26% THUMBS UP only? Must be a JOKE!

Supports the latest HDD standards (Advanced Format Drive), 2TB+ and non-512B sector size drives, as well as 10 different disk sanitization methods. Must have tool especially for those who often buy & sell their PCs/Laptops and don't like the idea that somebody may have access to their sensitive files using data recovery software.
The big downside I can see is the size of this tool (116 MB is simply too big for a wipe disk).

BEST FREE ALTERNATIVES

* Puran Wipe Disk (==> My Personal First Choice)
Amazing FREE APP, which is part of the excellent PC tuneup utility "Puran Utilities", designed to completely wipe out everything on your HD including the file system and the free space, so that no data can be recovered afterwards using any recovery data software out there. It can erase multiple disks with one mouse click using 1 pass, 3 pass and 7 pass deletion.

http://www.puransoftware.com/Wipe-Disk.html

* Darik's Boot and Nuke (==> My Personal First Choice but definitely NOT for noobs)
Great Open Source tool running from a bootable disc and very suitable for sanitizing more than a single drive for bulk or emergency data destruction, since it can automatically erase all found partitions.
In fact, if you type "autonuke" at the prompt, this software erase ALL DRIVES without confirmation.

http://www.dban.org

* HDD Erase
http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml

* Parted Magic
Best Linux bootable CD environments for partitioning and erasing hard drives. Great tool especially suitable for wiping out SSD drives.

http://partedmagic.com
http://www.corsair.com/applicationnote/secure-erase

* Disk Cleaner Free
Fantastic FREE system optimization tool which can scan and detect all those junk files usually missed by other similar utilities out there, keeping you PC error-free and as fast as brand-new.
Can clean all hard drives of your computer, flash-memories as well as USB flash drives, with the ability to completely wipe out the whole HD (including separate partitions) for good, using DOD, NSA, Guttmann, and GOST algorithms.

http://www.disk-cleaner.net

To completely erase individual files and folders, rather than an entire HD:

* Portable Files Terminator
Great FREE & PORTABLE Italian app designed to completely delete for good any sensitive data stored in your PC, by using the following 8 shredding methods:

One pass Pseudorandom
British HMG IS5
Two pass Russian GOST P50739-95
Three pass US DoD 5220.22M
Seven pass German VSITR
Canadian RCPM TSSIT OPS-II
Bruce Schneier
35-pass Peter Gutmann

http://elefantsoftware.weebly.com/files-terminator.html

* (Portable) Eraser
http://eraser.heidi.ie

Now, not many people out there know that formatting an HD is NOT the most secure way to remove files and folders from thier computer, since the process may often leave behind a lot of traces...

But hey...this is not true for GIOVANNI ==> LOL ==> How about you dudes?

* HDD Low Level Format Tool (==> Can even quickly wipe partitions and MBR data with ease)

This FREE GEM is a must have tool to use in case you experience constant data corruption, virus intrusion within the MBR or bad sectors in your HDs.
HDD Low Level Format Tool re-initializes the hard drive to its original FACTORY CONFIGURATION (Yes, you heard me right, dudes!!) by writing a zero byte to its each and every location on the disk.
This fully and irreversibly erases all data (if present) from your disk. Low Level Formatting also hides the bad sectors in order to create a clean and error-free surface for your data.

http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool

Please note that you can NOT use this magic FREE TOOL to format (and wipe) your disk if you run it from the same disk, as it needs to run while the disk is not in use by your OS.
So if you want to use this tool to format your C (Windows) partition, you will need to use a live CD or DVD with a WinPE or LiveXP or Live7 on it. In this case, to safely format or wipe your C (Windows) partition, just use the freeware Live CD MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition.

http://www.partitionwizard.com/partition-wizard-bootable-cd.html

Enjoy!!

Giovanni (Hey where is my wallet? Please help  –  10 years ago  –  Βρήκατε αυτό το σχόλιο χρήσιμο? ναι | όχι (+144)

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#1 and #2: For truly reliable disk wiping nothing beats a blowtorch and an angle grinder

A. Nuran  –  10 years ago  –  Βρήκατε αυτό το σχόλιο χρήσιμο? ναι | όχι (+95)

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I know my opinion will not be popular but I don't see this publisher as being any different than Ashampoo. Both of them offer programs that you can download and install here. But if you go to their site you can't find these offerings. They only exists here.

While Paragon's offering are good, solid programs that perform well. I think the programs are way to large for the functions they perform and this one is no exception. 116 MB is way too large for a disk wipe. Check this link for a free and portable alternative...

http://www.diskwipe.org/

Thank you GOTD team for all of your great work but I will have to pass on this one. See you all tomorrow.

dadams  –  10 years ago  –  Βρήκατε αυτό το σχόλιο χρήσιμο? ναι | όχι (+78)

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Re #4,

The commercially available Paragon software contain Microsoft components, that cannot be given away freely. We cannot expect Paragon to pay the MS licences for us.

The last time this program was offered, Paragon explained why the file is so large: it contains both 32 and 64 bit software.

gergn  –  10 years ago  –  Βρήκατε αυτό το σχόλιο χρήσιμο? ναι | όχι (+63)

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I was somewhat surprised to see on their website that the Gutmann Method of disk wiping was still included, the reason being that apparently it is ineffective of modern drives. He wrote about it in the following article:-
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/secure_del.html

Apparently new discs need different methods because of the density levels, an interesting discussion can be found at the following link:-

http://www.nber.org/sys-admin/overwritten-data-guttman.html

It is so important that when you discard an old computer and its hard drive that it is worth taking some effort of ensuring that you are using the most effective method of erasure. And when you have erased data that it is tested with a decent recovery program to be sure.

XP-Man  –  10 years ago  –  Βρήκατε αυτό το σχόλιο χρήσιμο? ναι | όχι (+51)

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