I am looking to obtain software to erase/wipe hard drives. What software do you use that. I use Active @ Killdisk - the freeware option is not DoD compliant though, you have to purcahse the full version. I recently purcahsed it for. We currently use GDisk by Symantec with 7 wipes. Even this is not a 100%. GDisk, a component of Symantec Ghost 8.3, is a tool for partitioning hard drives that also has a secure, disk-wiping function. This document compares the GDisk disk-wipe function with DoD 5220.22-M. Assistant Secretary of Defense, Memorandum of Disposition of Unclassified DoD Computer Hard Drives, 4 June 2001.

Wiping Out Old GPT Data Wiping Out Old GPT Data by Rod Smith, Last Web page update: 6/26/2011, referencing GPT fdisk version 0.7.2 I'm a technical writer and consultant specializing in Linux technologies. This Web page, and the associated software, is provided free of charge and with no annoying outside ads; however, I did take time to prepare it, and Web hosting does cost money. If you find GPT fdisk or this Web page useful, please consider making a small donation to help keep this site up and running. Donate $1.00 Donate $2.50 Donate $5.00 Donate $10.00 Donate $20.00 Donate another value Note: This page is part of the documentation for my program. I've been seeing a new GPT problem crop up with increasing frequency: Disks that have been used with GPT (on a Macintosh, for instance) are being re-used with MBR (on a Windows or Linux system, for instance). There's nothing wrong with this practice, but there is a pitfall: Because the basic MBR data occupies just one sector, compared with several for GPT, using an MBR-only partitioning tool can leave the disk with both valid MBR data and mostly-intact GPT data. The GPT data will not have a valid protective MBR, and any software that adheres strictly to the GPT specification will therefore ignore the GPT data in favor of the MBR data; however, some utilities and OSes will use the GPT data in this case.

This is true of GParted 0.5.2 and 0.7.0 (and probably others), for instance. (It prints a warning to the text-mode console from which it was launched, but if you run it from a GUI menu, you won't see this warning!) Such disks can be identified in several ways. One is simply a clue: Different disk utilities report that the disk has very different partitions on it. Windows' disk partitioner and GParted may see the disk differently, for instance.

Linux's fdisk produces output that's much more diagnostic, if you understand the issue: # fdisk -l /dev/sdc WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sdc'! Program Magazine Dika Bucuresti Wikipedia. The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted. Disk /dev/sdc: 16.2 GB, 8 bytes 256 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1957 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16128 * 512 = 8257536 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disk identifier: 0x00000000 Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/sdc1 1 196+ 83 Linux The warning at the start of this output should be taken seriously, and it's a normal part of the fdisk output on GPT disks.

Note, however, that the disk contains just one partition, and it is not the type-0xEE protective partition that's found on normal GPT disks—it's a regular Linux partition! (Of course, your disk may have some other partition or multiple partitions, but the key is that none of them have ee (meaning a type-0xEE partition) under the Id column of fdisk's output.) A GPT warning on a disk that has a type-0xEE partition is fine, and indicates a GPT disk; and a disk with no 0xEE partition and no warning is also fine (that's a normal MBR disk). It's the combination of the GPT warning with a lack of a 0xEE partition that is the indication of trouble. Before proceeding further, it's wise to create a backup of your MBR data. That way, if something goes wrong, you should be able to restore it. In Linux, sfdisk can back up your partition data to a file: # sfdisk -d /dev/sdc >parts.txt Change /dev/sdc to the disk in question, of course.

Copy the parts.txt file to a floppy disk, USB flash drive, CD-R, or some other medium other than the hard disk involved. If you damage your partition table, you can then restore it by typing sfdisk -f /dev/sdc.

I use Active @ Killdisk - the freeware option is not DoD compliant though, you have to purcahse the full version. I recently purcahsed it for out company and it wasn't too much actually. I got the Full suite for $60 and I can make a bootable Tumbdrive that will run it which is awesome, I plug that into any machine that can boot from USB and I can wipe it's hard drives. I also use the Windows version on my Desktop in conjunction with a new Vantec NexStar hard Drive Dock (SATA HDs only) or our Vantec 3.5'IDE 2.5'IDE SATA to USB converter and I can wipe out any laptop or desktop drive I need. I definitely reccomend it as it is extremly simple to use. I have been doing some research on wiping HD's. It appears that not all the software is actually as good as indicated.

DOD has changed some of thier requirements and even though the manufacturer states it is DOD compliant, it may not meet the newer standards. We currently use GDisk by Symantec with 7 wipes.

Even this is not a 100% solution as it will skip any bad sectors, thus leaving any data in tact on those sectors. We were looking at a freeware solution called Secure Erase. This supposedly wipes every thing. It is much quicker than GDisk but it is very difficult to get to work with newer SATA drives.

Has anyone done thorough investigating on this subject and found a product that is fairly quick, but wipes even bad sectors?