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writing garbage to hd

sushiboysushiboy Registered User regular
edited January 2008 in Games and Technology
I have a comp that I am going to be getting rid of and I want to make sure that the data can not be recovered off the hd. I know there are progs out there that will just write crap to the hd thus making it pretty tough to get anything worth while off the drive. Anyone know where I can get any such progs? Free would be good.

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Posts

  • ZombiemamboZombiemambo Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    If you have no plans of using the HDD, you could run a strong magnet over it.

    Zombiemambo on
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  • DrezDrez Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    I know this isn't the answer you are looking for, but why not keep the HD?

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  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Step 1: Boot. Step 2: Nuke.

    edit: this program is what the Department of Defense uses to wipe hard drives, in case you're wondering.

    Daedalus on
  • gilraingilrain Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Here you go, and next time keep your giraffe porn on an external drive, or something. ;-)

    Edit: beat'd like a naughty giraffe! :(

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  • sushiboysushiboy Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    no animal porn. this system is actually a pull from a clients site. i replaced a lot of their hardware. i have no use for the system but i dont want to just get rid of it while it still has the company info on it.

    sushiboy on
    Wii - 5850 0852 0940 2934
    AC:CF - 1032 4742 8889
    PM me if you add any of my codes
  • FatsFats Corvallis, ORRegistered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Daedalus wrote: »
    Step 1: Boot. Step 2: Nuke.

    edit: this program is what the Department of Defense uses to wipe hard drives, in case you're wondering.

    They actually stopped using it a couple months ago. Destroy or degauss only, now. I wonder why. emot-tinfoil.gif

    Fats on
  • capable heartcapable heart Registered User regular
    edited September 2021
    deleted

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  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Fats wrote: »
    Daedalus wrote: »
    Step 1: Boot. Step 2: Nuke.

    edit: this program is what the Department of Defense uses to wipe hard drives, in case you're wondering.

    They actually stopped using it a couple months ago. Destroy or degauss only, now. I wonder why. emot-tinfoil.gif

    Paranoia, I'm assuming. Or they don't want the news to start spewing some trumped-up shit about how the DoD uses some program written by some kid on the Internet to destroy sensitive data.

    Daedalus on
  • Recoil42Recoil42 Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    You could also use Unix's dd command, which is well known for doing the job perfectly fine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dd_%28Unix%29

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  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Sledgehammer and a bonfire. From orbit. Only way to be sure.

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  • tachyontachyon Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Daedalus wrote: »
    Fats wrote: »
    Daedalus wrote: »
    Step 1: Boot. Step 2: Nuke.

    edit: this program is what the Department of Defense uses to wipe hard drives, in case you're wondering.

    They actually stopped using it a couple months ago. Destroy or degauss only, now. I wonder why. emot-tinfoil.gif

    Paranoia, I'm assuming. Or they don't want the news to start spewing some trumped-up shit about how the DoD uses some program written by some kid on the Internet to destroy sensitive data.

    Nope, we....um I mean the DoD uses FOSS software all the time.

    :whistle:

    tachyon on
  • RaslinRaslin Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    The_Scarab wrote: »
    Thermite Bath. Only way to be sure.

    Fixed

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  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Raslin wrote: »
    The_Scarab wrote: »
    Thermite Bath. Only way to be sure.

    Fixed

    No but seriously, why dick about with these software solutions if you dont plan on using the HDD afterwards. Smash it the fuck up and distribute the pieces liberally over a wide area.

    I've never understood people trying to do some complex disposal mechanic for unwanted hardware. I have a small beanbag made from a sack filled with the tiny dust sized fragments after I took an angle grinder to my Pc I had before last.

    The_Scarab on
  • victor_c26victor_c26 Chicago, ILRegistered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Silicon and metal dust beanbag?

    Isn't that bad for your, you know, meaty and fleshy lungs?

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  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    It's hermetically sealed.

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  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Recoil42 wrote: »
    You could also use Unix's dd command, which is well known for doing the job perfectly fine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dd_%28Unix%29

    If you overwrite it with just /dev/zero, data could still be theoretically recovered from it.

    Daedalus on
  • The DeliveratorThe Deliverator Slingin Pies The California BurbclavesRegistered User regular
    edited January 2008
    thats what /dev/random is for

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  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Captain Cactus And The Water Preservation Squad wrote: »
    thats what /dev/random is for

    You'll run out of random data damn quickly that way; use /dev/urandom instead. Not perfect, but it'll do.

    Daedalus on
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