Computer Maintenance Work

[capitolc]

I was just reading a site of their selling of older computer products and laptops. They said "meticulously cleaned" which got me thinking. What does this exactly mean?

I would think a simple re-installation of the OS would automatically clean out the harddrive. When I say this, I mean deleting ALL partitions when setting up the OS (namely Windows). So am I wrong to think this? What can I do as user do, to meticulously clean a laptop. (thinking about buying one from a friend)

[Marc G]

They probably meant physically cleaned. Meaning, they opened the machine and removed all dust etc.

[dglienna]

Flood Damaged?

[Marc G]

Flood Damaged?

Lol ... then no dust to remove, but need to dry it properly before powering it on

[PeejAvery]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/meticulously

EDIT:
Well, if by cleaning you want to erase all data so that it can't be recovered, you will have to do more than just delete partitions. Partitions are recoverable. In order to truly erase, you must write over the previous data several times.

If by clean, you mean to get rid of malware, viruses, or unnecessary files that can cause slower operation, there are many utilities that can do that for you. Or you can do a format and re-install of Windows. No partition work would be necessary.

[Mehdi405]

I was just reading a site of their selling of older computer products and laptops. They said "meticulously cleaned" which got me thinking. What does this exactly mean?

I would think a simple re-installation of the OS would automatically clean out the harddrive. When I say this, I mean deleting ALL partitions when setting up the OS (namely Windows). So am I wrong to think this? What can I do as user do, to meticulously clean a laptop. (thinking about buying one from a friend)

think of the sorts of things i did in my evil times ,foisting damaged spares into a "meticulously" cleaned tower

[capitolc]

EDIT:
.... In order to truly erase, you must write over the previous data several times.

So I could continue the progress of re-installing windows back to back to back to back, as onto a non-partitioned drive?

If by clean, you mean to get rid of malware, viruses, or unnecessary files that can cause slower operation, there are many utilities that can do that for you. Or you can do a format and re-install of Windows. No partition work would be necessary.

Many sounds like a lot. Can you recommend one or two as I begin to do my own search?

[dglienna]

Norton Utilites used to include DiskWipe. You could set the number of passes, and how it would overwrite. It even did gov't approved methods. They were slow, but secure.

Constantly re-writing different patterens across the drive. Finally, the originals are so buried, that they can't be restored.

[PeejAvery]

Don't keep reinstalling software. A wonderful freeware application called Eraser will erase your free-space.

Many sounds like a lot. Can you recommend one or two as I begin to do my own search?

Spybot Search & Destroy
Ad-Aware Personal
DustbusterXP (Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003) Not just for Windows XP.
RegCleaner

When it comes to amazing PC freeware, FileHippo should be everyone's first stop.

[mrRee]

HijackThis is cool...and IBProcMan is useful...

[Mehdi405]

Constantly re-writing different patterens across the drive. Finally, the originals are so buried, that they can't be restored.

what? how does diskwipe's algorithm work?
thats not a corpse while it burried too much not restorable

every file has a header when its deleted a bit in the header would be marked for deletion,thechnically in a time like bellow

• seek time+random time+buffer time+rewrite time(2r)=s+3r+btt

finally in the recunstructing mode according to the number of disk buffers or the how of reading the blocks we have different transfer rate which the time is computable,the algorith changes according to the structure of files

[GremlinSA]

Norton Utilites used to include DiskWipe. You could set the number of passes, and how it would overwrite. It even did gov't approved methods. They were slow, but secure.

Constantly re-writing different patterens across the drive. Finally, the originals are so buried, that they can't be restored.

Surly simply writing HFF00FF00 across all 'free' space will prevent any data retrieval..

I've done some HDD data retrieval in the past, and if the allocated space was overwritten, the data is lost.... AFIK once something has been overwritten once you cannot retrieve what was there previously... No need for multiple writes... The FAT's and Directory sectors are usefull for reconsituting the files, but if the actual clusters are overwritten, the recovered files hold HFF00FF00 ....

// On Topic //

They said "meticulously cleaned" which got me thinking.

