How do you completely wipe a HD

[ashiplikethat]

is there a way of totally wiping my harddrive so theres absolutly nothing on it so i can totally start again. i recently formated and reinstalled
windows usinfg my xp disc but i have the feeling that not everything had gone as i was still getting problems, i installed a 30day trail software program that i had previously used yet the computer recognised that i had already used it for 30 days which make me think that it didn't wipe everything. a freind of mine quickly mentioned somthing called fdisk but hes on linux and im on windows so im not sure if it will work?
is there anything that will work on xp as i would like to carry on using xp?

 

[ZozZoz]

That's strange, 'cause a quick format usually works. Yeah. Go with a full reformat, and find yourself smth. to do in the meantime. It takes a lot of time.

 

[misry]

More specifically, fdisk is a partitioning tool. fdisk adds or removes a partition from/to an HD.

The partition is the envelope. Format determines how big the piece of paper in the envelope may be as well as the size of each word.

edit: I'm an enthusiast now, wo07!

 

[ashiplikethat]

I did the full NTFS formating of the drive. Its dosent make sence how to me how the software trial remembered that i had already used the 30 days if its supposed to wipe everything?

 

[evongugg]

Try this:

Darik's Boot and Nuke

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

 

[rcs2749]

I did the full NTFS formating of the drive. Its dosent make sence how to me how the software trial remembered that i had already used the 30 days if its supposed to wipe everything?

Name, computer name, or maybe it uses the serial # of a piece of hardware in your computer to keep you from reusing it.

 

[zenmaster]

I did the full NTFS formating of the drive. Its dosent make sence how to me how the software trial remembered that i had already used the 30 days if its supposed to wipe everything?

Name, computer name, or maybe it uses the serial # of a piece of hardware in your computer to keep you from reusing it.

That is possible, but that would mean it would need to transmit that data back to the company for later verification. If they are doing this, I would be very very leary of anything. Unless of course there is a 30-day trial key that starts expiring from the date of issuing.

Another thought is that there is a sector near the front of the HDD that is omitted from use by FDISK/Format and other tools by industry standards. This is commonly used to allow the keeping of a computers identity between reimaging sequences in corporate environments.

 

[ashiplikethat]

strange thing is though that i installed it of a CD and my internet connection was not on, nor had it been in before hand, the cable was completely out. Which to me would seem that there would be no way of the trail registering itself to any of my hardware or computer names?

 

[stan116]

The program being reconized as being used has nothing at all to do with your drive.They have your email address,so which ever company you downloaded the program from has a record of you already downloading the program. Both Norton and McAfee have a program that will wipe your drives completely.

 

[jitpublisher]

Yeah, stan116 is correct.
The information is stored with the company. What would keep you from deleting the program, and just reinstalling it every 30 days if the information was stored on your system?

 

[MrSiko]

For an explanation of the options for erasing hard drives...

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Computer_Science/2007/completely_erase_harddrive.asp

Free utilty : http://www.killdisk.com/

This will erase your disk so that it can not be recovered.

However, if the data is sensitive, really the only way to erase the data is a) get a nail gun and shoot several large-bore nails through it, then b) throw it in a fire for a long period of time...

 

[maverick7]

im fairly certain its actually his ip address

 

[marlz]

Doesn't it actually sound like the data is resideing in the MBR?

I wanted to reinstall windows and noticed that after repartitioning and formating when i reinstalled I didnt have to input my serial key again. After doing some research I found that this and other info resides on the MBR. Now I'm just trying to figure out how to format the MBR. I'll try that nuke program posted earlier.

 

[nvalhalla]

MBR? I'm guessing you mean motherboard? No, nothing is saving to a motherboard. We are just now getting MBs with storage (thanks MS) so I doubt that's the problem.

 

[pscowboy]

The only way to blank the MBR quickly is with debug.exe

It's a one minute routine. You need to put debug on a boot floppy (W98 or ME). Drivespace has to be deleted to make room. The debug has to be version DOS7 for the 98, or DOS8 for the ME.

