Hard Drives Exposed
We bought or salvaged ten used drives and found sensitive business and personal data on all but one.
Tom Spring
Data Killing 101: Tools and Tips
The only sure way to destroy data on your hard disk is to overwrite it. Here are some programs and tips that will help you do the job right.
- Access Data's $40
WipeDrive
creates a floppy boot disk that you use to overwrite your hard drive--operating
system included.
- LSoft Technologies'
Active@
KillDisk, a free DOS utility, also overwrites data but lacks
extras such as a tool to verify that a disk has been wiped clean.
- To
purge individual files, Symantec's $70
Norton
SystemWorks 2003 includes a utility called WipeInfo.
- Two free options you can try are
Sure
Delete and
Eraser.
- Low-level
formatting does destroy data on a drive. The procedure, designed to return a
hard disk to its factory-issue condition, is typically performed in a DOS
environment, and Microsoft does not make or provide tools for low-level
formats. However, most hard disk manufacturers provide low-level formatting
tools at their Web sites. To identify your hard disk vendor from within
Windows, go to the Device Manager window and double-click
Disk drives.
Note that performing a high-level format on a drive using the utility included with Windows obliterates practically none of the previous data.
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