I know you can get so called zero format apps when formatting a drive which totally erase any chances of data recovery.

But do such apps exist for working drives?

Reason I ask is that the firm I'm leaving want their laptop back. But as I used to write letters, do online banking etc, I want to kill all my personal data and zero format the empty data space so that no one could ever recover personal info. I've shredded most files, but there are some which the app wont touch.

Is this possible, and any good (preferably free) apps?

on linux you would jut cat /dev/urandom or /dev/random to a file and leave it running until the disk fills up, then delete that file.

You can buy programmes that will zero empty space on windows, iirc norton used to do one.

Pretty sure there are Freeware proggies about to do this.

Will be back in few hours so will search about for you.

Did very quick Google with

Freeware Space Shredder and 'Search the Web' as the parameters

came up with loads - away you go

Eraser 5.8 seems to do the trick.

Download Eraser 5.8 - Completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive.

or

PNPI Software Tools: Eraser 5.8

also

Zilla Data Nuker free download. When you delete a file from Windows it just mark the file as deleted in file allocation table, but the data of the file is still on your hard disk, Wi...

Thanks Anonymouse!

I'll be running all three, just to be safe.

PNPI looks better

Garry Glitter take note

Thanks Anonymouse!

I'll be running all three, just to be safe.

Can I have some of the purply pills then ?

Don't forget to set the swapfile size to zero and reboot before you do this, and also to clear up all cache files and temp files etc.

Also do remember that a journalling file system may keep traces and NTFS is a journalling system.

HTH

Can I have some of the purply pills then ?

Sure you can.

Can you ask if it's OK to completely wipe the drive (which will then require reformatting and OS install) ? That way you'd be sure that everything went.

I can't see it being an issue as they'd probably wipe the drive anyway in preparation for a new employee. Depends of course what you can agree / arrange.

I left wipe running overnight and trashed the HDD 23+ times over on the last laptop I gave back.

They were more than happy as they would reinstall anyway and this way knew that my data was gone.

Can you ask if it's OK to completely wipe the drive (which will then require reformatting and OS install) ? That way you'd be sure that everything went.

I can't see it being an issue as they'd probably wipe the drive anyway in preparation for a new employee. Depends of course what you can agree / arrange.

Sadly our IT is outsourced, so that'd be chargeable to do. Whereas they can setup for the new owner remotely once it's connected to the office LAN.

They've already said it must be working, and 'as supplied - asside from security/application updates'

Fill empy data space with rubbish

Sorry, but I have to get this in, my response to such a question would be "Install Windows M.E. on it" :P

// Thinking . . . . . Maybe I should have just said "Windows" //

And from a Micro$oft man as well - Shame on me :eek:

Sorry, but I have to get this in, my response to such a question would be "Install Windows M.E. on it" :P

Brill thought - how to corrupt everything, crash continuously etc etc