The boot cd's that are downloadable don't have debug. But you can make one that will be a great utility cd to have.

Create a "New" folder on your "C" drive, and name it drdos.

Go to this site:

http://www.devedia.com/dosghost/dos/downl_2.asp#drdos

Scroll down until you find v703drdos Beta - click on that. You will find yourself at an ftp download site of all the drdos utilities.

You can download them all to the new drdos folder, but you only need debug.exe; fdisk.com; & format.com.

Download by right-clicking each one - choose "Save Target As" - and direct the download to the drdos folder.

You need Nero6.

Next, go to Program Files\Ahead\Nero and locate Dosbootimage.ima and copy and paste it to the drdos folder.

Fire up Nero - choose Nero Burning Rom. Should get New Compilation. On the left side, scroll down to CD-ROM (Boot) and highlight it.

Over on the right side, click the radio button for Image File & browse to the drdos folder to locate it so that it shows in the address space.

On the bottom half, under Enable Expert Settings, make sure the four categories are: Floppy Emulation 1.44; Nero Boot Loader v6.0; 07c0; 1.

Go up to the Burn tab and make sure that Write and Finalize cd are checked. Change the Write Speed to half of what your burner is capable of, then click New at the upper right corner.

On the right side, third pane over, locate the drdos folder and click it so that all of its' files show up in the fourth pane. Drag and drop them all to the second pane. Locate the grayish cd disc with the flame on it near the top under the word Window. Click this to return to the Burn page; insert a blank cd-r disc into your burner; change Copies to two; then click burn. Quickly check off Verify Written Data at the bottom left.

OK the Data Verify success (second copy should start) - click Done (bottom left) - Exit out whereupon Nero will ask you to save this. I would, and call it drdos; for you to have in the future. Then back to your desktop.

You now have a bootable cd with which you can invoke debug. You will find it on the "D" drive after the cd boots up.

Follow this routine.

At the "D" prompt, type debug. You will get a minus sign prompt ( - ) . Type in the following lines; hitting Enter after each one. There are no letter O's except in the word mov.

f 200 L200 0
a 100
mov ax,301
mov bx,200
mov cx,1
mov dx,0080
int 13
int 3
(hit enter again)
g=100
q

Remove the boot cd; pop in the XP cd; Ctrl-Alt-Delete; and install.

 

[nvalhalla]

Master Boot Record!! Of course!! He he... sorry, that makes MUCH more sense than MB... I'm an idiot...

Yeah, I'm guessing that if there is no data transmission back to the company via internet (my first thought) than there must be something saved there.

 

[Guest]

Definitely use this to wipe EVERYTHING.

Darik's Boot and Nuke

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

It will leave no trace of anything what so ever.

 

[echoplex]

How bout you just go to the HD manufacturer's website and download a tool for either DOS or Winders that will write zeros to you drive? This is easy and efficient.

Echo

 

[Ninjaz7]

that sounds way to easy echo....throw in some dos programs or something complicated

 

[pshrk]

get a knoppix or a gentoo live cd for free and you can do something like:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda

:lol:

 

[MrSiko]

Echoplex: Because the drive would still be data-recoverable to anyone with some hdd forensic tools. That is why a lot of people have listed elaborate but necessary methods and tools here.

Serious tip: If it looks like everyone else is giving answers that are too complex, it is because you don't understand the complexity of the question.

 

[nvalhalla]

Wow, I can't believe how many of us are trying to help the OP defraud a software developer. Maybe, if you like the program enough to format your drive to use it for another 30 days, you should just buy it?

 

[computer_problem]

Definitely use this to wipe EVERYTHING.

Darik's Boot and Nuke

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

It will leave no trace of anything what so ever.

Hi,

don't know if you still go on here to see the threads but I tried dban and I cannot make my computer boot using the boot menu - I hit F12 to get the boot menu and select ide cd-rom device but my computer just reboots like normal times...

any tips ?

thanks