Q: Microsoft told me that I need a new hard drive for my Windows 7 laptop. Should I buy a new hard drive or a new computer? I don't want Windows 10. Alicia Vidal, West Miami, Fla. A: Buy a new hard ...

Secure Erase and HP Disk Sanitizer are tools used to remove data from a hard drive or solid-state drive permanently. The deleted information cannot be recovered. Use Secure Erase or HP Disk Sanitizer ...

Since the Help Desk launched last year, we've received loads of requests for the best ways to preserve different kinds of data in our lives: think voice mails, conversations and even cherished home ...

One of the security features included with many motherboards is a BIOS lock. With a BIOS lock in place, your computer won't boot into the operating system without the password, BIOS settings cannot be ...

Formatting your hard drive is an important step in setting up your computer. It clears all the data off the disk so that you can start fresh. DiskPart is a powerful command-line tool that allows you ...

Erasing your personal information from your computer's hard drive can be important if you decide to give the computer away or recycle it. Most computers ship with factory restore partitions that ...

A: Are you hoping to keep the machines after the drives have been erased, or are you just trying to remove personal information before getting rid of them? If the latter, then the easiest approach ...

Q. How do I erase my hard drive safely so that I can donate my computer to a charity? There are any number of secure erase programs that should do the trick, says Jeff Crume, executive IT security ...