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Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: shmokes on July 20, 2006, 02:48:31 pm

Title: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: shmokes on July 20, 2006, 02:48:31 pm

I need to give away some computers and I want to wipe the drives first.  I could always use an XP disc, but then it would start copying files automatically.  I could use Fdisk, but for some reason I feel like I should format with NTFS.  Does anybody know of a good, free utility that I can just put on a bootable floppy and quickly format the drives -- especailly if it was wiping them to like pentagon standards or whatever?

Thanks

Title: Re: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: Harry Potter on July 20, 2006, 03:34:55 pm

I have a very small Low level format utility that would take care of the pentagon stuff.

Formatting into NTFS would then be best done through Windows.

Title: Re: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: shmokes on July 20, 2006, 03:37:48 pm

Sold!  I'd much rather low-level format anyway cos it'd be much faster.  Is it freeware?  If not can we discuss this in PMs   ;D

Title: Re: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: Harry Potter on July 20, 2006, 03:41:35 pm

Actually I lost it then I found it again  ;D
It works on all drives, not just Maxtors, provided they're recognised by the BIOS.

Here's a direct link:
Linky (http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxtor/menuitem.3c67e325e0a6b1f6294198b091346068/?channelpath=%2Fen_us%2FSupport%2FSoftware%20Downloads%2FAll%20Downloads&downloadID=22)

Title: Re: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: Harry Potter on July 20, 2006, 03:43:08 pm

WRONG LINK!

Give me a minute

Scratch that. Right link.

Title: Re: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: lokki on July 20, 2006, 05:28:40 pm

I used this tool a while ago.. Seems pretty good...

http://news.softpedia.com/news/DBAN-Darik-039-s-Boot-and-Nuke-24640.shtml

What makes DBAN so popular?

Title: Re: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: RayB on July 21, 2006, 03:17:07 pm

whatever happend to

format c:

?

Title: Re: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: lokki on July 21, 2006, 04:49:50 pm

Format is too risky, there are ton of tools outthere than can recover data from HD even after they have been formatted.
If you have sensitive/personal/private information. When a HD fails/gets replaced.

1) Physically destroy HD (Drill a few holes on the HD)
2) use software (as mentioned)

Even if the HD fails just because you cannot fix it, it does not meant that it cannot be fixed.
Probably paranoid, but I had to do this to 20 company computer before donating them to goodwill.

http://www.ontrack.com/

We've used Ontrack in the past to recover HD RAID partions after a repartion and format and they recovered 100%.
(Sys admin added additional HD to server , was asked if he wanted to add to existing raid he said yes , repartioned and reformatted. before realizing what he was doing)

Title: Re: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: HaRuMaN on July 22, 2006, 01:23:45 am

Quote

I need to give away some computers and I want to wipe the drives first.

He wants to make sure nobody knows he watches gay midget pr0n...  :police:

Title: Re: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: Harry Potter on July 22, 2006, 12:46:02 pm

I suspect he you don't want anyone finding out it was you that sent it to him  ;)

Title: Re: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: TadChower on July 23, 2006, 12:41:25 pm

Quote from: lokki on July 20, 2006, 05:28:40 pm

I used this tool a while ago.. Seems pretty good...

http://news.softpedia.com/news/DBAN-Darik-039-s-Boot-and-Nuke-24640.shtml

What makes DBAN so popular?

Title: Re: Need a utility for reformatting hard drives.
Post by: shmokes on July 23, 2006, 02:50:28 pm

Yeah . . . that's what I used.  I didn't read anything.  I just popped the disk in and booted up and one option was to type "autonuke", which sounded like a no-hassle hands-off method.  It actually takes quite a long time, but that's okay.  I'd just start wiping a drive and forget about it for a long time.  By the looks of it there is also a "quick erase" which I haven't looked at.

Anyway, thanks.  Works like a champ.