[FS] Reminder: Properly Wipe Storage Devices Before Selling

[SKYMTL]

This is just a friendly reminder to everyone here on the BST forum to make sure to PROPERLY erase all of the data on ANY storage device before selling it. Trust me, you don't want those previously private videos of you and the wife showing up on the 'net let alone any personal / financial details.

Formatting a drive only does so much as anyone with an hour on their hands can restore much of the data from a formatted drive.

There are a couple of utilities I am going to recommend:

Heidi Eraser

and

Darik's Boot and Nuke


Both should offer you options for erasing your data before a sale. If you have other suggestions, please don't hesitate to post them up here.

However, if you are an exhibitionalist who doesn't mind your private vids / pics in someone else's hands, be my guest and sell away.

[gingerbee]

very good point

[_dangtx_]

the one on ubcd seems to do a better wipe..they say. i like boot and nuke too.

[lowfat]

Nothing beats HDDerase if your drives support it. It is the only tool that will erase sectors that no longer are accessible.

HDDerase - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

CMRR - Secure Erase

[gingerbee]

I thought any way to zero the drive will do the same thing no?

[_dangtx_]

nope. you can recover stuff. unless its properly erased. then the guy would have to use a very expensive machine to get ure pron pics back..not worth it :D

[lowfat]

No. Tools that zero the drive can't access bad sectors or blocks. AFAIK HDDerase is the only tool that can erase on a firmware level.

[gingerbee]

thank for the info guys what about ssd? are they the same

[lowfat]

Well with SSD's, HDDerase erases the cells on the drive. So not only is it a good 100x faster as it doesn't need to write anything. It should also be nearly impossible to grab data off the cells.

[Skyllz]

The real question is... who bought what from who and what was on there?