Erase HP laptop that can't boot - brittag/maintenance GitHub Wiki

Aspect	Info
Context	Personal device
Date started	2024-10
Date finished	2024-10
Status	Complete
Summary of outcome	Success

Background

Household had an an old HP laptop that needed to go to e-waste recycling.

Problem

We needed to erase files with personal information before sending the laptop to recycling, but it couldn't boot into Windows (it kept turning itself off during the boot process).

Approach

On a working Mac laptop:

1. Find and plug in a USB flash drive that is ok to wipe (any size, don't need much storage for this)
2. Use the built-in Disk Utility application to format the USB key as FAT
3. Download DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) in ISO format
4. Install UNetbootin on the Mac
5. Use UNetbootin to put the DBAN image on the USB key
6. On the USB key, fix DBAN using these instructions from the UNetbootin issue tracker

Then, on the old HP laptop:

1. Put USB key in old laptop
2. Turn it on
3. Immediately upon boot, press F10 to enter the BIOS
4. Go to the boot order configuration menu and make USB first
5. Reboot
6. Use DBAN to fill the hard drive with zeroes (this is the fastest method, and it's sufficient)

Outcome

This worked. Took the wiped laptop to the local Best Buy, which has an e-waste recycling program.

Next steps

None