The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Destroying data on a to-be-returned notebook

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by exi, Jun 15, 2008.

  1. exi

    exi Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    46
    Messages:
    657
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Just curious if anyone has a "pet utility" for zero-writing a hard drive before returning it to Dell. I don't know what their official policy is as regards returned hard drives, but I do know that I have stuff on that laptop that I don't want leaving my house.
     
    exi, Jun 15, 2008
    #1
  2. Bauer418

    Bauer418 Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    70
    Messages:
    488
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Hiren's Boot CD has a copy of Active Kill Disk on there which will allow single, 7, 35, or a custom pass overwrite to totally wipe your disk. It takes time though. But hey, 7-pass overwrite is NSA-certified so...I think you'll be alright.
     
    Bauer418, Jun 15, 2008
    #2
  3. atbnet

    atbnet Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    5,868
    Messages:
    5,889
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    206
    I use DBAN which can either quick erase by writing zeros to the hard drive or more invasive methods write write random bits in multiple passes.
     
    atbnet, Jun 15, 2008
    #3
  4. EdiT808

    EdiT808 Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    146
    Messages:
    342
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Same here i use DBAN for my hard drive nuke clean needs.
     
    EdiT808, Jun 15, 2008
    #4
  5. meh

    meh Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    41
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Yes, DBAN is win. 35 pass Gutmann wipe is good for wiping
     
    meh, Jun 15, 2008
    #5
  6. only

    only Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    14
    Messages:
    355
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    i prefer big magnets
     
    only, Jun 15, 2008
    #6
  7. Cin'

    Cin' Anathema

    Reputations:
    14,217
    Messages:
    15,406
    Likes Received:
    87
    Trophy Points:
    466
    Nice information, I was actually looking for this! ;) :)
     
    Cin', Jun 15, 2008
    #7
  8. bmwrob

    bmwrob Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    4,591
    Messages:
    2,128
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    RE: DBan. Great program, but for those who are thinking of using it, READ all the instructions and advice BEFORE putting it to use. It does work. Several times I've read posts here and at other forums by people who didn't seem to realize that this, that or the other would be gone when their machines were fired up again.

    My guess is that Kill Disk and all the rest are just as thorough.
     
    bmwrob, Jun 15, 2008
    #8
  9. Cin'

    Cin' Anathema

    Reputations:
    14,217
    Messages:
    15,406
    Likes Received:
    87
    Trophy Points:
    466
    Thanks for the further info ;) :)
     
    Cin', Jun 15, 2008
    #9
  10. shinta13

    shinta13 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    97
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    /me ponders on what could be so Mysterious :X
     
    shinta13, Jun 15, 2008
    #10
  11. only

    only Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    14
    Messages:
    355
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    porn, just not the good kind
     
    only, Jun 16, 2008
    #11