Formatting Hard drives
Discussion
This is generally what I have done.
https://www.malwarebytes.com/cybersecurity/compute...
As it says it's more complicated with SSD.
You can use other software to overwrite the drive multiple times.
https://www.malwarebytes.com/cybersecurity/compute...
As it says it's more complicated with SSD.
You can use other software to overwrite the drive multiple times.
The most important question is why?
If you're selling, take out and sell without, drives are cheap.
If you're skipping, take out and drill if you're really worried.
If you're repurposing, don't worry, just format.
Drives are as cheap as chips if you're more worried than a windows format, destroy the drive.
Or as posted, download\buy something else, or pendirve linux and format it??
If you're selling, take out and sell without, drives are cheap.
If you're skipping, take out and drill if you're really worried.
If you're repurposing, don't worry, just format.
Drives are as cheap as chips if you're more worried than a windows format, destroy the drive.
Or as posted, download\buy something else, or pendirve linux and format it??
gotoPzero said:
My last topic was deleted.
Will windows disk format (properties, format, full format) remove all data from a hard drive so if someone else was to use the hard drive would it then be really blank or is the old data there?
To answer your question no, format will only clear the File Allocation Table, all the data is still there and can be recovered.Will windows disk format (properties, format, full format) remove all data from a hard drive so if someone else was to use the hard drive would it then be really blank or is the old data there?
Security researchers/the nosey often buy old drives/computers secondhand to see what data they can recover. Results are eye-widening on occasions.
Always worth ensuring any devices purchased come with (or add) DMR - Defective Media Retention. Means you can keep any drives that are replaced under warranty.
Always worth ensuring any devices purchased come with (or add) DMR - Defective Media Retention. Means you can keep any drives that are replaced under warranty.
otherman said:
gotoPzero said:
My last topic was deleted.
Will windows disk format (properties, format, full format) remove all data from a hard drive so if someone else was to use the hard drive would it then be really blank or is the old data there?
To answer your question no, format will only clear the File Allocation Table, all the data is still there and can be recovered.Will windows disk format (properties, format, full format) remove all data from a hard drive so if someone else was to use the hard drive would it then be really blank or is the old data there?
Boot from a Linux USB stick ( System Rescue is a good free option)
Then use dd to erase the disk.
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX to overwrite it with zeros (or use if=/dev/urandom if you prefer)
"/dev/sdX" is the drive designation in Linux - /dev/sda is the first, /dev/sdb the second and so on.
The command fdisk -l will list the installed disks (for safety, only connect the disk(s) you wish to erase).
To erase the first disk in the system: dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/sda bs=1M status=progress
This will overwrite the entire disk with zeroes (/dev/zero) or random data (/dev/urandom).
Be aware that a large disk will take a while (usually a couple of hours) to erase. Do not interrupt the process, ensure it's allowed to complete.
Then use dd to erase the disk.
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX to overwrite it with zeros (or use if=/dev/urandom if you prefer)
"/dev/sdX" is the drive designation in Linux - /dev/sda is the first, /dev/sdb the second and so on.
The command fdisk -l will list the installed disks (for safety, only connect the disk(s) you wish to erase).
To erase the first disk in the system: dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/sda bs=1M status=progress
This will overwrite the entire disk with zeroes (/dev/zero) or random data (/dev/urandom).
Be aware that a large disk will take a while (usually a couple of hours) to erase. Do not interrupt the process, ensure it's allowed to complete.
FiF said:
This is generally what I have done.
https://www.malwarebytes.com/cybersecurity/compute...
As it says it's more complicated with SSD.
You can use other software to overwrite the drive multiple times.
Multiple overwrites aren't really necessary on anything modern HDD wise, we're well past the stage where is was possible to get anything back off the surface from residuals like it may have been in the past. Run a randomised write over the thing and the data is gone. https://www.malwarebytes.com/cybersecurity/compute...
As it says it's more complicated with SSD.
You can use other software to overwrite the drive multiple times.
SSDs are only complicated because they don't waste life on overwrites/zeroing by default and spread the wear around, so you have to either really force it to fully erase or (if you cared enough to set it up) reset the encryption key.
Destruction is the option if you don't want to waste the time/expense on secure formatting and want something 100% guaranteed & certified not to have data slip out via a cockup.
Drive retention is usually a cheap option and worth the effort. Funny thing is how often people forget about the drives in their printers, copiers & other kit like that.
Ultimate paranoia is shredding anything with any possibility of storage, like the GPUs because they have updatable firmware. Seen that done before.
Can only echo above. The question of intended usage of the disc and what is stored on it is an important one.
Quick format : less than a minute, but data is easily retrievable by anyone with even rudimentary computer skills and the right app.
Full format: takes longer but will make it much more difficult (though not impossible by any means) to retrieve the disk data.
You could go with multiple full formats (using different file systems) which, like adding layers of paint over grafitti, make it exponentially harder to find what's underneath. Particularly if you start using the disc after the last format so that you're also overwriting the old data. However it never truly makes it impossible to retrieve the original data, just difficult.
If the disc has any confidential/sensitive data that you absolutely 100% do not want anyone else seeing and is going to be in someone else's care, I would just destroy it and use a replacement disc. We deal with some sensitive data in work and all our drives have to be shredded when a computer is retired - even ones from printers/copiers and other devices.
Quick format : less than a minute, but data is easily retrievable by anyone with even rudimentary computer skills and the right app.
Full format: takes longer but will make it much more difficult (though not impossible by any means) to retrieve the disk data.
You could go with multiple full formats (using different file systems) which, like adding layers of paint over grafitti, make it exponentially harder to find what's underneath. Particularly if you start using the disc after the last format so that you're also overwriting the old data. However it never truly makes it impossible to retrieve the original data, just difficult.
If the disc has any confidential/sensitive data that you absolutely 100% do not want anyone else seeing and is going to be in someone else's care, I would just destroy it and use a replacement disc. We deal with some sensitive data in work and all our drives have to be shredded when a computer is retired - even ones from printers/copiers and other devices.
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