Making deleted files irretrievable

[Misty]

I am donating an old laptop running Windows 10 to a Women's Centre. I have deleted all my personal files, passwords, etc, partly by using CCleaner. However I want to ensure that nothing can be recovered from the files deleted. By doing a google search various options are shown, including a third party "Eraser". Is that a good one to use, or are there better alternatives please?

[baabits]

If it's running Windows 10, you can use the Reset function to put it back to factory settings. Inside the reset function there is also an option to do a "full" wipe. It takes quite a bit of time but will overwrite everything on the disk.

Go to Start > Settings > Update and Security > Recovery > Reset This PC > Get Started.

When asked, tell Windows to "Fully Clean my Drive"

[Misty]

That sounds good, baabits. In the last week I have replaced the Windows 7 that was on it, with Windows 10. Presumably this procedure will leave Windows 10 in place?

[1101]

Presumably this procedure will leave Windows 10 in place?

Yes. But will also remove all installed software (MS Office etc)
then
Disconnect from internet , add local user & then login afterwards & make sure none of your files are there : in C:\users\...
Just to be sure
:-)

[Misty]

Mmm! Am hoping that there is an app that I could safely use to just get rid of all deleted items, without having to re-install the software?

[piroska]

To ultimately clear it, you need to zero the drive with software.

But why be so paranoid? Even as a tech I couldn't be stuffed running undeletes to trawl through someones boring pictures or whatever.

And undeletes are a lot harder on the modern big drives, no guarantees of success as those who don't back up find out the hard way.
And SSDs....forget trying...

[zqwerty]

CCleaner has a delete and wipe all clear space in tools I believe with choices over what level of security you want.

It's called Drive Wiper.

[wainuitech]

CCleaner has a delete and wipe all clear space in tools I believe with choices over what level of security you want.

It's called Drive Wiper.

This is a good way, it will take a while depending on the size of the drive and number of passes you select. You can set it to wipe the drive of all free space upto 35 passes.
Once a file is deleted its marked as free space so it really gets overwritten.

The BUT (there's always a Butt) it is not best to try and wipe a SSD - in fact from memory it wont do it.

Edited: Thought I'd give it a go to get a time -- Drive S on this thing is a STD 500GB Drive, with 300GB free, set Ccleaner to 3 passes - The time is below ( and this PC is not exactly a low spec)



It does it in Two stages, the first wipes the MTF, goes through reasonable quick, then it wipes the actual Free Space.

[wainuitech]

Edited to above should be MFT not MTF.

MFT = Master File Table which is a database in which stores information about every file and directory on the System.

[zqwerty]

That time seems reasonable and what I would have expected. Depending on the level of security required it is going to add a series of patterns of noughts (0's) and ones (1's) to all the parts of the drive deemed to be blank, this is not a forbidden operation in SSD's unlike defragging.