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Thread: Formatting box before disposal

  1. #11
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    since i believe you dont work at CIA, NSA or some company with HIGH HIGH confidential information stored on HD, just clean with a freeware like
    http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/fil...d,22920,00.asp
    It will clean in a way that NORMAL/MEDIUM guys cant recover previous information. Its enough for regular companies
    Meu sítio

    FORMAT C: Yes ...Yes??? ...Nooooo!!! ^C ^C ^C ^C ^C
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  2. #12
    Senior Member Info Tech Geek's Avatar
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    I suggest downloading BCWipe from www.Jetico.com and using the BCWipePD utility stored on a Win98 Bootdisk. This will allow you to select the amount of overwrites you would like to perform and will also work with Linux/BSD/Windows/Unix systems.

  3. #13
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    i2c. I am interested in that 'simple C program' for data erasure. I'm still learning C++ as I go, any chance it's simple enough for you to write me a sample function that would do this?

    DOS/Windows platform though.
    I'd PM you, but for some reason, I can't get the PM page to open correctly.

    Thanx
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  4. #14
    Senior Member Raion's Avatar
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    Or couldn't you just get some gasoline grab a match and burn it? Would be a time saver and you can do something else while it burns although you should have a fire extinguisher at hand just in case make sure you do it in the open where there are no trees/houses that can be burned. Never tried it though Used the same HD for about 4yrs but have 2 others which I need to format..
    WARNING: THIS SIGNATURE IS SHAREWARE PLEASE REGISTER THIS SIGNATURE BY SENDING ME MONEY TO SEE THE COMPLETE SIGNATURE!

  5. #15
    Much along the lines of what Info Tech Geek said, there is a program i've used called darik's boot and nuke. You put the program on a floppy (or bootable cd or flash drive if your computer can boot from it)
    http://dban.sourceforge.net/
    I'd suggest 7 overwrites... that'll stop any type of software recovery.
    Only opening the drives and examining them with tools like electron microscopes will be able to read the data.
    You are so bored that you are reading my signature?

  6. #16
    Something yall need to keep in mind, although you hopefully will never have to experience this.
    Steal this computer book 2:
    Under the illusion that they'll have complete protection, many people burn floppy or hard disks, crush and mangle them, cut them into pieces, pour acid on them, and otherwise physically manhandle them so there's no way they could ever be used by another computer again.

    Unfortunately, physical destruction of floppy and hard disks still can't guarantee that your data will be safe since goverment agencies such as the FBI and CIA practice a specialized technique known as disk splicing.

    With disk splicing, someone physically rearranges the pices of a floppy or hard disk as close as possible to its original condition. Then they use magnetic sensors or electron microscopes to scan for traces of information still stored on the hard drive.
    (quoted manually, please excuse typo's)

    Bascially, anything is recoverable. If your last name is bin laden, then you've got something to worry about.
    http://www.dcfl.gov specializes in this. Best case scenario, save your files to a encrypted drive. PGP offers this now (PGPdisk), I have a encrypted disk mounted, all files are encrypted on the fly as I save normally to it. As for wiping software, I have no clue. I know that groovicus has some experience testing wiping/recovery software, and he's told me in the past that some wipers just plain suck.

  7. #17
    They call me the Hunted foxyloxley's Avatar
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    For a complete method, remove and physically destroy the HDD.
    New HDD's are not too much any more, and if there is business critical info on the drive, then better safe than sorry.

    I've worked in a company that used the Oxy/Acetylene gas axe to finish off the beastie's.......

    If the time isn't an issue, then try out a wiper programme for yourself first, see what, if anything YOU can find.

    In the end, only you can decide what your company requirements are............
    Don't forget to post the results if you do a wipe etc.
    so now I'm in my SIXTIES FFS
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  8. #18
    AO's Resident Redneck The Texan's Avatar
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    i know someone who burned their harddrive with a Thermite torch... now that is a little excessive i think but, if u have sensitive data you might want to consider it.
    Git R Dun - Ty
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  9. #19
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    There's nothing you can really ever do to completely protect your data from being read if someone really wants to get the info:
    http://www.datarr.com/tfds.html
    http://www.vogon-international.us/di...ery-case-1.htm
    When death sleeps it dreams of you...

  10. #20
    The thing about data recovery is the cost. Yes, data can almost always be recovered by some means. But the cost is insane! If anyone has ever used a recovery service with a clean room you know how much their services run. The cost can be $80 or more (sometimes much more) per hour! And it only goes up from there. The best thing to do (for non-sensitive data) is to just use a disk wiping utility (there were probably 20 mentioned already in this thread). From there, you are (for lack of a better term) safe. The cost of recovering the data at that point would probably outweigh any potential losses.

    Now, if you are trying to keep data from a government agency (cia, fbi, etc...) you would have to take some more extreme measures. Overwrite, shred, burn, incinerate, bury in a deep hole. That'll at least buy you some time.
    You are so bored that you are reading my signature?

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