From the Mailbag

WILLIAM has several old hard drives containing lots of personal information. He wants to dispose of them now. Is there a reliable and inexpensive way to erase them first?

For maximum fun, I recommend that you use a shotgun, sledgehammer, or bonfire! A slightly less dangerous option is Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN). DBAN is free and was specifically designed for wiping hard drives. On the highest settings you can even do a DOD-Level wipe. DBAN is not pretty but it has been around for a long time and it works.

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LUKE AND CARRIE will be moving soon. Their new neighbors have informed them that the only Internet options are DSL and satellite. They want to know if you can get just DSL without landline phone service?

Yes, it's called dry loop or naked DSL. However while it is technically possible, the local ISP may not offer it. You will have to contact them to see what they offer.

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TROY has seen the TV advertisements for PC Matic. Is this product any good?

I do NOT recommend it. The reviews from the antivirus testing labs are not very good - ridiculously high false positives. My personal experience from the field is also not good. Every computer that I have looked at with PC Matic on it was running very slow. As soon as I remove PC Matic, they speed right up.

ESET NOD32 is my favorite antivirus. I have been using it for a long time with excellent results.

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Keep the questions coming!

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