Edison Chen: Make Sure It Is Completely Gone

Recycle your computers, NOT the data. Yeah! I'm sure that a lot of you have several computers before the one you are using right now. Correct? Nowadays people are really opulent huh! Gone are those bulky tube-y desktop. Even the laptops are considered as old timers. So what's new? Those ultraportables right? The Asus Eee PC, Acer's One just to name a few. Ok...where does your old work horse gone? Did you just throw that old PC out? Or did you just trade it in for your new one(s)? Ok, here's a reminder: next time don't just recycle that poor old PC, make sure it's really, really cleared of your personal data before you toss it, sell it, give it etc. If not you'll regret it. Ask Edison Chen (although he only took his for repairs), and he'll tell you he's a total jerk. Remember, the data in your hard drives are too vulnerable! When your private and intimate stuff fall into the wrong hands...all hell will break lose...

Edison had not only ruined his own life...but also others...

So you got a new sleek computer with the latest technology completes with biometric identification and voice recognition, but before you discard your antiquated one, do make sure you completely eliminate all the information from the hard drives. Yes, eliminate (or destroy) and not just delete or format it. Before you trade in or dispose your old computers, the hard drives should be wiped of sensitive, private information, photos, videos etc. Data contained on non-functioning computers could fall into the wrong hands much to the embarrassment of the previous user.

Ok, now that's a little too much.

Get this: even though data can be lost due to physical damage or human error, it's NOT irretrievable. Meaning people can still have access your data even though the hard disk had been corrupted. That's why it's especially important that computers changing hands, either for reuse or disposal, are properly cleansed of all personal information. Yes, there are softwares that could easily retrieve damaged hard drives such as Stella Phoenix Data Recovery. You'd better think twice before letting your old PC loose. It might "avenge" the way you treated it!

Yes, they even invented hard disk crusher!

Repeatedly deleting data, repartitioning or reformatting the hard drive will not erase your data completely. Until the old data is actually overwritten by new information or a signal, programs that read disk sectors directly can still recover the lost data. The guaranteed ways to destroy data or make it completely inaccessible are to degauss, wipe the drive, overwrite files or to simply dismantle the storage media itself! Destroy it! Hammer it! Steamroll it! No mercy!

Of course there are also software programs that can destroy data completely like CBL Data Shredder that offers a free application for Windows that eliminates the possibilities of resurrecting computer data. Anyway you can download the CBL Data Shredder here:

CBL Data Shredder:
1~Windows version, click here.
2~DOS version (bootable floopy disk maker), click here.
3~DOS version (CD-ROM ISO for burning a bootable CD), click here.

Ok guys...don't forget to totally, utterly delete destroy all your data. Or you'll regret it. *wink* ;)