# Wiping data from a hard drive - what to do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 19, 2005, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283 "2005-03-19T06:14:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283/21 "2005-03-19T07:37:17Z")
> [@Sample\_the\_Dog](#): > > [Secure Deletion of Data from Magnetic and Solid-State Memory](http://www.usenix.org/publications/library/proceedings/sec96/full_papers/gutmann/) I took too long to write, it appears. Gotcha. But probably not an issue for anyone outside the DoD. ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283/22 "2005-03-19T07:43:49Z")
> [@Sage Rat](#): > > I took too long to write, it appears. Gotcha. But probably not an issue for anyone outside the DoD. Speak for yourself, pal. I got some killer poems on this hard drive, and if anyone got their hands on them, they could get… well, if they played their cards right, who knows… at least a year’s subscription to the Chattahoochee Review. Free! There’s a chapbook competition coming up, y’know. ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283/23 "2005-03-19T07:50:49Z")
In all seriousness, though, I once did a project for a company (internationally known logistics provider) who required that any hard drives with anything related to the project stored on them be wiped to DoD standards after the project was delievered. Not that this project was sensitive, really, that was just their SOP, given the division we were working for. But I have no idea what **Pow** does for a living or what kind of data he has stored. Might be useful. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283/24 "2005-03-19T08:08:28Z")
> [@Sample\_the\_Dog](#): > > In all seriousness, though, I once did a project for a company (internationally known logistics provider) who required that any hard drives with anything related to the project stored on them be wiped to DoD standards after the project was delievered. Not that this project was sensitive, really, that was just their SOP, given the division we were working for. But I have no idea what **Pow** does for a living or what kind of data he has stored. Might be useful. Yup. Was my fault for making an assumption. Though the thing that occurs to me after thinking about it for a moment: So we have to randomize it seven times… This means there is some guy at the NSA who said, “Nope nope, six times and your ass is mine” And then the FBI can’t even set up a secure database. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283/25 "2005-03-19T08:12:54Z")
> [@Sage Rat](#): > > Though the thing that occurs to me after thinking about it for a moment: So we have to randomize it seven times… This means there is some guy at the NSA who said, “Nope nope, six times and your ass is mine” LMAO 😃 Also, if I were to buy a used, refurbished, or recycled computer/drive, you bet I’d wipe it. Could’ve been Humbert Humbert’s machine, for all I know. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283/26 "2005-03-19T11:32:52Z")
I buy used drives all the time. You’d be amazed at what you can find. Mind you I don’t use any special program to find what was on them, I just look w/ windows. The most humorous are the one with all of the porn in the recycle bin. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283/27 "2005-03-19T11:58:59Z")
What about degaussing? Didn’t the spyplane that was downed in Chian degauss their computers before they were taken? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283/28 "2005-03-19T12:29:39Z")
I work for a government department. We are constantly updating our computersand so are regularly getting rid of old ones. Of course once they are a year or two old they are virtually worthless. Due to government regulations our IT guys have to wipe all the files before selling them for a few bucks. We can’t give them away because we would have to provide exhaustive documentation to prove that no-one is rorting the system. It is such an expensive overhead (mostly in staff time) that they are thrilled when old PCs breakdown because they can just use the sledgehammer erase utility and chuck it in the bin. ---
**Author:** ![me\_jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@me\_jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/me_jane)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283/29 "2005-03-19T12:55:34Z")
okay so where do you get them? I need a serial for Corel Paint 9 Paint Shop Pro 8 and Animation Shop (but that’ll probably be included in the PSP crack) I have the programs on my computer, but now they’ve expired. ---
**Author:** ![me\_jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@me\_jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/me_jane)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283/30 "2005-03-19T12:58:34Z")
Ignore the above post. I meant to start a new thread. it’s here if you can help me: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5965562#post5965562](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5965562#post5965562) ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283/31 "2005-03-19T19:12:51Z")
Well, I’ll be damned. Checked the ol’ RSS feed and Engadget had an [entry on this](http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000473036054/) not too long ago. I like the idea of using a boot CD for this rather than install a program and try to use it on antother drive. Does anyone have experience with this particular program? Unfortunately, this is the only reference I could find. As for having sensitive data: not really, I just want to feel important enough to have to use this sort of software. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-data-from-a-hard-drive-what-to-do/295283.md?page=1)