How to erase a hard disk completely?

I suppose that I could just reformat a hard disk if I want to erase
its contents, but my understanding is that it may be possible for
someone intent on doing it to still recover at least some of the
data. There's a lot of highly sensitive data in this disk I want
to dispose of. Is there a program that will truly wipe a whole
hard disk clean?

Thanks in advance!

-Irv

Irving Kimura <irving_kimura@lycos.com> wrote:
> There's a lot of highly sensitive data in this disk I want
> to dispose of. Is there a program that will truly wipe a whole


If you want to "dispose" of the disk definitively, grab a drill and
drill some hole in it, if you want to resell it, use
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/whatsthedisk

Davide

bd <bdonlan@bd-home-comp.no-ip.org> wrote:
> On Sat, 28 Jun 2003 19:39:18 +0000, Irving Kimura wrote:

>>
>>
>> I suppose that I could just reformat a hard disk if I want to erase
>> its contents, but my understanding is that it may be possible for
>> someone intent on doing it to still recover at least some of the
>> data. There's a lot of highly sensitive data in this disk I want
>> to dispose of. Is there a program that will truly wipe a whole
>> hard disk clean?

> How about the appropriately named 'wipe'? ;)
> http://wipe.sourceforge.net/

or a standard unix util: badblocks. it can wipe a disk any
number of times w/a small script, let it run overnite. --Loren




> --
> Freenet distribution not available
> "For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after a second or
> so, nothing continued to happen. "

lcoe <lcoe@c1932201-a.attbi.com> wrote:
>bd <bdonlan@bd-home-comp.no-ip.org> wrote:
>> On Sat, 28 Jun 2003 19:39:18 +0000, Irving Kimura wrote:
>
>>>
>>>
>>> I suppose that I could just reformat a hard disk if I want to erase
>>> its contents, but my understanding is that it may be possible for
>>> someone intent on doing it to still recover at least some of the
>>> data. There's a lot of highly sensitive data in this disk I want
>>> to dispose of. Is there a program that will truly wipe a whole
>>> hard disk clean?
>
>> How about the appropriately named 'wipe'? ;)
>> http://wipe.sourceforge.net/
>
>or a standard unix util: badblocks. it can wipe a disk any
>number of times w/a small script, let it run overnite. --Loren

Don't look for software solutions to eradicate data on a disk.

There are two sure fire methods. One is to dent it
sufficiently, and the other is to melt it sufficiently. A
twenty pound hammer will work for the first, and a cutting torch
is useful to implement the second.

Anything else is risking having front page headlines about what
ever it is you have on the disk.

--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) floyd@barrow.com

On Sat, 28 Jun 2003 15:19:30 -0800, Floyd Davidson wrote:

> Don't look for software solutions to eradicate data on a disk.
>
> There are two sure fire methods. One is to dent it
> sufficiently, and the other is to melt it sufficiently. A
> twenty pound hammer will work for the first, and a cutting torch
> is useful to implement the second.
>
> Anything else is risking having front page headlines about what
> ever it is you have on the disk.

Removal of the platters and grinding the oxide surfaces off works well,
too.

Shooting the drives with a 7.62mm minigun is also effective.

Irving Kimura wrote:
> I suppose that I could just reformat a hard disk if I want to erase
> its contents, but my understanding is that it may be possible for
> someone intent on doing it to still recover at least some of the
> data. There's a lot of highly sensitive data in this disk I want
> to dispose of. Is there a program that will truly wipe a whole
> hard disk clean?
>
Who are you afraid of? And just how sensitive is the stuff? Are you
going to junk the drive or try to sell it?

Because if the National Security Agency or the Central Intelligence
Agency or the Defense Intelligence Agency or other three-letter agencies
are after you, they probably already have what they need, so just sell
your drive on e-bay.

If the threat is just embarassing stuff and you hesitate to let amateurs
get it, dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdx (if that is the drive in question)
should be enough.

In between, take the drive apart, remove the disk platters and work them
over with a finishing sander on both sides. Then toss the platters (and
the drive, too, since getting new platters and getting them in there
right, and not having a serious head crash from all the contamination
your are going to get in there will be more trouble than buying a new
drive).

--
.~. Jean-David Beyer Registered Linux User 85642.
/V\ Registered Machine 73926.
/( )\ Shrewsbury, New Jersey http://counter.li.org
^^-^^ 10:45pm up 11 days, 1:19, 2 users, load average: 2.29, 2.19, 2.07

In article <bdkqt6$fg0$1@reader1.panix.com>, Irving Kimura wrote:
>
>
> I suppose that I could just reformat a hard disk if I want to erase
> its contents, but my understanding is that it may be possible for
> someone intent on doing it to still recover at least some of the
> data. There's a lot of highly sensitive data in this disk I want
> to dispose of. Is there a program that will truly wipe a whole
> hard disk clean?

thermite.sourceforge.net

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! ONE LIFE TO LIVE for
at ALL MY CHILDREN in ANOTHER
visi.com WORLD all THE DAYS OF
OUR LIVES.

In article <slrnbfsp68.1kr.grante@tuxtop.visi.com>, Grant Edwards wrote:

>> Is there a program that will truly wipe a whole hard disk
>> clean?
>
> thermite.sourceforge.net

That was supposed to be a joke.

Then I find out there really _is_ a thermite.sourceforge.net.

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! Here I am at the flea
at market but nobody is buying
visi.com my urine sample bottles...

do a search for "boot and nuke"

Steve

On Sat, 28 Jun 2003 19:39:18 +0000, Irving Kimura wrote:

>
>
> I suppose that I could just reformat a hard disk if I want to erase
> its contents, but my understanding is that it may be possible for
> someone intent on doing it to still recover at least some of the
> data. There's a lot of highly sensitive data in this disk I want
> to dispose of. Is there a program that will truly wipe a whole
> hard disk clean?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> -Irv

Irving Kimura <irving_kimura@lycos.com> writes:



]I suppose that I could just reformat a hard disk if I want to erase
]its contents, but my understanding is that it may be possible for
]someone intent on doing it to still recover at least some of the
]data. There's a lot of highly sensitive data in this disk I want
]to dispose of. Is there a program that will truly wipe a whole
]hard disk clean?

]Thanks in advance!


Depends on what you want. If you are satisfied with just actually
erasing the data (reformating leaves all the data there for anyone to
pick up), then reformat the disk as one large partition, and then open a
file on that partition and fill up the whole disk with whatever data you
like. This will overwrite the data on the disk. However, this may not be
enough if your attacker is really determined (eg willing to take apart
the disk and scan the disk platters to try to get off the data). There
exist cryptographic wipes which rewrite to the disk multiple times with
different bit patterns to make it harder to do that kind of work.
On the other hand, if your attacker is willing to go to that kind of
expense, then your best bet is probably physical destruction. Wipe the
disk, and then heat the platters up beyond the neal point for the
material (red hot will certainly do it).

Ie, what level of attack are you willing to guard against.
Note that all those backups you make over the years are just as
dangerous, and a lot lot easier to steal (if the hard disk went missing,
you would probably notice, if a backup tape did, you probably would not)