Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Software to wipe clean hard drive

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Posts
    508

    Software to wipe clean hard drive

    Hi guys/girls,

    I am trying to wipes clean my hard drive..I meant really clean.
    Is there any software out there that completely wipes clean a hard drive??
    I am looking free one or if not free might be a good one but not expensive...or might be one of you have trick to wipes clean your hard drive?. How do I wipe it really clean...completely clean?(is it posibble?)

    Thanks
    Not an image or image does not exist!
    Not an image or image does not exist!

  2. #2
    Kwiep
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    924
    free solution I used once (and it did work even ): delete everything and reformat it as a ext3 partition... then remove it again
    Double Dutch

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Posts
    211
    I ussualy use :

    1. spy sweeper ( free ) -- http://www.webroot.com/wb/downloads
    2. Trojan Hunter ( free ) -- http://www.antivirus-online.de/engli...nttro.php3?a=4
    3. Norton System works --- Symantec site

    after accessing the internet and finishing my job .

    or u can visit http://www.disk-utility.com/wipe-hard-disk.html.

    When I lay me down to sleep, Pray the LORD my soul to keep.
    If I die before i wake, Pray the LORD my soul to take.

    http://www.AntiOnline.com/sig.php?imageid=389

  4. #4
    Probably the manufacturer of your HD has a utility for download from the site which will allow you to perform a low level format, resetting all bits to zero.

    That would pretty much remove everything, unless the feds come and confiscate you hd.
    If you want to be really sure you could take with that neels advice and do a reinstall on a ext3 system and another llf and then remove it again.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    245
    PGP has a 'wipe' option that is Pretty Good (get it... ? sorry ) , and there is a UNIX utility named 'wipe' as well
    that also seems to be quite good at scrubbing a disk. The problem as you now doubt are already aware of,
    is that there is area on the disk called 'Slack' that is ordinarily not cleaned up during a typicall format.

    The above mentioned utilities have worked well for me in a few circumstances when I had to have a completely
    clean disk prior to re-use or storage. Note: PGP wipe as well as some others have been known to have
    problems cleaning disks that are formatted with NTFS, there seems to be quite a bit of data that gets left
    in the Slack area of the disk.
    Get OpenSolaris http://www.opensolaris.org/

  6. #6

  7. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    central il
    Posts
    1,779
    Your best bet is the lowlevel fromat from the HD manufaturer...or a large magnet
    Who is more trustworthy then all of the gurus or Buddha’s?

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Posts
    472

    Re: Software to wipe clean hard drive

    Originally posted here by sweet_angel
    How do I wipe it really clean...completely clean?(is it posibble?)
    I wondered about the same thing in another thread. You might find it interesting: http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=235292
    ---
    proactive

  9. #9
    Dead Man Walking
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Posts
    810
    I read a copy of the Department of Defence standars for file encryption and erasing. This was about a year ago but at the time the standard said a 7 pass random overwrite (such as with a program like "eraser") was all that was needed. Like i said that was a year ago... It may have changed. I personaly use eraser and none of the forensic utils i have run have been able to find anything left to recover. Try googleing for eraser. I dont have the URL handy or i would just post it

  10. #10
    AO's Mr Grumpy
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    903
    I agree with bballad and others that the LLF is your best option

    Download the diagnostic tools and the low - level format program from Maxtor's web site

    Http://www.maxtor.com. These are Maxplus II and Powermax. The low-level format program is self booting and will return your HD to manufacturer's original state
    This software should also work with some other manufacturer's drives and if not try the original equpment manufacturer's web site
    Computer says no
    (Carol Beer)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •