How to De-Porn a Computer

[FastFastr]

I am giving a computer away, and want to erase (at least to the novice eye) traces of visits to lit and other potentially questionable sites and downloads... porn clips, etc...

What's the easiest and best way to do this without spending a lot of money?

 

[Weird Harold]

I am giving a computer away, and want to erase (at least to the novice eye) traces of visits to lit and other potentially questionable sites and downloads... porn clips, etc...

What's the easiest and best way to do this without spending a lot of money?

Does the computer have a "recovery disk" that reinstalls the original software?

If so, an unconditional reformat of the hard drive and a restoration from the recovery disk will erase all traces of you ever using the computer.

If you don't have a recovery disk, the next best option is to download a free "track eraser" program that removes all of your most recent files lists, all of the internet history, and other history type information. You'll need to manually remove your favorites lists, erotic stories and images by searching each folder with something like PaintShop Pro or IrfanView's Browse function.

The only investment required is in the time required to search out the Porn and delete it.

A program like Norton Utilities WipeDisk to overwrite the deleted filespace should oly be necssary if your really paranoid about someone searching the computer for evidence.

 

[corkie2]

If I were to give someone my computer I would first go and down load a program called Eraser which you can find here:

http://www.webattack.com/get/eraser.shtml

I would use this to delete from my hard drive complete C drive and D drive if you have it.

Then I would go and do a file check on those hard drives to see what is listed. Clean these files (if any) out with Eraser too. I would also check to see what is in any of the caches, history, favorites and Document folders just to be sure they are clean.

Good luck.............Just be sure and make copies of anything you want to save for putting on your next computer........such as your favorites, Documents, Photos and such. Don't get in a hurry and start wiping your files out before you do a careful look see so you don't lose something you put for safe keeping on your computer and forgot about.

 

[iioopp]

Format the computer.

Or just delete everything off it, including the browser and reinstall it. Delete all cookies, disk clean up and erase all downloaded files (pictures etc will all be here).

 

[warrior queen]

i've heard that no matter what you do to erase stuff off your computer, there's always going to be some trace of it left.
how accurate is that?
and if it's true, is the only real way to be sure, to replace the hard drive and memory?

 

[Weird Harold]

i've heard that no matter what you do to erase stuff off your computer, there's always going to be some trace of it left.
how accurate is that?
and if it's true, is the only real way to be sure, to replace the hard drive and memory?

A program like Norton's WipeFile or WipeDisk will remove 99.99% of all information from a disk -- in fact they meet the specifications required of the "secure erase programs" for computers that contain classified information.

A simple DOS batch file or two followed by defragging your drive will do almost as well for erasing things beyond the ability of all but the the most sensitive of specialized data recovery programs.

A "degausser" (aka a "bulk eraser") will totally destroy information on any magnetic media beyond all recovery by any means.

For most purposes simply deleting unwanted files and defragging the disk will make data unrecoverable except by specialists in data recovery -- it takes special progrms and special hardware to recover data after something else has ben written in it's place.

Formatting a disk has to be an "unconditional" format. A "Quick Format" that simply rebuilds a new FAT doesn't delete any information from the disk it just removes the index information that makes it accessible.

How thorough you need to be all depends on how parnoid you are and who you expect to be looking for old information on a computer. Complete erasure of data IS possible, but it's usually more effort than it's worth.

 

[Xt4cY]

well this is extreme measure, but keep the hard drive put in a new one and reinstall windows