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  3. How to Wipe out files from H.D.D permanently

How to Wipe out files from H.D.D permanently

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  • I i i i

    I have a Laptop which i have to Sell and on its H.D.D,I had copied my Family photos as there are so many softwares available which can recover Files even after formatting or deletion , Is it possible to wipe out files completely using any utility or software/Shredder. :confused:

    SOFTDEV Luck in life always exists in the form of an abstract class that cannot be instantiated directly and needs to be inherited by hard work and dedication.

    M Offline
    M Offline
    Member 4491776
    wrote on last edited by
    #21

    Use DBAN. http://www.dban.org/. The version I use provides DOD level 3 clean. Every bit multiple reset. You will have to re-initialize the drive with OEM software, like seagate disk wizard. http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/discwizard/.

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    • C cruest

      my normal means of disposal is an 8mm rifle round. what remains of the platters gets sucked out the exit hole in a shower of metallized confetti.

      I Offline
      I Offline
      i i i
      wrote on last edited by
      #22

      :laugh:

      SOFTDEV Luck in life always exists in the form of an abstract class that cannot be instantiated directly and needs to be inherited by hard work and dedication.

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      • M Member 4491776

        Use DBAN. http://www.dban.org/. The version I use provides DOD level 3 clean. Every bit multiple reset. You will have to re-initialize the drive with OEM software, like seagate disk wizard. http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/discwizard/.

        I Offline
        I Offline
        i i i
        wrote on last edited by
        #23

        thanks :)

        SOFTDEV Luck in life always exists in the form of an abstract class that cannot be instantiated directly and needs to be inherited by hard work and dedication.

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        • I i i i

          Come on Dave Do you know i had Google or not ? , Its very easy to add Google in your answer or every answer :laugh: , Life is short we have to learn from others experiences also.I hope so you will get the positive side of this.

          SOFTDEV Luck in life always exists in the form of an abstract class that cannot be instantiated directly and needs to be inherited by hard work and dedication.

          D Offline
          D Offline
          DaveAuld
          wrote on last edited by
          #24

          Ok, I Apologise for being a little harsh. But you have been on the site long enough now to know that a little forward proactive research goes along away, and your experience from responses to some of your previous questions and responses should be telling you this. Be rest assured I have given myself a stern talking to and have written out 100 lines as punishment. :sigh:

          Dave Find Me On: Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn


          Folding Stats: Team CodeProject

          I M 2 Replies Last reply
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          • G Gary R Wheeler

            The OP asked a question about a utility that has security implications. Which would you rather trust, the results of a Google search, or the educated opinions of your professional peers? I think a little polite patience is in order.

            Software Zen: delete this;

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            W Offline
            wizardzz
            wrote on last edited by
            #25

            Gary R. Wheeler wrote:

            educated opinions of your professional peers?

            Umm, this is the lounge you're talking about.

            "Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!" — Hunter S. Thompson

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            • I i i i

              I have a Laptop which i have to Sell and on its H.D.D,I had copied my Family photos as there are so many softwares available which can recover Files even after formatting or deletion , Is it possible to wipe out files completely using any utility or software/Shredder. :confused:

              SOFTDEV Luck in life always exists in the form of an abstract class that cannot be instantiated directly and needs to be inherited by hard work and dedication.

              R Offline
              R Offline
              regalsoft
              wrote on last edited by
              #26

              The owner of my local PC shop told me that he has done some work for law enforcement in the past and that they have ways of retrieving data even after dozens of disk wipes. I have no clue how that could be possible but I trust his cousel very much. I have never found him to be wrong in the past. I think the 8mm round sounds good to me. :-\

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              • G Gary R Wheeler

                The OP asked a question about a utility that has security implications. Which would you rather trust, the results of a Google search, or the educated opinions of your professional peers? I think a little polite patience is in order.

                Software Zen: delete this;

                S Offline
                S Offline
                SeattleC
                wrote on last edited by
                #27

                The "educated opinion of your professional peers" who you only know because they're on the internet is by definition exactly as valuable as the results of a google search. Deleting one file very thoroughly and securely and also quickly is actually quite tricky. Destroying everything that has been deleted when you have unlimited time is much simpler. Anyone with an ounce of programming smarts could write a tool that opened a file, and appended random data onto the disk until it was full. Delete all the files you don't want (and empty the trashcan), then run this little program, then optionally delete the created file. Anyone without this much programming smarts won't be able to tell an informed opinion from a random one, so they might as well do a google search. Will this simple procedure defeat the CIA? Yeah, actually it might, but they do some freaky things to read disks at the hardware level. If the family photos you are deleting are child porn or jihadist training films, running the program about 10 times with different random seeds is probably good enough.

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                • D DaveAuld

                  Ok, I Apologise for being a little harsh. But you have been on the site long enough now to know that a little forward proactive research goes along away, and your experience from responses to some of your previous questions and responses should be telling you this. Be rest assured I have given myself a stern talking to and have written out 100 lines as punishment. :sigh:

                  Dave Find Me On: Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn


                  Folding Stats: Team CodeProject

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                  I Offline
                  i i i
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #28

                  Thank.hmmm now you are like the Dave i used to know :thumbsup:

                  SOFTDEV Luck in life always exists in the form of an abstract class that cannot be instantiated directly and needs to be inherited by hard work and dedication.

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                  • I i i i

                    Thanks All, I downloaded softwares SDelete,Erase, Dban etc. those really worked and helped my cause. God bless you all. :)

                    SOFTDEV Luck in life always exists in the form of an abstract class that cannot be instantiated directly and needs to be inherited by hard work and dedication.

                    P Offline
                    P Offline
                    pgoodrum
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #29

                    Remove drive from computer and smash with large hammer till theres only tiny bits - that is the 100% sure way!!!!!!!!!!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

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                    • D DaveAuld

                      Ok, I Apologise for being a little harsh. But you have been on the site long enough now to know that a little forward proactive research goes along away, and your experience from responses to some of your previous questions and responses should be telling you this. Be rest assured I have given myself a stern talking to and have written out 100 lines as punishment. :sigh:

                      Dave Find Me On: Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn


                      Folding Stats: Team CodeProject

                      M Offline
                      M Offline
                      Mark AJA
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #30

                      I have just Googled to find some software to permanently delete files from my hard drive. It pointed me to this page. The answer by Dave has sent me to Google the question again, which sent me back to this page. I think I am now stuck in a loop! Thanks. :mad:

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                      • M Mark AJA

                        I have just Googled to find some software to permanently delete files from my hard drive. It pointed me to this page. The answer by Dave has sent me to Google the question again, which sent me back to this page. I think I am now stuck in a loop! Thanks. :mad:

                        D Offline
                        D Offline
                        DaveAuld
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #31

                        Caught by a google recursive loop, oh the joys! Right, Here is a white paper that discusses Secure File Deletion. You will also notice at the end of the article a list of tools, some free, some paid. Some others on the thread have also given there preferences. How secure it is, is similiar to how secure a password algo is, i.e. how much time and effort (/cost) is required to recover meaningful data. There are also standards used by the DOD etc which determine minimum strategies required to meet 'security' standards. http://www.sans.org/reading_room/whitepapers/incident/secure-file-deletion-fact-fiction_631[^] Hope this helps in some way to remove your anger :)

                        Dave Find Me On: Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn


                        Folding Stats: Team CodeProject

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