How do you secure wipe an external USB 2.0 drive?

[malG]

I'm using Vista and I've tried:
1. HD manufacturer's diagnostics bootup CD
2. DBAN wipe bootup CD

Still no luck as external USB 2.0 drive is not supported.

I'm using a Sony VAIO all-in-one PC so I can't install the external drive internally. My second PC is a notebook.

Any recommended freeware that can do the job? or what do you suggest?

 

[RebateMonger]

In Vista, delete all partitions and create one that includes the entire disk. Do a "full format" of that partition in Vista. It'll write zeroes across the entire drive.

 

[malG]

Do a "full format" of that partition in Vista. It'll write zeroes across the entire drive.

A full format in vista will write zeroes?

I never knew that, thanks.

What if I need a tad stronger wipe than writing zeroes?

 

[Modelworks]

What if I need a tad stronger wipe than writing zeroes?

Expecting the CIA to want your data ?

 

[malG]

Expecting the CIA to want your data ?

No, just selling it on eBay.

Surely writing zeros once is not good enough...

 

[RebateMonger]

Surely writing zeros once is not good enough...

Write the zeroes and then download the trials of a couple of data recovery programs and see how much data is recovered. You can do the recovery across USB.

http://blog.easeus.com/data-recover...will-erase-your-data-in-Windows-Vista-92.html

"However, now, we have to remind you that the data will be erased if the full format has been performed in Windows Vista. Due to the enhanced security features of Windows Vista, when a full format is run, it writes 0's to every sector of the disk. It means that the original data any more if the original data is completely rewritten by the 0's by Vista.

Once the original data was rewritten, the data loss couldn't be retrieved no longer via using any recovery tools including EASEUS Data Recovery Wizard - the most thorough recovery tool in the world."

If you can't hook up the disk internally to a PC, your options are limited.

 

[malG]

thank you.