Check That A Ssd Has Been Securely Wiped

I am trying to securely erase my SSD using pMagic's Erase Disk but it keeps showing files in PhotoRec when I go to doublecheck that it has wiped everything.

I have erased the disk using ATA and NVMe methods, using secure and enhanced methods. But I continue to be able to find folders when using PhotoRec. Some dating as far back at 2013. They almost seem to be the folders associated with pMagic, but why would they show as being on my SSD?

Thanks,
EQL

 

You never ever "wipe" a SSD. For one, because of the "wear leveling" feature used on SSDs, wipe programs cannot touch every storage location. And second (while less a problem with modern generation SSDs) wiping a SSD puts excessive wear on the SSD, but only in some of the storage locations (again, because of "wear leveling").

Wiping a "hard" disk involves writing a bunch of random 1s and 0s to every storage location to obliterate any "residual magnetism" that represented the 1s and 0s of previously saved data.

"Solid state" disks don't use magnetic particles so wiping serves no purpose.

When you say pMagic, what do you mean? There are multiple programs that go by that including Parted Magic, and more than one program that goes by Partition Magic.

A "Full" format (not "Quick") is typically good enough to ensure no data on a SSD is recoverable. A recovery program may find files after they have been formatted or deleted from an SSD, but that does not mean they are usable files. They often are zero-byte files - that is, no data in them and therefore of no value to bad guys. So make sure the files you are finding actually have data in them.

Have you checked the site for the SSD maker? Many SSDs come with secure erase features built into the drive. And most drive makers provide utilities that use those secure erase features.

Why do you want to securely erase this drive? If you are getting rid of the drive, that makes sense. But if you are going to keep using it, there is no need. Eventually, all the old data will be destroyed anyway.

 

Thank you for your response.
I am getting rid of the drive and want to make sure none of my work files are recoverable.
I used PartedMagic and the "erase disk" feature. I read online that it would detect an SSD and properly 'wipe' it. I know that you do not want to do what you do to a regular hard drive with writing 1 and 0 all over the drive multiple times because of the wearing out that SSDs can have.
I am thinking that the folders that PhotoRec finds is just folders from PartedMagic. For some strange reason they are showing up as if they are on this SSD instead of being on the USB key (they actually show up in both places). So I think my data has been securely erased.
I have checked Toshiba's website but they do not have an SSD utility for my drive. Just their OCZ one.

Thank you,
EQL

 

additionally TestDisk does not find any partitions.
EQL

 

Wearing out the SSD is really the minor downside (at least with modern SSDs).

The main reason is "wipe" programs are not totally effective with SSDs.

Even with modern SSDs, each storage location has a limited number of writes. It is a HUGE number that would take many years of heavy use to reach so it is not a problem in that respect. But to ensure no storage location on the drive is used more than another, all SSDs use "wear leveling" to ensure even distribution of writes across every storage location throughout the entire drive. That means a true "wipe" program may not be able to reach each and every storage location because wear leveling may intercept the call and direct the write to a lessor used location - thus potentially leaving some previously saved data in place.

As far as the SSD Utility, it does say Secure Erase supports "All" products, "except for RD400/400A, Z-Drive 6000, ZD6000/6300".

 

When i get rid of my old drives i have a nice hammer that i introduce the drives to before i bin them , believe me no one will ever reconstruct one of my drives