How does one

Butter Cookie

completely erase information on a computer? I'm sending something back to the manufacturer in exchange for a newer, better, stronger, faster and more awesome(r) computer, and I want to clear everything off of this one.

I'm currently in add and remove removing programs one at a time, and wondering if it would be worth it to just "accidentally" drop it from the roof.

*Barbie*

how do you feel about magnets?

Butter Cookie

I'm against. If I'm going to ruin the computer I want it to be a satisfying crush followed by an explosion.

*Barbie*

when I was an intern my desk fell apart one day, and my monitor crashed to the ground. I managed to catch the tower. The color on the monitor was screwed up for a few weeks, but somehow fixed itself. 

ETA: When I was in engineering school, we used to have an "Office Space" event every year that was a fundraiser - you paid $5, and got to destroy an old piece of computer equipment with a baseball bat. 

**O-Face**

Barbie, that's OSSUM!

My freshman year my roommate accidentally dumped contact solution on her monitor and magically next day it was fine. 

And no, I have no idea BC.  Sorry.

Heffalump

http://www.pcworld.com/article/157126/how_to_completely_erase_a_hard_drive.html

DG1

format c:

baconsmom

Destroy the hard drive. Seriously, that's the only way to permanently erase anything - take a hammer to it, drop it from high places, shred it in one of those crazy industrial shredding machines. 

Butter Cookie

If I do that we will have to pay for it Bmom. I formatted the hard drive.

baconsmom

I know. There are ways to make it really hard to find the stuff, and most companies taking returns are probably not going to go through your stuff, but there's no way to *permanently* erase a drive. 

Butter Cookie

Yea, you're right about that.