Fastest way to wipe a hard drive?

S

seskanda

New Member
I need a FAST (under 3 hrs) way to completely eradicate data off a defective 160 gig HD. I heard of DBAN, but it's painfully slow. Is there an app that is quicker than DBAN? Or, how can i physically damage it, and be sure the data is UNrecoverable?

Thanks in advance.
 
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seskanda said:
I need a FAST (under 3 hrs) way to completely eradicate data off a 160 gig HD. I heard of DBAN, but it's painfully slow. If i physically bash it, can i be sure the data is UNrecoverable? Or is there an app that is quicker than DBAN?

Thanks in advance.
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If you don't need the drive any more and just need the data gone, take off the casing (if you don't have the tool, prise it off or cut it off) and smash the platter up.

You could also just rip the PCB off the back, as they are unique to the drive, and I don't mean the brand, I mean to the individual drive, however then the data is still obtainable. You could also drop it off a high place, a couple stories up for instance :)
 
Sadly the news sat there and found information all over drives that have been "100% wiped" so best method is to destroy it. Unless your hiding your porn history from your mommy which a format will cure for most parents.

My old secure data drive I took a shotgun to and was quick work with it (obviously do it in the country with no one around)....another security drive that was failing I put in my burn pile and after 5 hours of smoldering it melted down to nothing.
 
DBAN makes it pretty much unrecoverable but there are lots of 'secure shredding' programs out there which don't do as throrough of a job.
 
Aastii said:
If you don't need the drive any more and just need the data gone, take off the casing (if you don't have the tool, prise it off or cut it off) and smash the platter up.

You could also just rip the PCB off the back, as they are unique to the drive, and I don't mean the brand, I mean to the individual drive, however then the data is still obtainable. You could also drop it off a high place, a couple stories up for instance :)
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What's prise, mean?? How can you get data from a drive that has NO PCB? I do NOT want to mutilate the drive, i only want to damage INSIDE of it (platters, is it called?)

Finally, DBAN finished, so now i need to find a way to open the drive, it has screws on it, but NO screwdriver i have fits it. How can i pry the cover off? Again, i want to avoid disfiguring it, if possible.....
 
seskanda said:
What's prise, mean?? How can you get data from a drive that has NO PCB? I do NOT want to mutilate the drive, i only want to damage INSIDE of it (platters, is it called?)

Finally, DBAN finished, so now i need to find a way to open the drive, it has screws on it, but NO screwdriver i have fits it. How can i pry the cover off? Again, i want to avoid disfiguring it, if possible.....
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prise as in pry, like to open a locked door with a crowbar.

If you can't take the cover off, go to the top floor of your house and throw it down to the ground with force a couple of times. The platters inside are fragile and any large force on them will shatter them. Do it a couple of times and try running it. It will probably sound like glass in a blender if it has shattered and will most certainly not be recognisable to the computer
 
Hammer.

Aastii said:
prise as in pry, like to open a locked door with a crowbar.

If you can't take the cover off, go to the top floor of your house and throw it down to the ground with force a couple of times. The platters inside are fragile and any large force on them will shatter them. Do it a couple of times and try running it. It will probably sound like glass in a blender if it has shattered and will most certainly not be recognisable to the computer
Click to expand...

Have you guys ever heard about hammer. or stone in the yard? just got something hard and heavy smass the hard drive then put it in the bin.
Best lucks.:P;)
Paul
 
think it was a bit extreme. anything other than a quick format would of worked good enough. Other proggys do a military wipe and say good enough. Still think it would of been good enough for backup purposes though. if ya live in the states radio shack has special screwdrivers and bits for accessing. Hex and stars. so does a good hardware store. If i was intent on opening the cover. drill the head off with a oversize bit.

Unless you had some critical business or very private info i say the format works fine. not quick format and call it a day.
 
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