What about this program

I don't really want to get into what is best. But I highly recommend anyone that is not aware of HDD Erase to research it before passing on it. You will be surprised at what the Built-In Secure Erase of every hard drive can do and is recommended and certified by many highly data sensitive areas that require such high level of data destruction protection that honestly, Dban and many others can not do, nor to my knowledge are actually certified for.

Tepid hello.. thank you for this link.. I have been to your post... above link..
thanks so much.. I did notice on CMRR ... above program.... offers no Tech support however..( hopefully none would be needed )
Enjoy your weekend. :)

kodi said:

You will get a lot off different programs recommended and it boils down to personal preference.Dban has a very good reputation and you could not go wrong with it
Have you had a look at Hirens boot CD, it is a bootable disc that gives you a vast selection of software as well a a live version of XP

Kodi .. actually a guy did make me a copy of Hirens bootable CD..awhile ago... when those SP's were offered.. to XP users .. some had fits after downloading SP1
I have my copy.
I'll keep reading.. I'll be back asking for help .. if and when I'll be needing it.

I'm greatful for all the replies.
LPt

None is actually needed.

The utility can be put a bootable floppy, CD or usb key for access. Once you boot to DOS, just type in HDDERASE.EXE and off it goes, You have some options, and provided there are no problems with the drive itself, then you will/should not have any problems using this utility.

There is also an ISO in the download Zip file to create a bootable CD with.

The reason why I am pointing out the utility lately is that it is a very little known app that can be very useful and much more secure data destruction than any other software solution out there.

Also,, ignore any errors when unzipping the file, I think some one messed up on the creation of the Zip file and it has not been fixed. You will see a set of folders which are empty but can be deleted.

In the ISO, when you create the CD, there is a DataSanitizationTutorial.doc file , this file deos not tell you how to use the utility specifically, But gives some very worthwhile information about data sanitization methods, certifications, among other info. This is info that everyone should know about.

The ReadMe File will give you detailed information on how to use the utility.
While it is not fully user friendly, it is not out of the reach of a savvy user.

Tepid this is vey good info. thank you ever so much...
I'm going to save this info..
Thanks
LPt
ps.... I should let you know..I'm NOT a savvy user... all be it..
I can follow instructions quite well.

One last bit of Info,,,,

You will have the option to view the LBA sector of the drive which certifies the drive erased...

Example:
Do you wish to view LBA sector 0? (Y/N): Y
This drive: Serial number = 070526DP0D00DVG0L9KA, Model = Hitachi HTS722016K9SA00
was successfully erased on...Sat Apr 12 14:50:21 2008

In many areas this is Certification to HIPPA and other standards, that the drive is ready to redeploy as/where needed, even in a less secure environment.

\

Also,,, P.S.

(HIPAA, NIST, Sorbanes-Oxley, PIPEDA?)
We will not issue a statement of conformity for DBAN because it would be construed as a warranty or promise.

And

Does DBAN have my favorite certification?

No.

They can't certify results. Not only because they do not want to, but they can't.
Dban and others are software only programs that erase data, in a specific way that to the best of my knowledge can not be certified secure data destruction..


While this can be adequate for some users to some degree. It really depends on how paranoid one is about the data left behind on any drive. If one is that paranoid, or has sensitive data. Then Dban or other software solutions are not good enough.


,,,,
Ok,, I guess I did go down the road of what is better or not, etc. Sorry. :P

A Guy thanks for your reply.. I saw it mentioned as being great on a pc publication I've had for years , in today's issue..
Sure sounds good.
Enjoy your weekend.:)

only in the consumer world. Not in a world where certifications need to be kept that a drive is certified clean of all sensitive data.

These are 2 different worlds. but I say they should be one. and the best one should always be the one used most.

Why use a product that can't be certified, when you have a built-in to the firmware mechanism that is able to be certified. Does that not make more since that your sensitive data is more likely to be destroyed when using the very mechanism built-in to the firmware of every drive made that holds the following,,, that other like Dban can not?

Q: Is there government approval for secure erase, that meets current federal and
state laws, like Sarbanes-Oxley, the Health Information Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic
Documents Act (PIPEDA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), and California Senate
Bill 1386?

A: According to federal data sanitization document NIST 800-88, acceptable
methods include executing the in-drive Secure Erase command, degaussing a drive,
and physical destruction.

So, I have to ask, why would you use a product that can't be certified over a product that can be?

Especially when both products are free? I could understand if there were some fees involved. But we are talking about free. If you want the best,, honestly speaking,, Dban isn't.