drive. The original hypothesis was based on disk drive technology in the mid nineties about the time magneto resistive technology entered the supply chain which suggests Guttman's research was on older disk drive technology. Does anyone know if forensics has ever recovered data from an overwritten hard drive?

    10. 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.
    11. Re:Nuke it from orbit by Minwee · · Score: 5, Funny

      Nice try. Which three letter agency do you work for?

      AOL.

  2. dd by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Boot a Linux live-cd and type dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda

    1. Re:dd by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      dd if=/dev/zero | tee | /dev/sda will write them to your screen as well

      dd if=/dev/urandom bs 1024k | tee | dd of=/dev/sda bs=1024k is better for security and ASCII bells, as well as ruining your termcap temporarily and erasing faster.

      pv -ptres "Size of disk in gigabytes followed by a G" /dev/urandom | dd of=/dev/sda bs=1024k will provide a nifty progress bar

  3. DBAN! by brandor · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.dban.org/ Works wonders :)

  4. Wipe by Anrego · · Score: 5, Informative

    Depend on your IT setup, but if an option, just ask your sysadmin to re-image it. Don't discount the obvious and direct route. It's a reasonable request, you have justification, and if you are on good terms with the IT department I'm sure they'll hook you up.

  5. Change all your porn membership passwords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who gives a flying fuck about anything else ...

  6. Ask slashdot going way downhill by gr3yh47 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The quality of questions on slashdot lately is abysmal. You really need a slashdot answer to tell you to reinstall windows and reformat the drive in the process? or to nuke the drive with any easily-googable drive erasing tool and reinstall windows?

  7. 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?

  8. Re:OK more seriously by funwithBSD · · Score: 5, Insightful

    His first mistake was using a company machine for private transactions.

    Use your smart phone/iPad/whatever to that sort of stuff. Browse all you like at Newegg, but don't buy it at work!

    --
    Never answer an anonymous letter. - Yogi Berra