To effectively remove all data before recycling PCs, which technique is the best practice?

Using low-level formatting is considered the best practice for effectively removing all data before recycling PCs. This technique goes beyond a standard or quick format, which simply removes the file system and marks sectors as available without genuinely erasing the data. Low-level formatting writes over the entire disk surface, clearing previous data by physically altering the disk sectors, which makes data recovery nearly impossible.

It's essential to understand that this approach ensures a much higher level of data destruction, which is particularly important in environments handling sensitive or confidential information. Recycling PCs without adequately wiping their drives could result in data breaches.

In contrast, standard formatting only removes the directory structure and makes the space available for new data, while disk partitioning is used to create separate sections on a drive for different purposes. HD drilling is a physical destruction method that is effective but is generally more extreme than necessary for standard data sanitization processes. Thus, low-level formatting is the most effective method for complete data eradication prior to recycling.