Wiping drive issue

[Relish4]

Hello, I tried begin a very complex wipe of a 1 tb drive and when I saw that it could take days I canceled it with intentions of doing just a complex wipe. However now when I try to start the complex wipe, it gave me an error that said something about the drive not having a file system, so I tried a second time and now it is saying There's an invalid parameter. Does anyone know what I can do?

[Augeas]

Yes, never try to run a complex overwrite ever again. It is an irrelevant sales/download inducement to suck in those who are unaware of what it does. Run one pass.

 

Right, what sort of overwrite were you attempting, a wipe free space or a full erase (of a non-system disk)? If a full erase then DW will first format the disk before attempting the free space wipe. As your operation was interrupted the disk may not have a valid file system installed.

 

If you were attempting a wipe free space only then post back and I'll have another guess.

[Andavari]

Perhaps have a read here, and explain exactly which one you used either Drive Wiper or Wipe Free Space:

http://www.piriform.com/docs/ccleaner/using-ccleaner/wiping-free-disk-space

[Relish4]

I didn't know it was a gimmick. I'm looking for a hard drive wiper / destroyer. Anyways I did a very complex (35x overwrite) using the FULL erase option as that's what I'm looking to do.

 

I loaded up CCcleaner this morning as soon as I woke up and tried starting a complex one (7x) and it started (started before I read the first post sorry), so now it's running. Looking like it's going to take almost a day which  I can deal with better than 4 days I suppose.

 

Not sure if you guys might have any better advice for me for what I'm trying to do?

[mta]

 I'm looking for a hard drive wiper / destroyer.

 

if this is all you are after, why do 7x or 35x passes, why not just do a low-level format of the drive.

admittedly, it would probably be, time wise, no faster than a 1x pass using CC for example, but it's software already installed, easy to use, and as good a 'drive wiper' as anything else.

[Andavari]

I'd personally do what mta has suggested and format that disk you want all data destroyed on. Then if you plan on selling off that hard disk or computer and only then would I do a Wipe Free Space which will do 1-pass.

 

There's also DBAN, but you should disconnect any hard disks you don't want it to nuke.

[mta]

Then if you plan on selling off that hard disk or computer and only then would I do a Wipe Free Space which will do 1-pass.

 

Please explain

After the low-level format what is left on the disk?

[Augeas]

After the low-level format what is left on the disk?

 

A file system, and everything else filled with zeroes - Vista and on.

 

A file system, and old data - XP

[mta]

A file system, and everything else filled with zeroes - Vista and on.

 

A file system, and old data - XP

What? unless I'm having a really blonde moment, after a low-level format (regardless of OS) the hard drive is blank, completely scrubbed of data. (except for the zero filling or 1's - can never remember which)

Of course, like @Relish4 may already know, you can't format the system drive while you are on the system, but if he is formatting some other drive, after that process there will be no OS or data, just a cluster size and file system type; NTFS or FAT.

[Augeas]

It's late, so this will have to do at the moment

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941961

[Relish4]

As far as I'm aware, data is still very easily recovered after a simple normal format using as little as a simple program found on the web. That is why I'm trying to do a very complex 35x overwrite. Please tell me if I'm wrong but this is what I've heard countless times.

 

I am looking to completely destroy any and all data from the HD. The Dban software looks promising and more like what I'm searching for although on the main page it states no guarantees of erasure so I'm not sure how trustworthy it can be

[Nergal]

main page it states no guarantees of erasure so I'm not sure how trustworthy it can be

 

 

 

It's a statement on the fact that (given unlimited time and money) all data can be recovered at least in part from any drive that is not PHYSICALLY DESTROYED (i.e. with a drill press). The statement is there to indemnify themselves from people who would use such a hypothetically possible recovery as an excuse to sue them because "it didn't work"

 

[Relish4]

Thanks. I guess I will physically destroy it then. I was planning on chucking it anyways.

 

Would you happen to know the best way to do so? There are conflicting methods on google. Some say drilling, some say sandpaper,  magnets, hammer, etc.

[Nergal]

I'm a pretty big fan of the drilling method, though it can get a bit dangerous with flying bits and pieces

[Andavari]

Would you happen to know the best way to do so? There are conflicting methods on google. Some say drilling, some say sandpaper,  magnets, hammer, etc.

 

I wouldn't even bother wasting a drill bit, I'd take it outside and chuck it in an old metal tin barrel and set it on fire.

