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Recommend Secure Delete programs ?


Tigerllc74

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He wants to nuke the hard drive as in removing everything? There's DBAN for that.

 

If he only wants to overwrite the free space leaving Windows, programs, and files intact then there's Eraser Portable, CCleaner Portable

 

Others that are good at free space wiping are File Shredder and Alternate File Shredder although they're not portable.

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He wants to nuke the hard drive as in removing everything? There's DBAN for that.

 

If he only wants to overwrite the free space leaving Windows, programs, and files intact then there's Eraser Portable, CCleaner Portable

 

Others that are good at free space wiping are File Shredder and Alternate File Shredder although they're not portable.

Thanks,

I assume after using DBAN, there should not be any problem restoring backed image using Macrium Reflect ??

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Thanks,

I assume after using DBAN, there should not be any problem restoring backed image using Macrium Reflect ??

Essentially yes, since the hard disk will have been wiped clean. I've never actually used DBAN myself and don't know exactly what it details other than looking for hard disks to wipe out so if he has a second hard disk and doesn't want it wiped out he should probably unplug it.

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Thanks,

I assume after using DBAN, there should not be any problem restoring backed image using Macrium Reflect ??

 

if you use dban on your drive. you wont be able to restore ne thing unless on another dive.

No fate but what we make

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iden:

What do you mean ?? Are you saying after DBAN, Macrium restore will not work ??

If so, any idea how I can restore to the same HDD ??

 

During restore, I got to Choose Partition to overwrite. So I chose two (using cntl key), but "no new partition can be restored to this location" error.

Some told me to delete the partition first. But how can I ?? I am using rescue CD, and HD is cleaned with secure delete.

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So the partitions are still there? According to the documentation DBAN erases the partition table. Maybe they're corrupted in some way - which would hardly be surprising.

 

Reflect will need a partition to restore back into.

 

If you don't have a vanilla Windows installation disk then something like GPartEdLive should be able to sort your partitions out from a bootable CD. You need to download the iso disk image to a hard drive and burn it to a CD. If you don't have a burner for iso images then ImageBurn is a straightforward free one. [Think of an iso image as a like a Reflect image but for an optical disk - it's a complete disk copy held in one iso file.]

 

Question though. Since I'm assuming the image has come from this machine (and hence disk) in the first place, are you sure that whatever you wanted to nuke isn't on this image. I.e. are you just going to restore this 'bad' content?

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Thanks, I will try GPart program.

 

The image I have is from before any of these issues. To be honest, I was doing some testing to see how secure delete really worked. Now I know.

The image is clean so if I can restore, I am back in business.

 

I was told to "delete the partition" in order to restore. But how?? I have the recovery disk, but typically, I just start it from DVD drive and it does the rest. How can I isolate partition deleting program from the recovery disk ??

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I was told to "delete the partition" in order to restore. But how?? I have the recovery disk, but typically, I just start it from DVD drive and it does the rest. How can I isolate partition deleting program from the recovery disk ??

As two steps:

 

GPartEd will let you sort out your partitions, so you boot up with that disk to do that.

 

Then you can boot up again with your Reflect recovery disk to finish off.

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I ran Gpart and deleted the partition. So now I have 74GB of unallocated empty space. Then I tried tor restore, but still got "No new partition can be restored to this location" message.

 

This is getting way too deep for me. but it should 't that hard to understand.

 

I deleted the partition and I have 74GB of unallocated space. What more can I do ??

What does Macrium restore looking for ??

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I deleted the partition and I have 74GB of unallocated space. What more can I do ??

What does Macrium restore looking for ??

Okay - now you need to use GPartEd to create a new partition for Reflect to use. I'm assuming the old one wasn't in a fit state because of what DBAN had done to it.

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Interestingly, I already tried that. I created 74GB of NTSF partition. But still the same "No new partition can be restored to this location" error.

GPart gave me many choices of formats..FAT32, NTSF, etc..

Which on should I have used ??

NTFS

 

I've just googled your error message ... have a look at these posts from the Macrium forums ... http://support.macrium.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=155 and http://support.macrium.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=717

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Funny..I found the exact same post. The key was holding down cntl key while selecting the partitions.

I tried this before using Gpart, and since I used Gpart. Even after creating single new partition, 74GB.

But the same error.

 

It must be something to do with the way secure delete kills the disk that Macrium doesnot like.

 

But secure delete is writing 000s so (I thought) there is NOTHING on the HD...no partition tables, no information of any sort.

So I am very surprised that restore is "looking" for something ???

If there is NOTHING on the HD, what's going on ??

Maybe I really don't understand what it means to secure delete ??? This has been a great lesson.

 

So I used the recovery disk to load all factory settings.. Formatted fine, loaded Vista, Compaq factory settings....

All I have to do is reload the programs...No big deal.

 

But a new question ???

If I image the HD now, will i have the same "No new partition can be restored to this location" error ??

Since Whatever was causing the error may still be on HD ????

I will test it and see !!!

 

I will never do another secure delete ever again.

 

Thanks

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If I understand you correctly, you've used the manufacturer's recovery disk to start agaain?

 

If that's the case, once you've got past the format you'll probably find the Reflect image now restores? That idea (to format) was mentioned in, I think, that first of those posts?

 

I'm not too familiar with the low-level goings on in disks, but it may be the MBR that needed to be recreated. It would be interesting to find out ... I suspect you were very close.

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Update...Very strange experience.

 

I used recovery disk and installed factory settings.. (took 5 hrs++)

Then I tried to restore the old image into newly recovered HD, Same error.

 

So I made a new image then tried restore. It worked. But I could not restore the old image.

 

I have no idea what's happening and neither does anyone else.

 

So much for new experience ...

