ERASING THE HARD DISK

• Why should I erase the hard disk ?

Maybe you plan to sell your pc, or simply donate it. In any case, the information on your HD could be retrieved, depending on how much effort, time, and money someone may dedicate to this task.

There are many hardware techniques (extremely expensive, though) than can be used to reconstruct the data on magnetic disks, or using magnetic force microscopy and recovery of data based on patterns in erase bands.

If you do not store any kind of important data, you do not need to worry about erasing your HD too much, but if you do... ( there are many jobs where data security is vital)... you should not take any risks.

• OK. Is there a 100% reliable method?

Yes. This method does exist (but you will not be able to recycle your Hard Drive...). Just extract the HD from pc, remove as many screws as possible, then hit many times the Hard Drive with a big hammer. At this point collect the remaining pieces and burn them in a furnace. This is the only 100% safe method.

• Can I simply format the Hard Drive from Windows?

A simple format just makes the files invisible to OS, but they are still there. With a good software, in a few hours almost anyone would be able to recover them. You should try with a low level format (writing all zeros to HD), but with a good hardware equipment the content of your HD might be recovered.

• Is there a software method which is quite safe?

There are many methods, or standards. In US standard, the write head passes over each sector of Hard Drive 3 times. The first time with zeros, the second time with another value and the third with random characters. In German standard (in Germany data security is extremely considered), the write head passes 7 times.

There are other methods, like the famous Gutmann: with this method, the write head passes 35 times. This has been considered for years the safest (100%) method, but with modern hard drives this is just a (very) good one.

• Is this erasing process fast?

No. It cannot be, since it means completely writing on your Hard Drive for many passes.

• How many Hard Drive erase/wipe software are there ?

There are many. Consider that all of them adopt more or less the same methods, like US or German or Russian standard, some simple pass, Gutmann and other kind of random passes, both commercial and free: for example KillDrive, Heidi Eraser, WipeDrive, Ontrack Dataeraser Pro, Blanco Data Cleaner, Paragon Disk Wiper Pro and many others, like Acronis DriveCleanser. Most of them create a floppy disk to book, except for Paragon Disk Wiper Pro that can work faster from Windows in full multitasking (but meets only US DoD standard, while others meet even more severe standards like Gutmann), and for Acronis DriveCleanser (meets most standards directly from Windows, in full multitasking).