HDD wiping tools

[pdV6]

I need to wipe a load of hard drives in a bunch of PCs that are getting donated to schools.

Anybody suggest a free tool that will do it for me, preferably that will fit on a bootable floppy so I can just slap the disc in, power up and leave it running?

Doesn't need to be industrial-strength wiping, just enough to deter a casual hacker.

[Tripps]

BrainCloud used to be the technique of choice for those intent upon being very paranoid. used it before my PC days though, so don't know if there are versions for PC.

It was designed to make it difficult for old magnetic signals to be read from the platter (historical data's magnetic signature can be discovered) so should be more than up to the task.

[roadsweeper]

I have used Darik's Boot and Nuke utility successfully on many occasions and it is in widespread use worldwide. It's also free and can do anything from a single wipe to multiple passes for security (though it sounds like the former is probably enough for your purposes).

The utility itself just goes on a floppy disk, you insert that in the machine with the HDD, it boots from the floppy into a basic Linux command line environment and you follow the instructions.

Hope that helps.

[pdV6]

Cheers roadsweeper - I just found that one via Google and was about to post asking if its any good.
Guess that's answered that question, then!

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

[Podie]

I've written one myself that formats the drive, creates a single partition and beeps at you when it's finished... no need for a monitor and keyboard...

[puggit]

It's the only way to be sure (except for nuking from space)

[dontlift]

I tend to find one of these is pretty good at destroying the data on hard discs



4 - 5 20mm holes through the platter should be sufficient

Edited by dontlift on Wednesday 11th October 12:10

[thepassenger]

dontlift said:

I tend to find one of these is pretty good at destroying the data on hard discs



4 - 5 20mm holes through the platter should be sufficient

Edited by dontlift on Wednesday 11th October 12:10

Nope, renders the disk unreadable to its mechanics and an operating system (plus will disrupt air flow over the platters and the head) but the vast majority of data is still readable.

Strip the disk, microwave the PCB, either angle grind the platters to remove most of the 'fairy dust' (really, it's what manu's call the magnetic film) or strip and stick the resulting mess in to a blast furnace (either way it all ends up in the furnace the intermediate steps are for sts and giggles as far as I can tell).
Data destruction "Eyes Only" style.

It's the nuke from orbit solution for the real world

[MarkoTVR]

I have used this in the past......Eraser

It'll do DoD-level secure deletions, and has it's own setting that allegedly way more secure than even that.

[danielgray]

thepassenger said:

dontlift said:

I tend to find one of these is pretty good at destroying the data on hard discs



4 - 5 20mm holes through the platter should be sufficient

Edited by dontlift on Wednesday 11th October 12:10

Nope, renders the disk unreadable to its mechanics and an operating system (plus will disrupt air flow over the platters and the head) but the vast majority of data is still readable.

Strip the disk, microwave the PCB, either angle grind the platters to remove most of the 'fairy dust' (really, it's what manu's call the magnetic film) or strip and stick the resulting mess in to a blast furnace (either way it all ends up in the furnace the intermediate steps are for sts and giggles as far as I can tell).
Data destruction "Eyes Only" style.

It's the nuke from orbit solution for the real world

how the hell could you read it once you had drilled a load of holes in it ? , it wouls proberly explode if you actually turned it on anyway (that could be fun).

[roadsweeper]

danielgray said:

how the hell could you read it once you had drilled a load of holes in it ? , it wouls proberly explode if you actually turned it on anyway (that could be fun).

That's the thing, you wouldn't turn it on. There are numerous ways of reading data that has been 'deleted' that do not involve actually operating the HDD in the conventional sense. Many data recovery laboratories will be equipped with such equipment but you're talking clean rooms, expert operators and expensive equipment so it's not something an amateur would usually be able to achieve.

There's a page on our website that describes the most widely accepted data sanitisation methods here if you're interested.