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Update...Very strange experience.

 

I used recovery disk and installed factory settings.. (took 5 hrs++)

Then I tried to restore the old image into newly recovered HD, Same error.

 

So I made a new image then tried restore. It worked. But I could not restore the old image.

 

I have no idea what's happening and neither does anyone else.

 

So much for new experience ...

Yeah, well that's that way it goes sometimes.

 

Unfortunately, 'everyone else' is on the wrong end of an internet connection.

 

I still doubt the original image is useless - see what they make of it on the Reflect forum if you need to get it back.

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can i just ask why you so worried about secure deletion? iv personally never seen any one claim to be able to recover wiped data. But my friend who earns a hell of a lot then me argues its possible. The normal person does not have access to that type of equipment.

No fate but what we make

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I was trying the secure delete as an experiment. I have several computers as backups, so I can afford to do tests.

Like you I heard so much about secure delete, yet found very few people even tried it. Most talk of it, but when asked specifics, they all back off.

So plunged in.

 

Here are some of my observations.

First, secure delete is NOT compatible with Macrium restore. Something to do with the way secure delete programs kills the disk. It writes 000s, yet restore is looking for something on the disk. I don't know what, and Macrium support was no help at all. They acted like they never heard of secure delete procedure. In short, after I did recovery with factory settings, I created a new image, and now it works. The old image will NOT restore to secure delted HD even after format with factory settings. Like I said, tech support was poor, so I am moving on.

 

Second, I will never do another secure delete again. It does "weird" things to HD that nobody can address. Besides I really never heard of anyone picking up your old HD and stealing information. In theory yes, but in reality it's not worth the hassle. But it's a good fear tactic to get $$$ from you.

Just like wireless internet at local coffee shop can steal personal information. Again, in theory, yes..but in reality, it's very difficult to do (they would have to target you personally..like terrorist guys). even if they are successful, using it to hurt you is impossible. They got your bank ID, so what ?? How are they goingto take the $$ without your knowledge ?? No way?? They ruin your credit ?? If you are careful person, you would know immediately something strange has happened. Again, fear tactic.

 

Third, most people offering help are no help at all in specific things. They are helpful in first step, then it's all guessing game. I found few who i can trust, but most juts pass on "hear say' information. I got to be pretty good at who's good and who's not.

 

Fourth, backing up data and computer information (image) is most critical, yet I am amazed how many people don't do it. Even those who do, they have never really tried to restore. So I tried the whole circle, and I found there are lots of tricks that manuals don't discuss. It's like an emergency plans, you have to execute them once in awhile so when the real emergency happens, things are second nature. Each computers have there own tricks. I back up my data on two internet sites plus two HDs, and images on three HDs using three different image programs. It sounds like a lot, untilyou crash or laptop is stolen !!!! Some are auto scheduled and mostly done manually, so I stay current in operations. It's like firemen doing silly exercises on a nice sunny day. Boy do we nee them later !!!!

 

In the end, I am a better man as result of my experiment. Not to mention I have better handle of my computer hardwares and software now.

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It writes 000s, yet restore is looking for something on the disk.

After reading about your experience I'm thinking it has something to do with the MBR, but don't really know for sure until Macrium officially state something about it.

 

I'm actually surprised Macrium's Rescue CD won't help since it has the option to create a standard XP partition or something along those lines for restoring on my system rather than using what's in the rescue image.

 

Edit:

I actually think for the casual user using stuff like DBAN, etc., on their daily usage system is a complete waste of time. Sure it's extremely wise if you want to sell your computer on eBay or to someone and do a fresh OS install with nothing but the default Windows on it, but that would be the only time I'd have a logical use for it to even consider using it. I'd more likely keep the old computer for toying around with it or using it solely as a backup unit for a new computer.

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After reading about your experience I'm thinking it has something to do with the MBR, but don't really know for sure until Macrium officially state something about it.

 

I'm actually surprised Macrium's Rescue CD won't help since it has the option to create a standard XP partition or something along those lines for restoring on my system rather than using what's in the rescue image.

MBR has been my thought.

 

But I agree I thought Reflect would have dealt with it. What I didn't realise was that Reflect doesn't actually need a partition, it can create its own, so there seems even less reason for failure. But that does seen to point more towards the MBR. I thought Reflect would have handled that because it backs it up in the first place.

 

Unless it's physically damaged there's no reason why Reflect shouldn't be able to restore. Whether it can at the moment is obviously down to the software. The only obvious reason I can think of why it shouldn't in this case is restoring into a partition that's too small, but that didn't seem to be the case. But the error message seems more esoteric than that.

 

The only people who can definitively tell us are Macrium, if they were interested enough to take it up. I tried to find the OPs post on their forums for more detail on their response, but couldn't find anything.

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I tried Macrium email support. At first they were very prompt. But as the discussion got deeper, they stopped responding. Like most people, they only address what they are comfortable with, but disappear when face with persistent questions. Sad but that's life....

 

It was very clear that Macrium has not addressed secure deleted HD issue. But I still don't understand why completely blanked (000s) HD cannot be restored into ?????

 

As I said, as result of my experiment, secure delete (though it sounds nice) is rarely used and I will never bother with it ever. It creates more issues.

 

So, I am back to doing comfortable and familiar things that most people are already aware of, and try not to create new unfamiliar questions.

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A couple of specific questions, if I may, as I intend to perform a similar procedure soon. :huh:

 

@ Tigerllc74;

What operating system were you restoring?

Did the restoration image actually work before you secure deleted?

What software did you actually use to secure delete? If it says in this thread I didn't see it, so I assume DBAN?

Did you have success in formating the hard drive before trying to restore the image disks? Sounds like maybe not?

 

Thanks in advance for any answers. :D

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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