Can people recover deleated files even after a format?

If I completly format my hard drive, and re-install the operating system using my recovery cd's (windows xp sp2), could people potentially recover my doucuments I previously had on it?

With the recovery cd's it takes you through deleating a partrition, and then making one to install windows on.

I want to sell my laptop on ebay, with a fresh install of the os, but do not want people to be able to recover any files I previously had on it. So is a format enough? Not sure about this one.

Thanks
Paul

 

There are programs that can recover delete partitions and data. You should Zero the hard drive at least 1 pass. Give DBAN a try.

 

Regular format doesn't erase data

 

Although the odds are low of someone wanting your data, you should use something that makes multiple writes, rewrites and erasures as a format doesn't really do anything beside delete the "table of contents."

 

What if you used a file shredder before reformatting? Spybot has one in advanced tools

 

You can easily recover the data. Unless it's been completely written over.

I'd get a copy of 'Boot'n'Nuke', which writes over the drive 7 times making it impossible for even the FBI. And I'd get friendly with tools like CCleaner and such that can delete files and folders and your recycle bin 7 times, securely.

Gotta love the Gutman Method.

 

Gutman Method is outdated and unnecessary, according to Gutman himself. A fill of random data "a few times" is sufficient.

I recommend Eraser to wipe free space, or sysinternals "sdelete". Both can wipe free space.

In any case, the message is that no, formatting does nothing to erase data.

 

with so much hassle and time consuming, being worrying about peek.a.booing old data, simple way would just buy another hard drive, install it and let it go at that

for resaling, that is

cheers ...

 

I just throw the hard drive in my dryer with a couple of high powered magnets to ensure random data.

 

Once of twice is good enough IMO. 7 times can take forever.

 

So what do you do with the old drive that still has the data on it? If you can sell it instead of putting it in the bottom of a drawer, that's probably a better option for most people.

 

there is such thing as using it as a back up medium!

even putting it in the bottom of a drawer, it is still worth a lot more than constantly being worried about someone digging up personal data.

at the end of the day, it is a matter of personal preference, taking in consideration of time/cost invested to "clean" the drive

cheers ...

 

True, and that's what I do too. But it's really not so far-fetched that someone would want to sell a drive and wipe it first. Even if you're throwing it out, you should still wipe it. Once that's done, you don't have to worry about it anymore.

 

well, personally, either u r paranoid or u r not. there is no such thing as "wipe" the drive (could care less myself as how super the software advertises) and "Once that's done, you don't have to worry about it anymore", unless of course u either take a torch to the drive or put a stick of dynamite underneath it or use static electricity or take the plates out one by one and smash them or ....

OP asked:
"Can people recover deleated files even after a format?"
and I would say sure, that was the reason for suggesting put in a new drive and save the worries.

Other than that, depending on one's degree of paranoid, just do a "wipe" (whatever it means) and then sell the drive to anyone heart content - "it's really not so far-fetched" as u stated

cheers ...

 

then how can someone do a complete format prior to doing a clean install?