Replacing Windows 10 PCs, upgrading laptops or clearing out a storage room usually leaves a pile of old equipment. It is tempting to delete the files, reformat the drive and donate or recycle the lot. Unfortunately, deleted and reformatted drives can often be recovered with free software, and old business computers regularly turn up for sale with client records, tax documents and saved passwords still on them.
Why deleting and formatting is not enough
Deleting a file usually just marks its space as available. A quick format rebuilds the file system index but leaves most of the underlying data in place. As data recovery specialists, we recover data from deleted and reformatted drives every week. That is good news when it is an accident, and bad news if the drive has left your control.
What to wipe besides computers
- Desktop and laptop drives, including old spare drives in drawers.
- External hard drives, USB sticks and memory cards.
- NAS devices and old servers.
- Office copiers and multifunction printers, many of which have an internal drive that stores copies of scanned and printed documents.
- Phones and tablets used for work email or files.
How to sanitize properly
- Back up and confirm first. Make sure anything you need has been copied and checked before you wipe.
- Sign out and release the device. Remove it from Microsoft 365, Intune or Apple Business Manager, and turn off Find My or Activation Lock. Otherwise the next owner cannot use it, and a locked device may not be accepted for resale or donation.
- Use the right method for the media. Traditional hard drives can be overwritten with a full wipe. SSDs and modern laptops need the manufacturer's secure erase or cryptographic erase, because simple overwriting does not reliably reach every part of an SSD. NIST Special Publication 800-88 is the widely used standard for choosing a method.
- Destroy what cannot be wiped. Failed drives that will not power on cannot be wiped and should be physically shredded or destroyed.
- Keep a record. Note each device's serial number, the method used, who did it and the date. For regulated data such as health, legal or financial records, get a certificate of sanitization or destruction.
Recycle responsibly
In California, most electronics cannot go in the trash. Use a certified e-waste recycler, and ask whether they provide data destruction certificates or whether you should wipe drives before handing equipment over. Equipment that still works may be worth reselling or donating once it has been wiped properly.
Getting help
Our IT asset disposal service wipes or destroys drives to recognized standards, records serial numbers and arranges responsible recycling. If you are replacing hardware, we can migrate data to the new machines first. And if a drive was wiped too soon, talk to our data recovery team before trying anything else.