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Thread ID: 30666 2003-02-27 06:02:00 Secure Destruction of a hard drive? PoWa (203) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
124387 2003-03-01 04:53:00 I went with the killdisk. I didn't know Partition magic has that feature.

Anyway, killdisk does a wipe that conforms to the DoD 220 22-M or something standard. Which means for each pass, it rewrites every cluster as 0x00 then 0xFF then some random variable. Also I can specify how many passes I want it to do on the drive.

I selected 30ish (exact number withheld so men in black suits don't know what level of overwriting to recover to) :D Effectively thats 30x3 = 90ish overwrites. Good luck trying to recover that! :D

It takes a while though. its only done 2passes in 12hours on a 5400rpm 20gig drive.

Anyway if anyone wants this software in future, e.g if you want to give your old hard drive away or sell it, email me and I'll give you my copy. Hope you all had fun guys, and had a laugh at my paranoia ;) I do :)
PoWa (203)
124388 2003-03-01 05:24:00 > I went with the killdisk. I didn't know Partition
> magic has that feature.
>
> Anyway, killdisk does a wipe that conforms to the DoD
> 220 22-M or something standard. Which means for each
> pass, it rewrites every cluster as 0x00 then 0xFF
> then some random variable. Also I can specify how
> many passes I want it to do on the drive.
>
> I selected 30ish (exact number withheld so men in
> black suits don't know what level of overwriting to
> recover to) :D Effectively thats 30x3 = 90ish
> overwrites. Good luck trying to recover that! :D
>
> It takes a while though. its only done 2passes in
> 12hours on a 5400rpm 20gig drive.
>
> Anyway if anyone wants this software in future, e.g
> if you want to give your old hard drive away or sell
> it, email me and I'll give you my copy. Hope you all
> had fun guys, and had a laugh at my paranoia ;) I do
> :)

Have you been a naughty boy with your file sharing then.
Baldy (26)
124389 2003-03-01 09:07:00 > - you are prepared to believe suggestions on a forum
> populated by complete strangers of dubious knowledge
> and ability


By the same score, whilst you guys are bending over backwards to help a complete stranger to destroy what might just possibly be incriminating evidence, I’m asking myself if I’d want him living next door to my kids. ?:|
cappuccino (1800)
124390 2003-03-01 13:15:00 You guys should lighten up a little. I bet Powa just wants to maintain his right to privacy and start afresh. I would wager that just about every computer in the country has some sort of illegal thing on their computer. Whether it be in breach of license agreements or piracy or even things more serious. Surely most people have downloaded an mp3 or have unlicensed software on their computers. But who the hell cares? If the police raided every house with a computer, they would have to put everyone in prison.

This is why people are starting to use encryption these days, its not because all of them are terrorists or anything, they just want some privacy. Its no wonder, with NZ just recently passing laws that will allow a $15mil upgrade for ISP's so the spy agencies can work more effectively in tracking sms,phones, internet etc.

So the same goes for privacy of data on a hard drive. Nothing illegal about wiping a hard drive and why should anyone question why someone would need to wipe their drive? Nor should people refuse to help someone out on a public forum because they want to destroy some 1s and 0s. Your the sort of person that would want cameras in every household for security purposes. And finally if your so worried about if your next door neighbour is a peodophile or something, why not tell the police, or storm his house and see if he's wiping his hard drive or something.
aroc (3256)
124391 2003-03-01 21:37:00 If you have norton system works use the wipe info option on it. it says it does a governmental wipe roofus (483)
124392 2003-03-01 21:40:00 > You guys should lighten up a little .

I'm so light, I'm floating round the room

> I bet Powa just wants to maintain his right to privacy and start
afresh .

Yeah sure, thats why he wants to REALLY wipe his hard drive several times so the men in black suits can't pounce on him . 99 . 9999% of people just reformatt LOL

> I would wager that just about every computer
> in the country has some sort of illegal thing on
> their computer . Whether it be in breach of license
> agreements or piracy or even things more serious .

Yeah sure . MP3s maybe, but stuff you can get locked up for no . I'm not a pervert, so maybe I'm just assuming that others who use this forum aren't either . Call me puritanical LOL


> Surely most people have downloaded an mp3 or have
> unlicensed software on their computers . But who the
> hell cares? If the police raided every house with a
> computer, they would have to put everyone in prison .

For a MP3 . . . . . . . Prison? I thought this was NewZealand



> Your the sort of person that would
> want cameras in every household for security
> purposes . And finally if your so worried about if
> your next door neighbour is a peodophile or
> something, why not tell the police, or storm his
> house and see if he's wiping his hard drive or
> something .

Hey, for someone who is making his first post and giving us a lecture on lightening up etc at the same time, you have posted a very heavy rant yourself . But you will see I took your advise and made a joke of everything you said . Thats just me lightening up dude
Baldy (26)
124393 2003-03-01 21:46:00 maybe this powa guy is infact this guy (www.stuff.co.nz)
and while he has been convicted he has more information, that he wants to hide so that he can't get in more trouble.
roofus (483)
124394 2003-03-01 21:54:00 LOL Baldy :^O

Hey Aroc, no offence intended but you showing serious signs of incipient paranoia yourself.

Cheers

Billy 8-{) :D

Quote: "Only those who have something to hide
need worry what others may find." Billy T, 2003. :D :D :D
Billy T (70)
124395 2003-03-01 22:13:00 > maybe this powa guy is infact
> this guy (www.stuff.co.nz
> html)
> and while he has been convicted he has more
> information, that he wants to hide so that he can't
> get in more trouble.

Good point Roofus. I like the comment by the judge:
suggested he spend his 100 hours community service teaching the disadvantaged IT skills We know what skills LOL
Baldy (26)
124396 2003-03-02 01:04:00 Ummm........Fellas

I know you jest, but if he was "that guy" I sincerely doubt he would need our advice, and in that situation he wouldn't balk at destroying an HDD.

Unless incredibly stupid of course.

Cheers

Billy 8-{) :D
Billy T (70)
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