How to wipe a hard drive from a netbook that won't boot?

exalted512
exalted512 Posts: 10,735
edited December 2011 in The Clubhouse
I have a Dell Mini 9 that has evidently **** the bed. Beeps 2x on start up and nothing happens. Supposedly a RAM issue, which I've replaced, and it still doesn't work. At this point, I just want to sell it. Problem being, all my information is still on the computer. Saved passwords, etc. Is there a way to wipe this thing clean, even when it wont turn on?

Thanks,
-Cody
Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
Post edited by exalted512 on
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  • WilliamM2
    WilliamM2 Posts: 4,773
    edited December 2011
    Do you have another computer? Pull the drive and connect it to another machine. Unless the hard drive is dead, then you should be able to wipe it. If it is dead, you can destroy it physically.
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited December 2011
    I have another computer and an internal hard drive reader docking station, but I dont think that will help for a netbook solid state hard drive...
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
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  • BeefJerky
    BeefJerky Posts: 1,320
    edited December 2011
    Okay, since you've already tried different RAM, the system board is probably bad. As far as wiping your drive, that is going to be more difficult since it uses a mini-PCIe SSD card. You'd need to find another system that supported those to be able to wipe it. I see you are in College Station. It's a bit far from Houston where I live, but my Dell M6600 does have support for those kinds of SSD's so I could wipe it for you. Out of curiosity, how big is the SSD on your system?
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  • WilliamM2
    WilliamM2 Posts: 4,773
    edited December 2011
    exalted512 wrote: »
    I have another computer and an internal hard drive reader docking station, but I dont think that will help for a netbook solid state hard drive...
    -Cody
    I'm not familiar with that netbook, but most SSD's use a sata connection, just like a normal drive. I kinow some of the older netbooks don't. Guess you would just have to destroy it then. Don't think it would be worth much since it won't boot.
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited December 2011
    just 8 gb
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
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  • BeefJerky
    BeefJerky Posts: 1,320
    edited December 2011
    exalted512 wrote: »
    just 8 gb
    -Cody
    Ahh, yeah, not big enough to be useful for me. If it was bigger, I might made an offer on it. :cheesygrin:
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited December 2011
    WilliamM2 wrote: »
    I'm not familiar with that netbook, but most SSD's use a sata connection, just like a normal drive. I kinow some of the older netbooks don't. Guess you would just have to destroy it then. Don't think it would be worth much since it won't boot.
    they're actually going for about $50 on ebay, broken.
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
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  • BeefJerky
    BeefJerky Posts: 1,320
    edited December 2011
    That's not going to help him. His system board is bad, not the SSD.
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  • BeefJerky
    BeefJerky Posts: 1,320
    edited December 2011
    Lasareath wrote: »
    It'll help him if he wants to sell the laptop with a working hard drive. then he can keep his hard drive with all his data on it.
    Point taken.
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited December 2011
    I'd just as soon take the hard drive out. Not worth it to buy a hard drive in hopes of making my money back, as opposed to just selling without a HD.
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
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  • Syndil
    Syndil Posts: 1,582
    edited December 2011
    exalted512 wrote: »
    I'd just as soon take the hard drive out. Not worth it to buy a hard drive in hopes of making my money back, as opposed to just selling without a HD.
    -Cody

    Ditto.

    I use an M1 Garand to erase my unwanted drives.

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