[Augeas]

As far as I'm aware, data is still very easily recovered after a simple normal format using as little as a simple program found on the web. That is why I'm trying to do a very complex 35x overwrite. Please tell me if I'm wrong but this is what I've heard countless times.

 

That's why we advocated a full, or low level format - for Vista onwards. The simple program found on the web could well be Recuva. Over the last 15 years or so I have never found anyone saying that data overwritten with one pass can be recovered, or any recovery shop claiming this. Thirty-five pass overwrites apply to disks in museums, and even then it's only a wild theory which wasn't proven in practice.

 

The Dban software looks promising and more like what I'm searching for although on the main page it states no guarantees of erasure so I'm not sure how trustworthy it can be

 

Piriform doesn't warrant it's products' 'quality or fitness for purpose'. I don't think any software manufacturer does.

 

It's a statement on the fact that (given unlimited time and money) all data can be recovered at least in part from any drive that is not PHYSICALLY DESTROYED (i.e. with a drill press).

 

I would disagree with that, there's no inherent quality in a magnetic field that indicates what its state was five minutes ago.

 

I've just discarded an old 8gb disk - I removed the controller card and chucked that away separately (a disk is nothing without its controller), opened the disk and held it under the tap for a minute, then dumped it. I can't be faffing with drilling holes.

[mta]

I've always found leaving the drive in a bucket of salt water for a week is all you need.

But access to salt water for me is no drama.

Another spin on that principle is to put the drive in a bucket of water with a scoop of laundry powder thrown in.

The caustic acid in the detergent speeds up the rusting process nicely.

[kroozer]

If you have access to one, a brief destruction method is to remove the disk (or cover plate) and pass over it with an audio/video bulk tape eraser.

 

All data (including the necessary servo control data) will vanish, and to reinstall servo data you may have to return the disk to the manufacturer.

[Relish4]

That seems like an interesting idea. There are only 2 bulk tape erasers I can see on amazon though and they are both, as expected by the name, for tapes. So it doesn't look like a HDD disc would even fit into the slot.

 

Here's my idea that I'm not sure if is possible yet. Remove the disk and put it in my friends Blendtec blender (the one that can blend ipads and stuff). I am just wary if it will work or not I don't know how tough the disks are, don't want to break my buddy's $400 blender

[kroozer]

Family members acquired these ages ago . . .

 

The 44-210 is for erasing audio cassette tapes. It can also erase video tape cassettes somewhat, but not fully. Some of the signal may remain.

The 44-233 is very powerful. Does a marvelous job on audio and video cassettes, and obviously strong enough to fully erase a thin hard drive disk, especially if dismounted.

 

You drag the eraser across the cassette or disk in a circular motion several times both sides, then away slowly (4 secs) before turning off power.

 

I see both and variants are on eBay.

[Nergal]

Lol you could purchase this gem.http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2009/08/14/meet-bustadrive-a-home-made-hard-disk-destroyer/.Just so you, and future readers, get some facts on why we say the only non recoverable is a completely vaporized drive..

 

Andrew Speedie, a security controller for Secure IT Disposals Limited, concurred, and explained that there are two ways to generally recover data from hard disks – keyboard recovery and laboratory recovery.Keyboard recovery is only effective when the disk is “mechanically undamaged” and the disk can be plugged into a PC and software can recover the data – and the Bustadrive certainly doesn’t leave disks mechanically undamaged.Laboratory recovery, meanwhile, “requires specialist equipment” to read disk platters and sometimes has to be conducted by hand, which can take a huge amount of time “depending on the level of damage”. It’s fair to say that laboratory recovery will be beyond the scope and budgets of those looking to recover data from the average hard disk, with Speedie unable to give names of the specialist organisations who can perform such tasks.

[mta]

Here's my idea that I'm not sure if is possible yet. Remove the disk and put it in my friends Blendtec blender (the one that can blend ipads and stuff). I am just wary if it will work or not I don't know how tough the disks are, don't want to break my buddy's $400 blender

 

you have suggested a fantastic way to kill a blender - it would be spectacular - the noise, the metal shards, the sparks, it would almost be worth doing just for the sheer unadulterated pleasure.

 

although not a solid mass of metal, a hard drive is still a nice chunk of steel.  apart from the printed circuit board, it's all metal, with not much space inside.

 

the top plate unscrews with either a normal phillips head screwdriver (or sometimes a pozidrive).

[Relish4]

Well that's true but I meant just putting the disk in the blender, not the whole enclosure. I figured with some of the stuff I've seen that blender blend into dust on youtube, the disk might not be a problem.

[mta]

either way you dice it (ha-ha), it would be stunning.