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How To Wipe Your Hard Drive
Future Intelligence ^ | August 10th, 2006 | Peter Warren

Posted on 09/03/2006 8:58:26 PM PDT by canuck_conservative

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To: AZLiberty

"Wiping a 250 GB hard drive takes a long time -- multiple hours."

12 seconds last time I wiped a hard drive.


81 posted on 09/04/2006 6:20:43 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Mediacrat - A leftwing editorialist who pretends to be an objective journalist.)
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To: Christian4Bush

same here , bookmk ping-a-ling [tech]


82 posted on 09/04/2006 6:29:25 AM PDT by Dad yer funny (BinScentie Pox , BinLadin , 2 tall enemies)
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To: Concho

btt


83 posted on 09/04/2006 6:36:09 AM PDT by OldCorps
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To: canuck_conservative
The last time I junked an important computer I took out the hard drive and smasked the platters with a ball peen hammer.

Absolute data destruction.

84 posted on 09/04/2006 6:40:54 AM PDT by Jim Noble (Something is happening here but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?)
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To: Dr.Zoidberg
Out in the shop, I have an acetylene torch that should just about take care of any data I need destroyed.

I use an arc welder. Turn the amps all the way up, ground the case, and feed a stick of 6011 through it, side-to-side. Doesn't take long, makes a real mess inside the drive.

85 posted on 09/04/2006 6:42:33 AM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: AZLiberty
Wiping a 250 GB hard drive takes a long time -- multiple hours

It takes two minutes.


86 posted on 09/04/2006 6:42:57 AM PDT by Jim Noble (Something is happening here but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?)
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To: canuck_conservative
I prefer the Springfield .40 S&W method of cleaning/disposing harddrives.

Although I may upgrade to the .50BMG method one day... ;-)

87 posted on 09/04/2006 6:46:38 AM PDT by Jonah Hex ("How'd you get that scar, mister?" "Nicked myself shaving.")
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To: perfect stranger

That's also a handy anti home intrusion device. One wack can chop off crook's arm or head.


88 posted on 09/04/2006 6:49:58 AM PDT by pleikumud
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To: canuck_conservative
I use a free program called 'Eraser' occasionally.

Overwrites up to 35 times.

Available at CNET, ZDNET, etc.

When installed it is added to the right-click drop down menu.
Instead of choosing 'delete' simply choose 'erase'.
89 posted on 09/04/2006 6:54:37 AM PDT by Vinnie
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To: EQAndyBuzz
Even if you could transmit bits continuously at 800 megabits per second (maximum speed of Firewire 800, for an external drive), it would take 8 seconds to transmit 800 megabytes (8 bits per byte) or 10 seconds to transmit a gigabyte to the hard drive. Hence, the absolute minimum time to write 250 GB to an external drive is 2500 seconds, or 3/4 of an hour. My experience is that it takes about 10 times this long in reality.

I'm sure it's faster with an internal drive, but messing with internal drives isn't for everyone. Even with an internal drive, 12 seconds only wipes the file directory, not the data on the disk.

90 posted on 09/04/2006 8:19:57 AM PDT by AZLiberty (Creating the <a href="http://clinton.senate.gov">straddle</a> Google bomb one post at a time.)
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To: Vinnie

My son (computer skilled) recovered all of a friend's data which had been removed using Eraser, except for a few files which were partially unreadable. Eraser is worthless.


91 posted on 09/04/2006 8:27:43 AM PDT by anton
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To: AZLiberty

Ahh... No. It takes 12 seconds. Each hammer blow takes about 2 seconds. Usually it takes 6 shots to make the drive useless.


92 posted on 09/04/2006 10:12:04 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Mediacrat - A leftwing editorialist who pretends to be an objective journalist.)
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To: anton
Eraser is worthless.

Bummer

93 posted on 09/04/2006 11:40:13 AM PDT by Vinnie
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To: canuck_conservative

bump for later


94 posted on 09/04/2006 5:48:07 PM PDT by bobbyd (Flyer, I love and miss you...Lords best my FRiend)
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