best software to erase a HDD?

[no_pulse]

Can someone recommend a good program that will erase a SATA HDD through USB? Oh and it has to be compatible with Windows 7 x64 I have to RMA a WD HDD and I'd like to wipe everything off properly.

[LarkStarr]

right click -> format, don't click quick format

or you might have to go into diskmgmt if you can't read the hdd, considering you have to RMA it. you should be able to format there if the filesystem if borked but the HDD is decently good.

If you have to RMA it, how are you expecting a windows program to access the drive?

[_dangtx_]

hdtune. this way you dont lose functionality of a rig(dos mode wiping)


edit : you must delete partitions first, then let it rip on the first option, just in case it decides to die on you in the next hour or so.
if all good, then hit it with mr gutman,then dod,then gutman again

after all that? theyll need some million dollar machines lol to get ya stuff off,if.

[Bryan G]

Eraser 6.0.8 will allow you to wipe the free space so no one can recover what you delete/format. Eraser :: Downloads

[dma0991]

I used DBAN last time. Worked like a charm but takes a while depending on number of passes and only works by inserting disc after POST and a menu will pop out

Darik's Boot And Nuke | Hard Drive Disk Wipe and Data Clearing

[frontier204]

There's another thread about this here: Reminder: Properly Wipe Storage Devices Before Selling

DBAN (posted by dma0991 above) is good if there's already bad sectors on the drive as it will give you the option to ignore them and continue wiping. I use copywipew from here, because it allows me to wipe HDDs including the boot sector while still using my computer (the windows version just runs in a little box that you can minimize, rather than booting into something else): Hard Drive Copy and Secure Wipe Software - CopyWipe

If you have a broken HDD, then DBAN and copywipew would probably work best, since they don't stop if they find bad sectors.

[JD]

I believe WD will wipe the drive anyhow themselves too. And I kind of doubt they'd care what you have on the drive, if they even look. I think they have much better things to do then look at all the contents of your drive. Unlike the Geeksquad people who have nothing better to do

But yeah, doing a "full" format using Windows should be good enough. It'll make it a timely process to recover anything. Otherwise use some of the other tools suggested which 0 out the drive then write random data then 0 it out again.

[mkultra]

a magnet and a hammer

[martin_metal_88]

Originally Posted by mkultra

a magnet and a hammer

Damn I came in that thread only to say the exact same thing! Since I have been nonja'ed by a couple hour, let's add something usefull.

I used this one for years ( previous version ) and it's a charm, also work very well.
Hard disk drive wipe software providing complete disk cleanup, erasing the whole partition or HDD files