Securely erasing data from hard drive

[dinoz]

I need securely erase data from hard drive, to leave computer forever at
work.
Which application can securely erase data from hard drive?
Also, can be securely erased only files, without removing operating system
and reformatting hard drive? As I read, simply erasing all the data on the
hard drive and formatting it is not enough security. Formatting the hard
drive is a bit more secure than simply erasing the files. Formatting a disk
does not erase the data on the disk, only the address tables. It makes it
much more difficult to recover the files. However a computer specialist
would be able to recover most or all the data that was on the disk before
the reformat.

 

[John John MVP]

I need securely erase data from hard drive, to leave computer forever at
work.
Which application can securely erase data from hard drive?
Also, can be securely erased only files, without removing operating
system and reformatting hard drive? As I read, simply erasing all the
data on the hard drive and formatting it is not enough security.
Formatting the hard drive is a bit more secure than simply erasing the
files. Formatting a disk does not erase the data on the disk, only the
address tables. It makes it much more difficult to recover the files.
However a computer specialist would be able to recover most or all the
data that was on the disk before the reformat.

You need to completely 'wipe' the disk and then reinstall the operating
system. These will securely wipe the disk:

Secure Erase
http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml

Darik's Boot And Nuke
http://www.dban.org/

John

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I need securely erase data from hard drive, to leave computer forever at
work.
Which application can securely erase data from hard drive?
Also, can be securely erased only files, without removing operating system
and reformatting hard drive? As I read, simply erasing all the data on the
hard drive and formatting it is not enough security. Formatting the hard
drive is a bit more secure than simply erasing the files. Formatting a disk
does not erase the data on the disk, only the address tables. It makes it
much more difficult to recover the files. However a computer specialist
would be able to recover most or all the data that was on the disk before
the reformat.

See John John's reply, and let me add the following: the only way you
can be absolutely certain that what was on the drive is unrecoverable
is to physically destroy the drive. Software that removes what's there
is very good, but not necessarily perfect, and there are disk recovery
vendors who (at a very high price) can sometimes recover data from a
such a drive.

 

[Unk]

I need securely erase data from hard drive, to leave computer forever at
work.
Which application can securely erase data from hard drive?
Also, can be securely erased only files, without removing operating system
and reformatting hard drive? As I read, simply erasing all the data on the
hard drive and formatting it is not enough security. Formatting the hard
drive is a bit more secure than simply erasing the files. Formatting a disk
does not erase the data on the disk, only the address tables. It makes it
much more difficult to recover the files. However a computer specialist
would be able to recover most or all the data that was on the disk before
the reformat.

Replace the drive with a NEW one and take the old one home with you.
It'll be faster to replace the drive and reinstall the operating system than trying to security
erase the old drive.

Unk

 

[dinoz]

Any software approved by DoD for disk sanitizing will work.

Norton GDisk will do it.

Also, while not at DoD level of sanitizing, most hard disk manuafcturer
disk utilities have the ability to wipe a drive.

Now the question is, if it is a work computer, the employer should be
sanatizing the drive, so why you ?
The possibility is that YOU have data on the drive you do NOT want the
employer to have. Well using the disk manuafcturer disk utilities will do
a good enough job as they will NOT go through the expense of a forensic
analysis just because you left the comapny. If it is a situation where
where there is evidence of a crime, on an employer computer, and you
sanatize the drive you would be guilty of the crime of destroying
evidence.

--------------------

well, I just want erase personal files, accumulated for years. So the best
way is 'wipe' the disk with some utility and then reinstall Windows?

Thanks.

 

[Rob]

--------------------

well, I just want erase personal files, accumulated for years. So the best way is 'wipe' the disk with some utility and then reinstall Windows?

Thanks.

No, the best way is to use Darik's boot and nuke or similar,
as John suggested. These utilities write sepcial patterns
over the erased data, making it impossible for even national
security type folk to recover anything. Boot and Nuke is a
free download.
HTH

 

[dinoz]

No, Just wipe the disk using Norton GDisk or the hard disk manufacturer's
utility.. You don't have to reinstall Windows.

 

[dinoz]

Nobody is going to do a forensic datamine on the hard disk in this
situation. It is too expensive.

The actual DoD specification for disk sanitization follows...

Write a bit pattern such as; 10101010
Write the bit pattern's complement such as; 01010101
Write a new bit pattern such as; 11110000
Repeat the above 6 times for each byte on the hard disk.

Reference:
"Disposition of DoD Unclassified Computer Hard Drives", Linton Wells II,
June 1, 2001

Boot and Nuke is NOT DoD certified, thus it does not meet the standard and
thus is not "the best way".

Ontrack DataEraser, UniShred Pro, AccessData CleanDrive and InfraWorks
Sanitizer would actually fall under the category of "the best way".

Based upon the scenario that has been provided by dinoz, a simple drive
wipe by the hard disk manufacturer's utility is apropos.

You also stated "...making it impossible for even national security type
folk to recover anything."
Not true. That is why hard disks that are rated Secret and above can NOT
be sanitized. You can't use software nor deagauss them. They must be
destoyed by the NSA.
It is only a matter of expense and desire.

