Wiping the evidence...

[JN]

Hey guys. Do any of you know a reasonably fast (and free) to totally wipe a hard disk clean so that no files are recoverable?

I've just sold Project F40 and am a little concerned by the sensitive data (passwords, website code, etc) that I've had stored on there. I don't want the future owner recovering any of it.

 

[Mr. Smith]

http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/

Gotta eat - seems free and writes/rewrites a few times...

 

[JN]

http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/

Gotta eat - seems free and writes/rewrites a few times...

I'm just wondering if there are any other types of eraser programs as i've actually already deleted the files. I really need something to just scribble all over the hard disk.

EDIT: I shudda read the 'About'. Nice one mate - looks like it might work.

 

[nathan]

low level format?

 

[JN]

low level format?

For some reason I wanted to do that a while back, but I couldn't find any tools that would do the job :s

 

[nathan]

u can get them from various hdd makers, looky > http://www.ariolic.com/activesmart/low-level-format.html

 

[Mr. Smith]

Yeah, a google on low level reveals a number - http://hddguru.com/content/en/software/2006.04.12-HDD-Low-Level-Format-Tool/

That HDDGuru seems quite common.

BTW - What did she sell for ???

 

[Toxteth O'Grady]

http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/

Use Eraser to create a Nuke Boot Disk image on a USB key and run it from there.



TOG

 

[JN]

BTW - What did she sell for ???

Just shy of £1k, and cheers for all the linkage lads :worship:

 

[Rastalovich]

Active Killdisk does 1 pass of a whole drive on it`s trial.

 

[FarFarAway]

You want 6-7 passes of killdisk

 

[Rastalovich]

Run it 6 or 7 times

Either way Sony, atleast, will be able to find u`r pRon whatever u do

 

[FarFarAway]

Aye if the trial allows more than 1 pass then ye 6-7 is what you need.

Best way to destroy data: take a screwdriver to the drive and then scan each platter several times with a power electromagnet. Then hit with a sledgehammer and then burn

 

[Rastalovich]

.. or run windows recovery from install cd ..

Think he may want to use the drive again tho

 

[JN]

Think he may want to use the drive again tho

Lol ye, I don't think the new owner would be too happy about the 'brute-force' method of wiping

 

[Dav0s]

just install Windows ME, your data will be lost forever no more than a week after installing.

 

[JN]

just install Windows ME, your data will be lost forever no more than a week after installing.

Project F40 with Windows ME on it....How dare you even suggest such a twisted and perverse idea

 

[FarFarAway]

just install Windows ME, your data will be lost forever no more than a week after installing.

Just_so_true

 

[jaggerwild]

Here's a link to Eraser

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Eraser_d4221.html

It has an option for several passes or 20 or nuke boot disk:wavey:

 

[darkorb]

cant u, right click format?