Block-overwrite software is more versatile than the secure-erase command because it lets you wipe data from a hard drive while leaving the operating system, program files, and other keepers intact. Drive Erase Pro Completely destroy all the data on your hard disc. All it eliminates is the reference to them, held in an index on your hard drive. This is how undelete software works.
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When it comes to disposing of old hard drives, simply erasing your files or reformatting the drive alone is not enough to ensure your privacy. In this age of rampant ID theft, it is more important than ever to ensure that your personal information is securely removed from all hard disks. That being the case, I decided to create a list of five utilities for securely erasing and formatting old hard drives.
SEE: Quick glossary: Storage (Tech Pro Research)
Active@Kill Disk - Hard Drive Eraser
Active@ Kill Disk - Hard Drive Eraser is a free utility for securely erasing a hard drive. More importantly, this utility adheres to United States Department of Defense standards (DoD 5220.22M) for hard disk data removal.
Although some might consider it to be hokey, I especially liked the certificate feature. When a hard disk has been erased, the software generates a certificate that you can print as a way of proving that the disk has been securely erased.
Eraser
Eraser from Heidi Computers, is another free utility for securely erasing data from a hard disk. The most interesting thing about this utility is that it provides several different methods for overwriting data, based on a number of different standards. You can even define your own method for overwriting data.
This utility allows you to securely erase specific files, folders, unused disk space, or even the recycle bin. Furthermore, erase operations can be run manually or scheduled.
Shredit for Windows
Shredit for Windows is a privacy application that is designed to securely erase individual files, free space, or entire hard drives. The software lets you pick the write pattern and the number of writes. A number of different government standards are supported.
Shredit for Windows costs $24.95 for the download version or $34.95 for the CD-ROM version.
Disk Wipe
Disk Wipe is a free utility for wiping data from a hard disk in a secure manner. Like Eraser, Disk Wipe includes a number of different algorithms, including DoD 5220-22.M, and Peter Guttman. The really nice thing about this utility is that it is portable, so you don't have to install it to be able to use it. Furthermore, Disk Wipe works on more than just hard drives. It can also be used to securely wipe USB flash drives and SD cards.
Darik's Boot and Nuke
Darik's Boot and Nuke is a free, open source utility for securely erasing hard drives. Although this utility is designed to be secure and effective, the author does not explicitly guarantee that data is completely unrecoverable and there is no support for this application.
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CRU-DataPort's Drive eRazer Ultra ($249) is a small device that lets you 'sanitize' hard disk drives -- that is, remove any data that you wouldn't want somebody else to gain access to, such as credit card numbers, passwords, financial data, photos, web histories, software license numbers or contact information. It can also wipe your entire disk, including the hidden, protected data that most free software-based utilities can miss.
The eRazer Ultra connects directly to Serial ATA (SATA) and IDE/Parallel ATA (PATA) drives after you've removed them from your desktop PC. (You can use the device with laptop drives if you purchase the optional adapter.) If you'd like, you can also hook the eRazer up to a computer to see the contents of the drive before performing an erase, or afterwards, to make sure the drive has been wiped.
For this review, I used a Drive eRazer Ultra on a handful of SATA and PATA hard drives taken from friends' and other computers that had been put aside for disposal or repurposing. (Note: The Drive eRazer Ultra is only intended for mechanical hard drives, not for solid-state drives (SSDs).)
Looking at the box
The Drive eRazer Ultra is 3.2 x 2.2 x 0.95 in. -- about twice the size of a deck of cards. There is also an AC power supply that is almost as big as the Drive eRazer Ultra (slightly larger, in fact, if you include the power cord). The device includes ports and data cables for 2.5-in. and 3.5-in. SATA hard drives and 3.5-in. IDE/PATA drives, along with a power-out port and power cables to use with the drives. (Drive data and power ports are standardized across these form factors.)
The company also offers a variety of adapters for use with other types of drives, such as 2.5-in. IDE drives, for prices ranging from $40 to $70, depending on the adapter.
The unit also includes a power switch, a circular four-button control (Up/Down/Enter/Back), a two-line 16-character backlit LCD alphanumeric display, and status lights for power on/off and drive/activity status. The user interface could be better -- bigger display, more buttons -- and the documentation could be clearer and more comprehensive. However, the odds are that anybody using this will quickly get the hang of it.
If you want to see what is on the connected drive, the Drive eRazer Ultra has a USB Type B port (the squarish-looking one with two angled-off corners), allowing you to connect to a computer when the Drive eRazer Ultra isn't in 'Sanitize a Drive' mode. ('Sanitize' mode requires it to not be connected to a computer; if it is, the eRazer Ultra will display a 'Please Disconnect' reminder message.) CRU-DataPort doesn't include a Type-B-to-Type-A USB cable, but they're inexpensive to buy.
Hard Eraser Download
The Drive eRazer Ultra also has a 9-pin serial port in case you want to connect to a printer and print out a verification tracking label (modeled after a Department of Defense label template) containing information such as the model/serial number, the erase method used, and lines for sign-off and release signatures. (According to Bill Head, Product Development Manager at CRU-DataPort, enabling the Drive eRazer Ultra to support a USB host connector to a printer would roughly double the cost of the appliance.)