That's the key here, "expense and desire".
Based upon the scenario that has been provided by dinoz, the company would
not have the desire nor go through the expense of forensic data mining for
his "...personal files, accumulated for years."

BTW: This subject matter is COMPLETELY different in the case of Sold
State Drives where degaussing can't be performed and no amount of
sanitizing software will work. But, I will leave that for another
discussion.
http://nvsl.ucsd.edu/sanitize/

 

[dinoz]

Yes. That is the best practice.
Sure you can delete your data files and there are a few utilities to can
securely overwrite unused space on the hard disk but it would be better to
just wipe the whole disk.
Example:
FileShredder - http://www.fileshredder.org/
Eraser - http://eraser.heidi.ie/

Manufacturer utilities:
Seagate - SeaTools
Western Digital - WD Diagnostics
IBM/Hitachi - Drive Fitness Test.

All have a facility overwite the hard disk with Zeros or Ones.

Dave

---------------------

As I remember, I have somewhere old WipeDrive 5 or 6 utility, but never used
it: would it be good? Or above recommended utilities is better?

Regards,

 

[David H. Lipman]

one disk is Maxtor, 2nd is Seagate, both IDE, does it exist manufacturer's utilities for
wiping hard disks?

Maxtor was bought by SeaGate so it can be presumed that SeaTools can wipe both.

Burn a CDROM from the below URL for the SeaTool's ISO image and gibve it a shot.
http://www.seagate.com/staticfiles/support/seatools/SeaToolsDOS223ALL.ISO

 

[David H. Lipman]

In your case, that utility would probably be sufficient.

 

[boatman312]

There are all sorts of free file wipers available for individual files
and folders. Just Google "file wipe". They may not be absolutely
perfect, but I doubt someone at work is going to try and recover a file
written over 7 times (DOD security spec, with other methods available too).

 

[John John MVP]

There are all sorts of free file wipers available for individual files
and folders. Just Google "file wipe". They may not be absolutely
perfect, but I doubt someone at work is going to try and recover a file
written over 7 times (DOD security spec, with other methods available too).

The problem with trying to selectively wipe individual files and folders
it that there is so much personal stuff written to all kinds of
different places that it is nearly impossible to completely remove all
your personal files without wiping the whole disk.

John

 

[Barry Schwarz]

well, I just want erase personal files, accumulated for years. So the best
way is 'wipe' the disk with some utility and then reinstall Windows?

Is your system attached to a company network? Does the company back
up data files from your system periodically? If so, it really doesn't
matter what you do to your hard disk.

 

[James D Andrews]

dinoz was thinking very hard and all he could come up with was:

I need securely erase data from hard drive, to leave computer forever at
work.
Which application can securely erase data from hard drive?
Also, can be securely erased only files, without removing operating system
and reformatting hard drive? As I read, simply erasing all the data on the
hard drive and formatting it is not enough security. Formatting the hard
drive is a bit more secure than simply erasing the files. Formatting a disk
does not erase the data on the disk, only the address tables. It makes it
much more difficult to recover the files. However a computer specialist would
be able to recover most or all the data that was on the disk before the
reformat.

The simple answer to your question, with many examples given here, is
that yes, there are secure deletion programs available to erase
individual files from your hard drive with DOD-compliant levels of
erasing/rewriting to cover your tracks. There are commercial and
freeware programs to chose from.

As for just reformatting the hard drive or removing it and taking it
with you (replacing with another) --- is it your property? If not,
then just replacing it isn't really a legal option even if you're
putting in a better one, and reformatting, etc. is questionable
considering changes being made to the system.

Just for consideration.

--
-There are some who call me...
Jim


"You got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because
you might not get there."
- Yogi Berra

 

[dinoz]

dinoz was thinking very hard and all he could come up with was:

The simple answer to your question, with many examples given here, is that
yes, there are secure deletion programs available to erase individual
files from your hard drive with DOD-compliant levels of erasing/rewriting
to cover your tracks. There are commercial and freeware programs to chose
from.

As for just reformatting the hard drive or removing it and taking it with
you (replacing with another) --- is it your property? If not, then just
replacing it isn't really a legal option even if you're putting in a
better one, and reformatting, etc. is questionable considering changes
being made to the system.

Just for consideration.

--
-There are some who call me...
Jim


"You got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you
might not get there."
- Yogi Berra

 

[James D Andrews]

dinoz embroidered on the monitor :
I think what you need are 2 program types. 1 to erase your files
securely, 2 to erase tracks of your activity.

1. Securely delete personal files:

http://www.freewarefiles.com/Files-Terminator-Free_program_71627.html

2. Erase tracks of activity:

http://www.freewarefiles.com/CCleaner-Portable_program_43405.html

If you are certain that you can and want to completely wipe the disk,
you can use the following or a similar program. This download is an
..iso which you then burn to a CD. It is a self-booting disk.

http://www.freewarefiles.com/Dariks-Boot-And-Nuke_program_13748.html

All of the above are just one option. There are many.

With 2 hard drives, you have to ask yourself where your personal files
and program data are stored.

--
-There are some who call me...
Jim


"Facts are the enemy of truth."
- Don Quixote - "Man of La Mancha"