Low Level Format Hard Drives

[StarsFan4Life]

I have never really needed to do this, but I need to do a low level format on a HD with personal information on that I NEVER want recovered or recoverable at all. This drive will be then used in a machine I will be giving to a friend in a new machine.

What is the best way/software/utility to do this to a drive, but then render the drive usable again?

Mind you, these are SATA drives. I hear it is bad to do this to IDE drives, but is this the same for SATA?

 

[Blain]

DBAN or Kill Disk

 

[0roo0roo]

low level format function no longer exists.
when it did, it was a bios feature.
don't believe the myths about data persistence, a single overwrite obliterates data to the level that no data recovery service can recover at any price
dban single pass then reinstall windows.

 

[mindless1]

There's no such thing as low level format these days for anyone other than the HDD manufacturer. Blain cut to the chase with good advice, but I'll add that all you really need to do to reasonably prevent data recovery is put the drive in any system and fill it with unimportant data, like copying a bunch of files that when filling it, overwrite the original data at least once.

The thing is, the theory of how many overwrites or randomness of those, is outweighed by real evidence, anyone ever recovering anything. Especially when you are not a spy during war-time, spending millions to recover your bank account info or porn pics, or whatever ( just randomizing here) is beyond what anyone would do once you have done a single overwrite.

/rant/

Blain had the right idea, just boot a HDD wipe util and be done.

 

[BW86]

dban

 

[StarsFan4Life]

Thanks guys!

 

[ecom]

Use DBAN as previously mentioned and do one of the multipass patterns included. The DoD short should be more than sufficient.

 

[StarsFan4Life]

Will I be able to use the drive after using DBAN?

 

[piasabird]

You will probably have to redo the partitions when you install the operating system.

 

[ecom]

Will I be able to use the drive after using DBAN?

You will need to partition and format the drive.