Laptops and PCS

DBAN is simple hard-disk-erasing software. It comes on a USB stick (see http://amzn.to/2ndthvq) that’s inserted into the computer, which is then configured to use the USB stick to start-up, rather than the hard disk.

Once DBAN has started, typing autonuke and then hitting the Enter key starts the erasing process, which will take a few hours to complete. But before doing so, ensure you’ve saved any data you want to keep because there’s no way back!

Unfortunately, how to make a computer start-up from a USB stick varies enormously across different models although it’s always done by pressing certain keys, such as Delete, the instant the computer first powers on in order to show a options menu. The website http://boot-keys.org lists the keys needed to show this menu for most makes and models.