Data Destruction Software

[DOUGIE]

Hi Guys.
When necessary to destroy Data on a HDD, I have always used Active@KillDisk.
What software do you Guys use for this purpose?

[phillpower2]

Hi Dougie,

Don`t deal with anything top secret etc so DBAN when the drive will be going back into use and a hammer when the drive is going in the trash

Hard drive forensic experts will most likely always be able to recover some form of data off a storage device that has been wiped using a program that is readily available to the general public so the only sure way is physical destruction of the device concerned as far as I know.

[DOUGIE]

Thanks @phillpower2 for your input.
On two occasions when fixing close friends computers, and they are doing poorly, I have given them one of my spare spinner HDD’s.
I still destroy the old data first, regardless.
I haven’t used DBAN.

[phillpower2]

You are welcome Dougie

DBAN really does wipe a drive and so much so that it will often cause a failing HDD to fall over, incidentally, one of the things that I have often seen DBAN used for is trying to clean up reallocated sectors etc on a HDD and this is when a HDD is most likely to fail, this can save people some grief in the long run because as you most likely know some folk don`t heed the warning signs of a failing HDD and store irreplaceable data to them and with no back up in place either

[DOUGIE]

Problem is, they think it will never happen to them, and then it does.
Surely, one’s irreplaceable data is worth the cost of a cheap spinner HDD.
The drives are so cheap now.
I have seen some backup up their data to the same drive.
That really is clever.

[phillpower2]

I have seen some backup up their data to the same drive.
That really is clever.

That is plain crazy and thankfully something that I have never had to try and explain as to why it`s a really bad idea.

[DOUGIE]

Some of my friends are so cheap, when spending money on their computers.
They think nothing of spending $150-200 on a meal out,yet baulk at spending an extra few bucks on a second drive.
I think they have their priorities all wrong, personally.
I repair their computers at a modest cost, anyway.

[phillpower2]

You ever thought of the idea of I fix your computer you buy me dinner :LOL:

[Bill1]

Have either of you seen a comparison between DBAN and Killdisk.