Erase harddrive software

murrshot · Jun 27, 2003

Anybody got any recommendations for software to securely erase a harddrive. I work in the computer section for a govt facility and one of my coworkers was inquiring about one. We're looking for different methods to erase our harddrives with out having to physically destroy them. Thankz for any input!

Tommy · Jun 27, 2003

Try a low level format, this will write zeros to the drive, which renders it to the state it was when new(of course it won't erase wear and tear)

murrshot · Jun 27, 2003

Yeah, but I think the powers that be on my end want something more than that since a lot of the stuff we use may contain sensitive data (I work at a VA Hosp by the way). I know at one point we were looking at the mechanical magnetic devices? to do the job. I've come across some software called cyberscrub, but this is the best site I've come across to see if people have used something and get their opinions (and expertise) about things.

slippery · Jun 27, 2003

Autoclave v0.3 hard drive sterilization on a bootable floppy

check it out:

http://staff.washington.edu/jdlarios/autoclave/

DREEMTHEEF · Jun 27, 2003

Ontrack DataEraser Professional v2.01 Retail

Works well and lets you have up to 99 sweeps to make sure the data is gone.

....DreeM

serjer · Jun 27, 2003

gwscan

u want to erase which brand of hdd?seagate,maxtor?u can also try the tools that they provide

Tommy · Jun 27, 2003

This explains a low level format
http://www.sciforums.com/archive/25/2002/12/2/13715
http://www.geocities.com/thestarman3/asm/mbr/WIPE.html

Software erasers(just for example)
http://www.ontrack.com/dataeraser/
http://www.killdisk.com/features.htm

murrshot · Jun 27, 2003

Thankz for de input. I just came back from a staff meeting, and the already choose what software they are going to use for this (don't recall the name of it at the moment). Ah well!

ipdave · Jun 28, 2003

Ontrack DataEraser Professional is DoD approved (NSA approves nothing but destruction for de-classifying drives).

murrshot · Jun 28, 2003

ipdave said:
Ontrack DataEraser Professional is DoD approved (NSA approves nothing but destruction for de-classifying drives).

I also found out from our little meeting, we were no longer physically destroying the drives because of a little mandate that came down...