hey all,
yeah reformatting the hard drive doesn't wipe the contents and they can be recovered using software. not perfectly everytime though, but they can be recovered.
You get special software to securely wipe the hard drive, I use one called
dban
It claims:
"Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN") is a self-contained boot disk that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.
DBAN is a means of ensuring due diligence in computer recycling, a way of preventing identity theft if you want to sell a computer, and a good way to totally clean a Microsoft Windows installation of viruses and spyware. DBAN prevents or thoroughly hinders all known techniques of hard disk forensic analysis."
I've used it when i've been recycling computers to wipe the hard drive and it does what it says on the time. But it can take up to 5 hours depending on the size of the hard drive.
T