Storage forum: How do I permanently remove data from my external hard drive

However, you do need to use a different OS and hope that the recipient doesn't know more than you.
Erasing by overlapping with 1's and 0's doesn't do anything.

Attach the drive in question to your computer.
Download and burn a knoppix 5.0 english iso.
Burn image to disk. Make an iso.
place in drive.
let the system boot up. If it doesn't, go to bios boot menu and set cdrom device as the first.
Let the gui come up.
Close off the intro window.
Click on the k, go to control panel.
In control panel, click peripherals -> keyboard and set the rate 12/sec. apply and close off.
Open a terminal by clicking the small screen on the task bar.
"knoppix@knoppix" should comes up.
Type sudo su
Type fdisk -l
Look for the drive such as sdb or hdb. if you cannot determine such, disconnect and reconnect the drive.
Use fdisk as such: fdisk /dev/path/to/external drive.
p\type p
you will see a partition table
type d then the number of the partition. One by one do this. If it is a logical within an extended, delete the logical then the extended.
Type c
then fill in the default values. choose P as a primary.
type t then type ?
choose the value for fat32.
Type w then p
type q.
Disconnect the drive.
quit the terminal by typing exit, hit enter, type exit, hit enter.
Use the k menu to restart the computer.
take the disc out.
Boot into winblows and reattach the drive. It should be empty.


If the person knows how to use testdisk, then you won't have any privacy.

Just google for HD erase/wiping clean type of search, much of it is free. These same pgms. work on ext. media, unless stated differently. You can still reformat as a basic cleaning operation and unless the new user is keen on recovery, will do fine. If you have no secrets then the typical cleaning s/w will do. As for writing 0-1's to the cleaned drive, well again unless you have a nosy character, no one going to the trouble of reclaiming old data. Reloading an OS or other s/w can make recovery difficult as this is a different yet somewhat random pattern of 1-0's. Then again, look at who you give or sell to as a guide. I've used KILLDISK and DBAN on much of cleaning/wiping media and its done well by me. If you're that worried about it, don't sell/give it away, destroy it.

tada -----Willy

Like Many Things In Life: It depends on who you are afraid will target the disk for reading and the nature of the data stored. If it is just porn or old financial records you seek to prevent recovery by your average teen hacker, follow the directions above.

If you have been up to no good and the revelation of the contents of the disk would place your life in jeopardy or your corpus in jail, then that's an entirely different situation and it calls for considerably different measures. Reconsider passing the disk on to someone else. Destroy the disk physically and promise yourself you'll never so such a stupid thing ever again.

If it's patient records and you fear HIPPA reprisals, for instance, the answer is to physically destroy the drive platters by breaking it up with a sledge hammer and then placing the drive into an auto prior to crushing. DO NOT rely on your paper shredding service to destroy the drive for you -- do it yourself.

If you have committed a crime which the disk contents are proof of, then additional measures to assure the cache memory is destroyed should be undertaken. While applying an electric current will certainly damage the electronics in the drive it won't alter the info on the drive platters. Melting with a plasma torch after first wiping the disk with the electro-magnet on the crane at the wrecking yard and busting the drive platters into chunks with a sledge comes to mind if you wish to prevent the NSA from recovering the data. But keep in mind, there is no foolproof way to keep those cyber-spooks at bay without going to extraordinary lengths which generate their own security triggers when initiated. Best not to keep such data anywhere but in your head (and then only if you cut out your tongue and chop off your hands if you are really serious about preventing recovery -- just kidding (sort of)).