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Author Topic: ZAP Hard Drive.? Yes, Completely  (Read 6806 times)

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Geek-9pm

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ZAP Hard Drive.? Yes, Completely
« on: April 12, 2010, 01:41:00 PM »
Can you ZAP Hard Drive.? Yes,  Completely.
This is a software tool that is very specific to the Hard Drive. So I put in here under hardware.

Completely Erase a Hard Drive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfICZMMr0JM

Now my question is, How does it work?
Can you really, really erase a platter so that nothing is there?

Allan

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Re: ZAP Hard Drive.? Yes, Completely
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2010, 02:00:47 PM »

Can you really, really erase a platter so that nothing is there?
Low level format

BC_Programmer


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Re: ZAP Hard Drive.? Yes, Completely
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2010, 02:12:54 PM »
Low level format

Nope.

You cannot low level format an IDE or SATA drive. SCSI, ESDI and MFM, yes.

Writing zeroes to the drive with something like DBAN removes anything that is there. forensic recovery consists of using something other then the drives read head to analyze the platters. In general this makes it possible to determine what was previously written to the disk.
Oh, would you look at that. DBAN is exactly what is being covered by the video.

I might also point out that the "example" scenario that was played out in theat video is both contrived and ridiculous. a format/reinstall was obviously not performed.

a Format/Reinstall is enough, IMO, to make recovery of data impossible for about 90% of the population.
I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

Allan

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Re: ZAP Hard Drive.? Yes, Completely
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2010, 02:58:40 PM »
Nope.

You cannot low level format an IDE or SATA drive. SCSI, ESDI and MFM, yes.

Sorry - I guess the current terminology for ide and ata drives is "reinitialize". Essentially it's the same thing, using a utility provided by the hd manufacturer to set it back to the same state as the day you purchased it. But you are correct as usual BC - it really isn't what we used to refer as low level formatting.

And I'm with you - a standard format should be more than enough for almost every typical user.