OT: Can Reformatting A Hard Drive To ext3 Destroy All the Data On It?

[Steven Stern]

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On 05/29/2009 10:08 AM, Robin Laing wrote:
> Robert L Cochran wrote:
>> I have a hard drive that I need to destroy the data on. What is the
>> most dependable way to do this? Can reformatting the drive as ext3 or
>> ext4 or some other filesystem effectively destroy the existing data?
>>
>> Is there free software that can write zeroes or some form of nonsense
>> to every storage location?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Bob Cochran
>>
> 
> As many others have said, the answer is no.
> 
> Use the various tools to erase the drive as suggested.
> 
> I have actually formatted a drive as VFAT and EXT3 and still recovered
> data off of that drive.  It was not a test but a major mistake on my
> part.  Even recovered data from a drive that was part of an LVM and
> reformatted.
> 
> If the drive is small, it may be better to just destroy the drive.  One
> technique that I read about was to drill holes into the drive and fill
> it with Cola.  The acid will destroy the surface of the drive.
> 
> I physically take the drives apart and use the platter for various
> things.  They are so shiny at first.  :)
> 
I like to put the drives on a sidewalk and whack them a few times with
an 8 lb sledge hammer.  When I pick up the drive and shake it and it
makes a nice jingling sound, the job is done.

- --

  Steve
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