Dban data removal

user1010 · Feb 11, 2024

Hello, thinking about to get rid of my WD Elements 1TB disk and maybe switch temporary to usb memory for cold storage. Later I'll maybe use a nas or my desktop instead of usb for storage, or both.

Is the dban software good enough for wiping the disk? If it got a new owner for example. I have a lot of pictures that I don't want to get in wrong hands :)

Darik’s Boot and Nuke – DBAN

Erase hard drives, desktops, laptops or servers free with a Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) download. Try it now.

dban.org

CountMike · Feb 11, 2024

user1010 said:
Hello, thinking about to get rid of my WD Elements 1TB disk and maybe switch temporary to usb memory for cold storage. Later I'll maybe use a nas or my desktop instead of usb for storage, or both.

Is the dban software good enough for wiping the disk? If it got a new owner for example. I have a lot of pictures that I don't want to get in wrong hands :)

Darik’s Boot and Nuke – DBAN

Erase hard drives, desktops, laptops or servers free with a Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) download. Try it now.

dban.org

Just use an ordinary tool like Mini tool partition wizard to wipe partitions and data in them than do full format on disk. For added security you could apply Bitlocker before erasing disk. Even FBI and CIA would have hard time seeing anything on it.

user1010 · Feb 11, 2024

CountMike said:
Just use an ordinary tool like Mini tool partition wizard to wipe partitions and data in them than do full format on disk. For added security you could apply Bitlocker before erasing disk. Even FBI and CIA would have hard time seeing anything on it.

Ok. Is that enough? Isn't it possible then to get back data with Get Data Back for NTFS for example.

CountMike · Feb 11, 2024

user1010 said:
Ok. Is that enough? Isn't it possible then to get back data with Get Data Back for NTFS for example.

No chance with any generally available SW and maybe not with anything. Data is overwritten several times with zeros or random numbers even on spare sectors or hidden partitions. Don't believe science fiction.

user1010 · Feb 11, 2024

CountMike said:
No chance with any generally available SW and maybe not with anything. Data is overwritten several times with zeros or random numbers even on spare sectors or hidden partitions. Don't believe science fiction.

In which case do you mean with "Data is overwritten several times with zeros or random numbers"?

CountMike · Feb 11, 2024

user1010 said:
In which case do you mean with "Data is overwritten several times with zeros or random numbers"?

When it's wiped and then again with full format.

user1010 · Feb 11, 2024

CountMike said:
When it's wiped and then again with full format.

Ok, format to NTFS?

user1010 · Feb 11, 2024

Have something changed with this function since Windows 7? I think I have found documents long time ago with get back data software. In that case the os was reinstalled on the same disk and it was possible to get back documents without its original path and name. That's why I'm asking and want to be sure it's not possible because of personal data. One thought is to sell the old disk and use usb memory instead.

CountMike · Feb 11, 2024

user1010 said:
Have something changed with this function since Windows 7? I think I have found documents long time ago with get back data software. In that case the os was reinstalled on the same disk and it was possible to get back documents without its original path and name. That's why I'm asking and want to be sure it's not possible because of personal data. One thought is to sell the old disk and use usb memory instead.

Files or parts of them can be restored if they are not overwritten, just deleted, but once they are overwritten they don't exist any more.
If you mean USB memory stick, it's not as reliable as HDD for long term storage.

Haydon · Feb 11, 2024

@user1010 You can also securely erase an SSD using the diskpart command 'clean all' by following these steps:

Open an elevated command prompt.
Type diskpart and press Enter.
In the diskpart prompt, type list disk. This will display a table with all your disks.
Identify the SSD you want to erase by noting its disk number.
Select the SSD by typing select disk # (replace # with the actual disk number).
Instead of using the regular clean command, execute the following command: clean all.
- The clean all command fills every sector on the disk with zeroes, making it impossible to recover any information.
- This process completely deletes all data stored on the disk, including partitions, folders, and files 1.

Remember to back up any important data before proceeding with disk erasure (I second CountMike's caution that USB sticks are the least reliable storage medium for long term data storage) Always exercise caution when performing low-level operations on storage devices.

FreeBooter · Feb 11, 2024

Make sure to not use dban software very often on the storage drives, as it can make the storage drive life span shorter if used very often.

user1010 · Feb 11, 2024

CountMike said:
Files or parts of them can be restored if they are not overwritten, just deleted, but once they are overwritten they don't exist any more.
If you mean USB memory stick, it's not as reliable as HDD for long term storage.

Ok.

Haydon said:
@user1010 You can also securely erase an SSD using the diskpart command 'clean all' by following these steps:

Open an elevated command prompt.

Type diskpart and press Enter.

In the diskpart prompt, type list disk. This will display a table with all your disks.

Identify the SSD you want to erase by noting its disk number.

Select the SSD by typing select disk # (replace # with the actual disk number).

Instead of using the regular clean command, execute the following command: clean all.

The clean all command fills every sector on the disk with zeroes, making it impossible to recover any information.

This process completely deletes all data stored on the disk, including partitions, folders, and files 1.

Remember to back up any important data before proceeding with disk erasure (I second CountMike's caution that USB sticks are the least reliable storage medium for long term data storage) Always exercise caution when performing low-level operations on storage devices.

I think the disk has s-ata interface. Should be the same :)

CountMike · Feb 11, 2024

user1010 said:
Ok.

I think the disk has s-ata interface. Should be the same :)

It's SATA interface on disk but with converter to USB but that doesn't matter on user level. PATA. SATA , PCIe, NVME, user works with file system only, not on hardware level which is different on all types.

BobOmb · Feb 11, 2024

For software data destruction, KillDisk additionally will produce a printable “certificate” showing the drive info and how it was wiped.

KillDisk: Disk Eraser, Wiper & Sanitizer - Erase HDD/SSD/USB/NVMe Securely

hdmi · Feb 11, 2024

Yes, DBAN is enough to secure erase a traditional HDD such as the 1TB WD Elements (external HDD with USB 2.0) that I currently also still own. Various other methods to "secure erase" a HDD have been shown to be unreliable, over and over and over, by multiple independent computer forensics experts with many decades of experience in the field. This topic has gotten so old by now that the best advice is to completely ignore anyone who tries to tell you that this is all just science fiction. It quite simply is not. The persistent nonsense gets even worse when it comes to flash memory products, including SSDs.

That being said, in the vast majority of cases it does take expert knowledge and specialized equipment in a lab to recover usable data from a HDD that has been "secure erased" via some unreliable method or tool. But that doesn't make it impossible to achieve. People with malicious intent don't usually spend the time, effort or money to try to recover the data if they don't have reason to believe that data will be worth. But whether your data isn't worth is not for me or anyone else except you to decide, and, why take the risk? That's the hard fact so, everything else falls in the category of what's best described as the superlative of baloney.

Wynona · Feb 11, 2024

user1010 said:
Ok.

I think the disk has s-ata interface. Should be the same :)

Just be sure you're erasing the correct disk! Once you've erased, it would be very hard, if not impossible, to get your files back.

FreeBooter · Feb 11, 2024

This video is a detailed guide to securely erase a disk and file via the Linux shred command.

You can use live Ubuntu USB flash drive to use shred command.

user1010 · Feb 11, 2024

FreeBooter said:
This video is a detailed guide to securely erase a disk and file via the Linux shred command.

You can use live Ubuntu USB flash drive to use shred command.

So, shred -vfz /dev/sdb1 for example (erasing disk).

FreeBooter · Feb 11, 2024

user1010 said:
So, shred -vfz /dev/sdb1 for example (erasing disk).

Yes but make sure you execute the command on correct drive.

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