Utility to wipe hard drive?

SlowCoder · 03-02-2007, 03:34 PM

What utility can I use to zero the hard drive? I don't want to just format or repartition. I need to completely obliterate the data.

2damncommon · 03-02-2007, 03:35 PM

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

tuxrules · 03-02-2007, 03:43 PM

Another option to what 2damncommon suggested:

System Rescue CD

You can also use the dd command in Linux but that is kinda tricky to use so you have to be a bit careful.

Brian1 · 03-02-2007, 04:06 PM

Depending on the options you use with dd command it can take a few minutes to several hours depending on those options. Also even longer if drive is USB connected.

Brian

Electro · 03-02-2007, 05:03 PM

Assuming the drive that you want to shred is /dev/hda.

dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/hda conv=notrunc

Then repeat the commands several times.

AwesomeMachine · 03-02-2007, 05:16 PM

I second what Electro wrote, and further, boot with

http://www.efense.com/helix

write a shell script according to this post:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=362506

like the example about half way down the OP for seven passes of random characters over the entire disk.

Lenard · 03-03-2007, 10:09 AM

Personally I like using shred (from a Live CD or USB memory maybe??); man shred