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Computer help: LEAVING NO TRACKS ON COMPUTER
LEAVING NO TRACKS ON COMPUTER
by MYVISTA - 2/21/06 10:15 AMI WISH TO DONATE A COMPUTER, BUT DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE ANY OF MY INFO ON THE PC. WHAT IS A GOOD PROGRAM TO CLEAN MY INFO AND TRACKS? THANKS
FOTOMAN
Killdisk...
by Edward ODaniel - 2/21/06 11:12 AM In reply to: LEAVING NO TRACKS ON COMPUTER by MYVISTAthen re-install the OS and any apps you plan on including with the computer (you will need to provide license and media besides installing).
Killdisk or DBAN
by Willy - 2/21/06 8:18 PM In reply to: LEAVING NO TRACKS ON COMPUTER by MYVISTABoth Killdisk or DBAN(dan's boot and nuke) do the job or ridding data from the HD. Make sure to get the version you will use either .ISO for CD usage or the floppy one. If you use the .ISO type you will need a CD burner and s/w to produce it.
good luck -----Willy
Wiping your PC's data
by popeyedasailorman - 2/24/06 2:46 PM In reply to: Killdisk or DBAN by WillyI am aware that if your PC features a hard disk made by Seagate or Maxtor (2 of the most popular brands so there's a reasonable chance that it has) you can download the software from their manufacturer's website you then install the software onto a floppy disk or CD, reboot and choose the 'hard disk utilities' option, then select the 'Zero Fill' option, this completely and irreversably wipes ALL data from your disk including all boot sector info as it writes '0's to all parts of the drive, it takes ages as it accesses every single part of the drive and cannot be undone after. I've used a government deveoped recovery utility and to this day have not been able to recover anything using this method. Even if your hard disk is not made by these two companies you can still use the software and the format utility but support is not available from the software manufacturer
Leaving no trace in your computer or hard disk!
by cm2gj - 2/24/06 2:39 AM In reply to: LEAVING NO TRACKS ON COMPUTER by MYVISTAThis is not the first time i see this request, and is coming more frequently during the last years with the increasing security concern.
The fact is: the only way to FULLY 100% get ride of the data from hard disk is removing the platters and disolving them in special chemicals!!
Even a format or reformat can leave the data in the hard drive in a recoverable mode. A regular delete in Windows or other OS don´t delete anything! this kind of deletion mode allow a fast recovery using simple tools like Undelete from Norton Utilities or for example the FREE tool RESTORATION.
If the disk is damaged by hardware or formated, you will need a special tool or even request help from professionals like ONTRACK.
Even damaged hard disk in natural disasters have big chances to get data recovered from them, and they can do the job some times remotely!
But if you need to return a laptop, pc or hard disk, if you want to donate your computer and you want to deliver a clean pc with UNRECOVERED information, i hava a very good solution!
You need to use any of the following methods!:
WIPE the data, NO delete... is WIPE the secret!
You have several methods, and the option you select deppends on how sensible and critical is the data in the pc (is not the same if this was a attorney pc or a home pc just with game files!).
Any way, you can use a WIPE utility and select any of this methods:
WIPE with ZEROES
WIPE with PSEUDO random Algorithms
WIPE with Standard of DOD 5220.22
WIPW with Standard of DOD 5200.28
Standard 5220.22 wipe the data 3 times!
Standard 5200.28 wipe the data 7 times!
And you can even use more HARDER and PRO methods like the Peter Gutman option! This delete the data with special algorithms with 35passes!
This put the data in a so hard state is mostly impossible to recover!!! (i believe even Agencies, Goverment country´s, Special firms, etc) will require too much money, technology, high-tec expererienced people and too much time to TRY recovering data from hard disk deleted with this options.
Hope this helps! SORRY my english!!!
Here some links!:
RESTORATION (File undelete utility):
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html
ONTRACK DATA RECOVERY (This guys recover your data, is not cheap!!):
http://www.ontrack.com/
PETER GUTMAN SECURITY WIPE SPECIALIST! (This guy have several articles about how to recover data from deleted drives, and even from semiconductors!. He develop the wipe algorithm with 35 passes):
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/
WIPE AND CLEAN (With this software you can wipe with any of the standards i describe above and not only this, you can clean from your actual pc all internet temps, traces, cache, cookies, recent docs, etc) Very good tool!
http://www.gold-software.com/download8564.html
You can also use this program
by mjt7 - 2/24/06 6:36 AM In reply to: Leaving no trace in your computer or hard disk! by cm2gjCheck out http://www.tolvanen.com/eraser/ and download the program Eraser, which is a free program and will erase data using the Peter Gutman standard.
So, if you're really concerned about private data being recovered, why not keep the drive and purchase a cheap hard drive to install and use the old one as a spare drive in the computer you have now. Just a thought.
shred v reformat
by Vee 1 - 8/31/06 11:15 AM In reply to: You can also use this program by mjt7I put together a clone computer with a RAID set of 2 WD HDs combined 500 gigs. I forgot to partition. I installed windows xp pro. Unable to reinstal, unable to reformat. (long story with microsoft support)
can I use Erase to delete EVERYTHING on the HD then reinstall the windows xp Pro OS??? I want to be able to partition the drives into more usable spaces.
HELP!
Vee
delete and fill?
by andyjames - 2/24/06 6:45 AM In reply to: Leaving no trace in your computer or hard disk! by cm2gjIs it any use to delete the unwanted files and then write enough new material to the disc to fill it up completely, thus over-writing the old files?????
andy
New material?...
by cm2gj - 2/24/06 11:09 AM In reply to: delete and fill? by andyjamesAccording to security documments and following recovery experts recommendation and workarounds:
If you delete files in Win OS the files are still there. You can recover using any basic tool if the data is not overwrited with new data.
