[Uncle Fester]

For those out there that might have need, and were unaware:

Formatting a Hard Disk Dive/Partition does NOT wipe data , viruses etc can remain.

Eraser is an advanced security tool for Windows that allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. The patterns used for overwriting are based on Peter Gutmann's paper Secure Deletion of Data from Magnetic and Solid-State Memory and are selected to effectively remove magnetic remnants from the hard drive.

Other methods include the one defined in the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual of the U.S. Department of Defence, and overwriting with pseudorandom data. You can also define your own overwriting methods.

Eraser is freeware, so no need to purchase it.

I use this myself in a variety of situations including cleaning secondhand hard drives (advisable), periodic wiping of flash drives and, as it attaches itself to the windows shell, emptying the recycle bin effectively.

It is also available as a Portable app, so can be carried on a USB flash drive.

Full program details and download here

[madmatt2006]

Great post so true it is a must to wipe any hard drive properly there are so many things that can go wrong. Here are just 2 examples.

1 You sell PC second hand and don't wipe properly and it falls in to the hands of a hacker
2 You throw broken PC out without removing or wiping and falls in to the hands of a hacker

I used to do repairs on police computers a very long time ago( late 80's ) and they used to drill holes in the hard drives with drill before disposal..... Like to see a hacker get data of them

[Uncle Fester]

Cheers Matt

Will try to help inexperienced users (and those of us who might not know) by posting the occassional description of (and link to) various apps which I use on a regular basis. These will all be freeware and as such there will be no barrier to people trying them out - in fact I've already posted again in 'Utilities'. I think this is an important role for sites such as this, as you know that prevention is always better than cure!

I have a fairly large library of portable apps too, which I find invaluable in many ways.

By the way, I often use Eraser to wipe Hard Drives by connecting to my PC or laptop using a USB to IDE/SATA cable I have - handy bit of kit!

[noop]

This is a great program for removing info, very glad you brought this one up!

I would definitely recommend giving this a run every once in awhile and definitely before giving away/throwing away your pc!

[Pirate07]

This sounds like a handy program, but I see they don't have a Linux Version whats up with that?? I guess I am going to have to break down and download it for Windows (Dang It).

[noop]

Pirate07, on 17 September 2009 - 03:20 AM, said:

This sounds like a handy program, but I see they don't have a Linux Version whats up with that?? I guess I am going to have to break down and download it for Windows (Dang It).

Of course there is a Linux Version. It is called a Microwave

[Pirate07]

noop, on 17 September 2009 - 03:21 AM, said:

Of course there is a Linux Version. It is called a Microwave

Microwave i have never heard of that. Thanks for the post I am going to check that one out

[noop]

Pirate07, on 17 September 2009 - 06:29 AM, said:

Microwave i have never heard of that. Thanks for the post I am going to check that one out

Microwave, as in the thing you cook your popcorn with

@Everyone else, don't do this. It will more than likely wreck the drive from functioning ever again.