OK... Normally I try to avoid this thread, but...

First, have you folks noticed how many people come in here... I mean HERE, only to this thread, and post 2-3 times and then depart ?
What's that all about ?

re: seeyavo ... All these 'deleted' posts ?
Hi, Arne ! Perhaps you have been trying to advise this person via PMs ?
I am certainly not going to quote anything from those deleted posts but the point of concern is clear...

I should also state that I have not read every single post in this ever-growing thread, but there does seem to be a recurrent theme regarding

cleaning data storage devices.

There have been many discussions, arguments and even 'fights' here in GF regarding this topic.
Some members have made efforts to educate others as to the simple and irrefutable realities about data removal.
Most people seem to be unable to either understand and/or believe the facts about data retention in storage media.

The simple truth is that it is an absolute impossibilty to delete data to such an extent that it cannot be recovered.
(The ONLY exception to this is to perform an absolute physical destruction of the storage media. This, of course, is not a form of 'deletion'... It is physical destruction... Physical destruction to the extent that the discs are destroyed, practically to ashes. I am not being dramatic here.)

There exists no process and/or device that will 'securely delete' data from any existing data storage media.

There has been much confusion as to various claims, primarily for commercial gain, made by numerous application vendors as to the efficacy of this or that 'Cleaning Program' and/or variations on the 'Bulk-Eraser' DeGaussing devices.
Not one single claim from ANY of them is true.

You can place an electro-magnet, used normally for collecting huge pieces of ferrous material in scrap-yards, directly over an HDD for hours upon hours... Nada... Sure, your computer may not be able to read the data but there are many individuals who would be able to treat it as almost a normal working drive.
They work inside one room that costs more than many mansions.
I hear many say, "Yes, but these processes cost a fortune and there is no way that little me and whatever I would prefer to have hidden is going to be worth the investigation charges."
Untrue.
Yes, most magnetic storage material that has been severely damaged by fire or corrosive elements can be very time consuming and expensive to recover. But, it is incredible just how much can be recovered with time and labour. True, these really serious recovery jobs are mainly done by only one company in Germany, normally for insurance claim purposes or corporate databases, and it costs large amounts of money.
But, for 'you little folks' there are normally several recovery service companies competing for business in most mid-size to large cities.
In other words, "No big deal."

You can run any one of the many, many applications available with a DOD 5220.22M scan (As many times as you like).
So-Called NSA multi-pass...
Or, Gutmann, 10,000 passes ! Hey, Why Not ?
The above are just a few of the more common and popular buzz-word type processes that are freely available.
Nada.

Defragmentation only increase the probability that a 'deleted' file will be overwritten by a later file sooner rather than randomly later.
So what ?
The old data is still there, even after an overwrite... After 1,000 overwrites !
10,000 !

System Erasers ?
"Replace All Free Space With Zeroes"
Sounds like the magic bullet, eh ?
It's nonsense and in no way makes ANY historical data unrecoverable.


So, as this thread has, to date, been remarkably well 'controlled', may I suggest that the actual original intent of this thread be pursued and that there be no more time, effort and/or polemics wasted on the so-called pros and cons of data destruction ?

If you have stored data, of whatever nature, that you wish to be made unavailable to anyone then your only choice is the total destruction of the storage media and ALL of its storage material components.
This does NOT mean throwing it in water or driving over it with a car or a steamroller or whatever.
It means the physical, i.e. mechanical destruction of the discs followed by fire. Yes, even fragments of 'mechanically destroyed' discs can be used for data recovery.


btw... Be sure to check out the on-going stats regarding the internet...
What are the primary commercial enterprises 'benefiting' from the internet ?

On-Line Gambling

followed by

Porn


"What's new, daddie ?"