If disk is damaged, you can recover with more special tools or with the help of special companies like www.ontrack.com
In terms of Security and high sensitivity documments, you can delete the data, overwrite with new data and the old data is still there!
You can even recover data from damaged disks!.
But, this is only required if you have sensitive data. I belive you can wipe with ZEROES and this become difficult to recover.
Peter Gutman webpage and articles explain how to use an special microscope and other magnetics artefacts to recover data even when the data has been erased or ovewrited several times.
Anyway, this is difficult!! you can read this... interesting:
http://www.geocities.com/thestarman3/asm/mbr/WIPE.html
Wiping the hard drive
by cm2gj - 2/24/06 2:49 AM In reply to: LEAVING NO TRACKS ON COMPUTER by MYVISTAThis is not the first time i see this request, and is coming more frequently during the last years with the increasing security concern.
The fact is: the only way to FULLY 100% get ride of the data from hard disk is removing the platters and disolving them in special chemicals!!
Even a format or reformat can leave the data in the hard drive in a recoverable mode. A regular delete in Windows or other OS don´t delete anything! this kind of deletion mode allow a fast recovery using simple tools like Undelete from Norton Utilities or for example the FREE tool RESTORATION.
If the disk is damaged by hardware or formated, you will need a special tool or even request help from professionals like ONTRACK.
Even damaged hard disk in natural disasters have big chances to get data recovered from them, and they can do the job some times remotely!
But if you need to return a laptop, pc or hard disk, if you want to donate your computer and you want to deliver a clean pc with UNRECOVERED information, i hava a very good solution!
You need to use any of the following methods!:
WIPE the data, NO delete... is WIPE the secret!
You have several methods, and the option you select deppends on how sensible and critical is the data in the pc (is not the same if this was a attorney pc or a home pc just with game files!).
Any way, you can use a WIPE utility and select any of this methods:
WIPE with ZEROES
WIPE with PSEUDO random Algorithms
WIPE with Standard of DOD 5220.22
WIPW with Standard of DOD 5200.28
Standard 5220.22 wipe the data 3 times!
Standard 5200.28 wipe the data 7 times!
And you can even use more HARDER and PRO methods like the Peter Gutman option! This delete the data with special algorithms with 35passes!
This put the data in a so hard state is mostly impossible to recover!!! (i believe even Agencies, Goverment country´s, Special firms, etc) will require too much money, technology, high-tec expererienced people and too much time to TRY recovering data from hard disk deleted with this options.
Hope this helps! SORRY my english!!!
Here some links!:
RESTORATION (File undelete utility):
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html
ONTRACK DATA RECOVERY (This guys recover your data, is not cheap!!):
http://www.ontrack.com/
PETER GUTMAN SECURITY WIPE SPECIALIST! (This guy have several articles about how to recover data from deleted drives, and even from semiconductors!. He develop the wipe algorithm with 35 passes):
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/
WIPE AND CLEAN (With this software you can wipe with any of the standards i describe above and not only this, you can clean from your actual pc all internet temps, traces, cache, cookies, recent docs, etc) Very good tool!
http://www.gold-software.com/download8564.html
Wiping the hard drive
by RClayton - 2/24/06 3:56 AM In reply to: Wiping the hard drive by cm2gjHi,
Ok lets say you want to use one of these programs for personal use but do not want to totally wipe the HD.
If an amature uses this how do you know what to clean and what not to clean?
Rick
what to clean
by cm2gj - 2/24/06 4:44 AM In reply to: Wiping the hard drive by RClaytonFor example you can do the following:
- Uninstall all software except Operating system and Basic software like winzip, adobe reader, etc
- Install Wipe & Clean
- Open Wipe a& clean and select the options to delete temporal files from windows, internet explorer, mozilla, cache, cookies, traces, etc (check everything) and clean the FREE space on the hard drive.
This only leave the data of the OS in the hard drive and no info!
you can use DOD 3 passes for high security, DOD 7 passes for super security and Peter Algorithm for hyper extreme security!
regards!
Dont Forget the registry
by eSchmeltzer - 2/24/06 7:05 AM In reply to: Wiping the hard drive by RClaytonYou can wipe away and all the data will be gone, but do not forget to cleanse the Registry!! That holds information and history that might be detrimental, including names and urls.
Get into the registry, use the find utility and type in names and http: or www. and rename what you find to something generic.
Registry
by cm2gj - 2/24/06 10:38 AM In reply to: Dont Forget the registry by eSchmeltzerRegisty basic information like url, shortcuts, etc are cleaned with WIPE&CLEAN. Anyway, i agree the best method will be cleaning the full disk with any secure method and install a clean OS.
If the disk have extreme confiddential data then the disk must be replaced and destroyed with chemicals.
Rethink this
by Willy - 2/24/06 7:36 AM In reply to: Wiping the hard drive by RClaytonYou're defeating the purpose of a "wipe-out" pgm. in this regard. Its far better to wipe out all data, then prepare the HD for re-use by reformmating, etc. in order to reload the OS. Get rid of *all data* and then place the OS over possible data tracks of before is a plus approach. Believe me the wipe out pgms. do a through job. You can always rerun the wipeout pgm. or do X-passes. Otherwise, just deleteing and even 0/1 passes may leave some for a pro to recover, it just makes the job harder. If you're that worried about data, then remove HD and torch cut it.
tada -----Willy 
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