next »

[txavi8or]

This is probably old news for you guys but I made a discovery last week that made my day. 

I have had a lot of computer problems of late and ended up switching to a MacBook Pro.  In the process I started backing up a bunch of old stuff.  In that stuff were two older backup drives that had "failed."  Just for fun and since I had a spare external housing, I put the old drive in a new housing and surprise of surprises THE DRIVE WAS ALIVE.  Flush with the knowledge that old information and treasures was once again found and usable, I put the second drive in a new housing with the same result, THE DRIVE WAS ALIVE. 

Two saves in one day was great.  So I guess a dead drive isn't always.

[isthisthingon]

Even when it's dead beyond dead you can always hook the drive platter to new components to retrieve the data.  That's the reason that you get added to an FBI watch list when you purchase various drive scrubbing tools, since after a few passes, the magnetic imprint can no longer be recognized but files that are "corrupt" or "deleted" live forever - unless of course new files or blank blocks are written over them a few times.

The cheap and below the radar solution to complete "paper-shredding" of your hard drive data is to write over ALL sectors at least three times.  Emptying your Apple Trash or MS Recycle Bin simply sets a bit at the top of each file to "deleted," allowing the space to be used when future storage is needed.  Until then, the files are as readable as an ESL book.

 

[txavi8or]

Or you can drill a hole in it.

[isthisthingon]

Or you can drill a hole in it.

Damn, seems there's a tooltime solution for everything   Perhaps a less radical option would be placing it on the back of a gigantic, 70's-style concert speaker   Those baddies turn CRTs into bad acid trips!

[daviator]

That's the reason that you get added to an FBI watch list when you purchase various drive scrubbing tools, since after a few passes, the magnetic imprint can no longer be recognized but files that are "corrupt" or "deleted" live forever - unless of course new files or blank blocks are written over them a few times.

The technical data you gave is correct.  But I don't believe for a second that buying a drive scrubbing tool gets you added to an FBI (or anyone else's) watch list, were you being serious?

Every Mac comes with a drive utility that can securely erase data by overwriting it multiple times, and I imagine PCs include a similar utility.  There's nothing devious or criminal about wanting to do so – and I am positive that the FBI has better things to do than to "watch" anyone who wants to wipe their drive of proprietary or private data.

Using such a utility is recommended before disposing of a computer, so the next owner or scavenger can't access your old files.

[isthisthingon]

The technical data you gave is correct.  But I don't believe for a second that buying a drive scrubbing tool gets you added to an FBI (or anyone else's) watch list, were you being serious?

I'm very critical of false claims and always do my best to verify anything I assert (unless I'm just goofing off).  Soon after the Patriot Act was signed into law I did in fact see this claim.  It was similar to what also happens when someone buys a hydroponic garden and grow lights (listed).

Anyway, I've been searching all over the net and I cannot find anything supporting my claim so please assume I'm full of crap until I find supporting evidence.  It's totally possible that about 6 years ago I read something that was a "potential" law that was never enacted.  But I did read an article that spoke of keeping a list of people who could truly clean their drives, in the name of national security. 

Egg in itto's face if I'm wrong and it was nothing more than a drunken Enquirer evening 

[isthisthingon]

and I am positive that the FBI has better things to do than to "watch" anyone who wants to wipe their drive of proprietary or private data.

I'm behind everything in your post except for your certainty of the FBI's intentions.  No conspiracy theories or any other suspicion, but between their undisclosed goals and profound stupidity, I'd be skeptical of any claim regarding their true intentions    That said, they most certainly have better things to do for god's sake

[nutballs]

For thorough nuking of disks, I recommend DBAN (darik's boot and nuke).
Does multi wipes, random data scrubs, full metal multipass noise scrubs.

My favorite setting is DOD Spec. Takes a billion fucking years to run.

edit:name was slightly wrong and added URL

[deregular]

I have one at home, writes empty blocks and rewrites them 7 times over I believe, or is that 12? Never can remember.
Anyway when I get back Ill take a look at what it is called.

Runs on scheduler. So you can set it to run any time regularly.

[perkiset]

Or you can drill a hole in it.

Best tip. Drill several, all good. Almost no matter what you do, residual info will be left on the platters.
That said, it's just not that difficult to open a drive a physically destroy the platters as well. It's harder when they are still encased.

[nutballs]

If you have a shitty microwave, just nuke em.

[ehlo]

Thermite would probably work well, just make sure you do it outside...