Step 2: Privacy & Confidentiality
Summary
Before donating a computer, it's important for reasons of privacy and confidentiality to assure that disk drives are thoroughly cleaned before equipment is donated. Here's how.
Before computers can be donated, there is the very practical reality that such devices often have extensive information that is both private and confidential. Law firms, medical practices, hospitals, accountants, and many other potential donors simply cannot give out computers without assuring that such equipment will not reveal restricted information.
Unfortunately, it is not enough to “delete” files and folders.
“When you delete a file,” says How-To Geek, “it isn’t really erased — it continues existing on your hard drive, even after you empty it from the Recycle Bin. This allows you (and other people) to recover files you’ve deleted.
“If you’re not careful, this will also allow other people to recover your confidential files, even if you think you’ve deleted them. This is a particularly important concern when you’re disposing of a computer or hard drive.”
The Chrome OS Flex system addresses this issue. As Google explains:
“When you install Chrome OS Flex on a device, it completely erases all data — including all programs, settings, and files that were previously saved. Be sure to back up all important files before you install Chrome OS Flex. Files erased during installation are not recoverable.”
The Washington Post explains the deletion issue very well and shows that with certain operating systems, all material can be wiped from storage media.
Next: Step 3: Finding Recipients