Re-installing Windows 7 On SSD and Re-Formatting normal HDD Question?

[pirateslug]

I read about DBAN, HDD manufacture erase softwares and HDDerase.

Formatting "clears" previously stored data but they are still there for any recovery program to fetch back again incase you regret the formatting.

My question is:

I'm going to re-install windows 7 on my SSD and I'm going to re-format my normal HDD. Does it matter if I use DBAN to completely erase previously stored data or should I just use normal Windows Full Format for both SSD and HDD?

I hope my question wasn't too vague and thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[hytecgowthaman]

Normal windows format is enough.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

 

[manofchalk]

Wouldn't matter either way, just that you can use the secure erase to make sure that the previous data is irrecoverable.

 

[robustus64]

You can also do a lowlevel format ie a fdisk,if you are that skilled,which destroys any formated data.

 

[pirateslug]

Okay thanks. Another question:

Do I choose to Format AND Delete my SSD and HDD (or any partions) Or do I only choose one of them? Like what is the difference between them?

Normally I choose Format which takes 1-10 seconds then I choose Delete.

But I've always wondered what the difference was and if I have to do both in that order or not at all??

Thanks in advance!

 

[manofchalk]

When you re-format a drive with old data on it, its like this analogy I'm going to try and explain.

Imagine a bookcase filled with books, each one not having a title on the spine so you don't know whats in it. You hold in your hand instructions telling you what information is in each book.
To reformat the drive is like burning the instructions and receiving a new set, but without the knowledge of whats in the books. As far as you know, all the books are empty.
So when you go to write in the books, you just overwrite it since you cant "see" whats already there.
However, introduce a 2nd person that can see the old data (or whats left of it). They can recover it and make it available to you.

Bookcase = The Hard Drive
The books = Storage space on the HDD.
You = The Operating System.
Instructions = The File Format.
2nd Person = Data Recovery Program

Deleting the partition is just the same as burning the instructions, without then creating a new set.

If you want to delete data in such a way that it cant be recovered, there are a couple of programs that can either delete individual files or the entire disk. What they usually do is delete the data conventionally, then overwrite it with random junk data. Rinse and repeat a few times and whats left is pretty much un-recoverable. If your really paranoid about whether it will be recoverable, you can always encrypt and compact the data before running it through a secure delete program.
Or just destroy the HDD physically, you cant lift much data off shards of the HDD platter :lol:

 

[game junky]

I am a fan of Kill Disk - you can choose how intense you want the data to be gone, 1 pass to clean up all those 1s and 0s or multiple passes for a more secure erase. If you're not worried about someone snooping your drive in the event of your passing (believe me, your friends' pron collections are always going to be more impressive than yours), 1 would just do the regular old 1 pass.

With only your HDD connected to your motherboard, run kill disk from a bootable device (USB, CD, whatevs) and wipe the drive. Then disconnect your hard drive, connect your SSD and install Windows.

Do not have your HDD connected while Windows is installing or it will write MBR files to that drive as well as your SSD.

That's my two cents, go nuts!

 

[kutu]

if you erase or reformat I'd also remove the small partition that the manufacture usually makes.. just personal pref, hey it's my drive!

 

[Thankful1]

You could use the normal Windows Full Format for both SSD and HDD. The full format always can erase all your previous data completely.

Thanks. I needed to know. My first PC build coming from PS3 looking for a more mature gaming experience.? I have about $13,00-$1,400 and built it myself. Not cheap for me. My experience has been let's say, not plug-n-play. I guess I am going to have to do this Windows reformat on my 250gb SSD. I dowloaded some steam games and a new copy of WRC and the next time I played BF3 or MoH after a few matches it goes acid trip non-playable graphic glitch. It starts even sooner now. I have a 4 month old systen (I keep clean of dust w/ac/blower)that is:
Intel Core i5-3570K
Samsung MZ-7TD250BW 840 Series Solid State Drive (SSD) 250 GB Sata 2.5-Inch
Corsair Vengeance 8 GB ( 2 x 4 GB ) DDR3 1600 MHz
ASUS P8Z77-V LK mobo
Corsair Cooling Hydro-Series All-in-One High-Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
ASUS GTX 660 Ti OC
SeaSonic SS-750KM3 750W
ASUS VS278Q-P Ultrafast 1ms 27-Inch LED-Lit Monitor
NZXT Technologies H2 Classic Silent Midtower Chassis (w/fan slots full)