Does Format Hard Drive Really Erase All Data?
Remember that “format” and “delete” do not mean erase! When you format or reformat a hard drive it doesn’t erase the data on the hard drive — only the address tables. In a case where you have accidentally completed a format hard drive, a computer specialist may be able to recover most or all of the data that was on the drive. Keeping in mid that data can be pulled from a newly formatted hard drive with the right tools, for any business or corporation that is planning to donate old computers to charity, this could pose a security risk if the hard drive contained confidential business information. Remember — just because you may donate the computer to charity that doesn’t mean an honest person will end up with the hard drive. While that shouldn’t deter you from recycling old computers in this way, it should be an incentive to ensure all business data has been completely wiped from the hard drive. Never just delete the files and assume they are gone because you can’t see them on the hard
