Thread: Disposing of hard drives
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Old 15-09-2006, 16:34   #16
Matth
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Re: Disposing of hard drives
Many "data destruction" programs take far longer than neccessary, using methods designed to target possible edges left in older MFM and RLL encodings. Modern PRML methods are already approching the density limit, so it takes far less to bury the data.

In terms of depth...

0.1. Deleted, recycle bin = not gone at all
0.2. Deleted, no recycle = easily recoverable unless chance overwritten
0.3. Formatted = recoverable by unformat
All the above are UNSAFE

1.0. Formatted, fill with insignificant junk (shareware libraries etc.) = Most data covered , some might escape in gaps.
1.1. Zero filled (once) = all data covered, at least beyond the reach of commercially available recovery software.

I wouldn't want MI5, FBI or CIA attacking a single overwritten drive, but I'd be confident in it resisting any software attack.

If you have no better solution, delete/format AND THEN JUNKFILL is a lot better than nothing
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