More than likely just a advertising gimick... Probably done nothing more than Disk Immaged a 'fresh copy' of Windows onto it..

Some Compac laptops came with a OS preinstall cd, Incert and bootup.. and your laptop has a 'Fresh Clean OS' installed (in under 4 min)... The Proggy simply Repartioned the drive, and used a preinstalled OS immage...

[MrViggy]

Surly simply writing HFF00FF00 across all 'free' space will prevent any data retrieval..

I've done some HDD data retrieval in the past, and if the allocated space was overwritten, the data is lost.... AFIK once something has been overwritten once you cannot retrieve what was there previously... No need for multiple writes... The FAT's and Directory sectors are usefull for reconsituting the files, but if the actual clusters are overwritten, the recovered files hold HFF00FF00 ....

Actually, I've read that some labs have been able to recover data, even after it was overwritten a couple of times.

The issue is that magnetic media has hysteresis. Basically, you can tell what the polarity was by how difficult it is to change the polarity again.

Viggy

[dglienna]

Not after a DoD Wipe.

Switch Description disk The physical fixed disk (1-8). Default is to list all fixed disks. /DISKWIPE Wipes the contents of the whole disk. /DOD DoD 5200.28-STD Wipe of the contents of the whole disk. /CUSTOMasses DoD 5200.28-STD Wipe of the contents of the whole disk.Note that this switch is not available in Symantec Ghost 7.5. Use /DOD instead. /X Ignore extended disk-access support. /I Ignore direct IDE disk-access support /S Ignore SCSI disk-access support. /Y Suppress prompting to confirm you wish the action to be performed. /SURE has the same meaning. /R Restart after execution of command

also, from the corporate site

Genuine retirement

When files are deleted from a disk on a computer through the operating system, the operating system doesn't erase the content of these files from the disk. It only deletes references to these files on the hard drive. Contents of the deleted files continue to be stored on the disk and can be easily restored using data-recovery utilities.

Most enterprises lack adequate PC disposal policies and give away critical data when they discard old PCs, especially when proper file deletion procedures aren't followed. Most government agencies now stipulate that hard drives must be thoroughly cleansed before they are disposed. Many organizations rely on disk reformatting to cleanse proprietary data. But this is a lengthy and laborious process and not always completely secure. Moreover, reformatting doesn't inhibit the ability of a low-level tool recover the data.

Clearly, disposing of a PC without having proper disk cleansing processes in place is a security exposure and an unnecessary risk to the enterprise. That fact has been acknowledged by an increasing number of recent regulations – including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) -- that have focused on the handling of individuals' personal information and other sensitive corporate data. Ultimately, enterprises are responsible for data security and cleansing. Failure to fulfill that responsibility can expose the enterprise to legal liability and, in some cases, criminal prosecution.

Best practice strategies for PC retirement and data disposal require support for two "disk wipe" standards in particular: the U.S. Department of Defense NISPOM (National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual) DoD 5220.22-M (1995), and the Assistant Secretary of Defense Memorandum of Disposition of Unclassified DoD Computer Hard Drives (2001).

In accordance with NISPOM, magnetic disks should be first cleared, then "sanitized." To use the Symantec Ghost Solution Suite as an example, the first operation involves overwriting all addressable locations with a single character; the second operation involves overwriting all addressable locations with a character, its complement, and then a random character, followed by verification. Confirming that the wipe has been successful is an important step in the process. Administrators should be able to view the overwrite pattern on the disk to confirm that the overwrite has occurred.

[capitolc]

Thanks for the suggestions on the freeware and spyware/cleaning products. I will definitely consider some of them.

On another note, have you noticed the infamous blue screen when working with Windows? I think it's been called 'the screen of death'. Someone has a laptop and this blue screen is always appearing - can't even finish re-installing Windows to the system.

I think this is just the beginning of the end. Problems with the harddrive, memory, or hardware devices maybe? I don't have any more tricks up my sleeve except for upgrading the entire unit.

So, is it safe to assume that a persistent showing of the blue screen is evidence of the computer on its last leg?