Windows 10: Recovery > Remove Files and Clean the Drive doesn't seem to be working; I want to erase all...

I want to remove everything from an old laptop running Windows 10 before disposing of it. I've tried Recovery >Remove Files and Clean the Drive......but it just seems to get stuck on 'Resetting your PC 1% ' for an hour plus, and not progress beyond that. Is it that I'm just not waiting long enough?

:)

 

Help! File recovery software?

Anyone have any suggestions on good software to recovery as much data as possible from an accidentally erased hard drive? Workin on a client pc and it seems he took it to geek squad once and they may have erased the hdd. Preferably a freeware one but ill pay if necessary. This guy has tons of photos from his tour in Iraq and they are priceless! if i can recover at least some it will be worthwhile for him....and me!

 

clean possibly infected flash drives and CD-RWs

Your steps in post #1 should work for 99% of viruses that may be on a usb flash drive. However, there are a very few viruses that can infect the MBR of a drive. I would use Diskpart from a command prompt (Admin) to clean them. In the command prompt type DISKPART then, at the Diskpart prompt use the commands:

LIST DISKnote the disk number of the usb and use it in place of # in the command:SELECT DISK #
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY

After this you will have cleaned the partition table from the usb and created a partition using the whole of the the available space. You can then format this partition in File Explorer.


For a CD-RW, if you right-click on it in File Explorer there is an Erase option.

 

Best hard drive recovery data program?

Hi guys,

I just wanted to know from you all what would be the best recovery program to use to get files off a dying hard drive? The files arnt lost, or deleted etc, its just that the HDD is in poor shape and windows cant access the drive fully, it can see the drive but no access it, so i was wondering what's a good program that can just list all the files on the drive so i can back them up?

Im current using "Recover my files" but it only seems to get file's that have been deleted, not helpful, im also going to try Norton Ghost, that might work?

Thanks in advance *Toast :toast: