Totally obliterating info from a Hard Drive?

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  • darnit
    Confirmed User
    • Jul 2001
    • 2439
    #1

    Totally obliterating info from a Hard Drive?

    Im donating a couple PCs to charity however they have personal/financial info on them. I have heard that people buy used PCs for the sole purpose of extracting info from them, so how do i totally obliterate info from the HD.

    And please no format C: responses, Im looking for something more industrial like BC wipe.

    Thoughts?
    Tags: None
    • 4Pics
      Confirmed User
      • Dec 2001
      • 7952
      #2
      You could always use a hammer on the hard drives.

        Comment

        • nofx
          Too lazy to set a custom title
          • Nov 2002
          • 16826
          #3
          high powered magnet

          Often times I wonder why
          There's love and hate, theres live or die.
          When sickness comes I must decide:
          When feelings go, theres suicide.

            Comment

            • AgentCash
              Confirmed User
              • Feb 2002
              • 720
              #4
              http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/source/sdelete.shtml

              Try searching google for 'DoD overwrite' basically the utilities write random data 32+ times to the entire harddrive. It takes a long time, but it's the standard for decommissioned hard drives from sensitive gonvernment entities.

                Comment

                • darnit
                  Confirmed User
                  • Jul 2001
                  • 2439
                  #5
                  Originally posted by 4Pics
                  You could always use a hammer on the hard drives.
                  well i want them to be usable hence the charity part....lol but thanks for the idea...
                  Last edited by darnit; 07-23-2004, 09:31 PM.

                    Comment

                    • Kard63
                      Confirmed User
                      • Nov 2003
                      • 8944
                      #6
                      Western Digital has "zero out the drive" as an option in the utility disc. Other corps probably have it to. I writes jeberish over the whole drive so the basic data recover retrieval software cant find it. Probably only the Feds could after its all been written over once and then it wouldnt be a pretty picture. Safe AFAIK.

                        Comment

                        • bringer
                          i have man boobies
                          • Jul 2003
                          • 13082
                          #7
                          Originally posted by Kard63
                          Western Digital has "zero out the drive" as an option in the utility disc. Other corps probably have it to. I writes jeberish over the whole drive so the basic data recover retrieval software cant find it. Probably only the Feds could after its all been written over once and then it wouldnt be a pretty picture. Safe AFAIK.
                          this works, or you could just remove the harddrives and replace with a 20gb
                          i think they're about $25
                          333-765-551

                            Comment

                            • AgentCash
                              Confirmed User
                              • Feb 2002
                              • 720
                              #8
                              Originally posted by Kard63
                              Western Digital has "zero out the drive" as an option in the utility disc. Other corps probably have it to. I writes jeberish over the whole drive so the basic data recover retrieval software cant find it. Probably only the Feds could after its all been written over once and then it wouldnt be a pretty picture. Safe AFAIK.
                              Zeroing out the harddrive will erase the data for most people, but there are techniques that well funded agencies/people can still use to recover that data.

                              http://www.usenix.org/publications/l...ann/index.html

                                Comment

                                • darnit
                                  Confirmed User
                                  • Jul 2001
                                  • 2439
                                  #9
                                  Found some good freeware on google...thanks agent cash for the tip.

                                    Comment

                                    • JSA Matt
                                      So Fucking Banned
                                      • Aug 2003
                                      • 5464
                                      #10
                                      Originally posted by nofx
                                      high powered magnet

                                        Comment

                                        • FlyingIguana
                                          aspiring banker
                                          • Mar 2002
                                          • 10870
                                          #11
                                          uberformat c:

                                            Comment

                                            • Magg
                                              Confirmed User
                                              • Feb 2004
                                              • 4467
                                              #12
                                              you format, then fill the drive with 0's, format again, then fill it with 0's again, and format once more.

                                              make sure to delete the file system and all partitions each time.

                                              the NSA/DoD do this exact same thing, except after all that, they smash the HD's, then burn them, but since you want to give em away, thatll keep you safe.


                                              the point is to overwrite any remenants of data that are left behind on the hard drive even after delete, until something comes in and needs the space which then overwrites the left over data of whatever deleted files, so your basically deleting everything, then overwriting all remaining info with 0's, then getting rid of all that, then overwriting everything with 0's again, delete it again, and re-create the filesystem and partition.
                                              Last edited by Magg; 07-23-2004, 10:03 PM.

                                                Comment

                                                • JasonB
                                                  Confirmed User
                                                  • Nov 2001
                                                  • 1183
                                                  #13
                                                  This prog is supposed to get everything off
                                                  http://www.cyberscrub.com/cyberscrub/index.php

                                                    Comment

                                                    • venturi
                                                      Confirmed User
                                                      • Aug 2001
                                                      • 386
                                                      #14
                                                      Back in my USMC days this is how we did it with the "disk packs" (mainframe HDD).

                                                      1) Unbind and dismount said pack.
                                                      2) Hand 3 Jr Marines sledge hammers.
                                                      3) Send troops out to the back lot with sledges and disk packs.
                                                      4) Order them to have fun beating the disk packs into unrecognizable bits of shattered metal.
                                                      5) Separate the rubble into 3 piles to be shipped off for incineration separately.

                                                      Works pretty good, but as said above it's not very practical if you're donating the PC to a charity.
                                                      I'm not a porn monger. I'm a porn ... STYLIST!
                                                      Buildit Cheap, build it Fast, Build it Right. - Pick Two.

                                                        Comment

                                                        • Jace
                                                          FBOP Class Of 2013
                                                          • Jan 2004
                                                          • 35562
                                                          #15
                                                          sledgehammer works the best, make sure each disc is seperated from the drive box

                                                            Comment

                                                            • jukeboxfrank
                                                              Confirmed User
                                                              • Apr 2004
                                                              • 1207
                                                              #16
                                                              Do what is called a low level format. It writes over every bit.
                                                              Takes forever but will do the job. Google is your friend.....


                                                              ICQ= 231-182-592

                                                                Comment

                                                                • Manowar
                                                                  jellyfish  
                                                                  • Dec 2003
                                                                  • 71528
                                                                  #17
                                                                  Originally posted by nofx
                                                                  high powered magnet

                                                                    Comment

                                                                    • kveldulv
                                                                      Confirmed User
                                                                      • Oct 2002
                                                                      • 128
                                                                      #18
                                                                      This site http://www.iolo.com has a program which will destroy data.

                                                                      If you want to be really sure, install linux over the top of it then formate again.
                                                                      icq: 22005948

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