Looking for a hard drive utility.....

I'm looking for a hard drive util that runs from within Windows, and will perform a low level wipe (also known as 'zero-ing' a drive) to a slaved or external USB hard drive. I know there's plenty of bootable ones, and I do use those from time to time, but there are times when I don't have the time to shut down, unplug, open the case, install a drive (maybe with an adapter if it's a laptop drive), plug in, power up, boot to a bootable CD/floppy, etc.... I looked through the driver cleaners section here at MG (I skimmed real quick and may have missed something) and didn't find anything. If anyone knows of a stand-alone app that will do this, that would be ideal. I could then just put it on ye olde USB flash drive and run it at will w/o having to install it....

THANKS!

 

i don't know if this is what your looking for? - sos

http://www.feyrer.de/g4u/ <-- read section 5.10

http://www.feyrer.de/g4u/nullfile-1.02.exe <-- nullfile-1.02.exe

edit - n/m, this will zero it out, but leave data entact. so, i guess if you had no data, it might work?

what about ubcd, or do you have to boot from it? can you run it in windows?

 

Slightly off topic, dlb, but I recently purchased a "Smart Dongle" hardware pack. Model # VP-92148

Features USB 2.0 to IDE and SATA Adapter kit.
Standalone USB 2.0 to Serial ATA / IDE Storage.
Compliant with USB 2.0 specifications.
Native Plug-N-Play support for Windows ME / 2000/ XP
HDD active LED

Bazza's note: Don't see why it wouldn't work with Vista, though.
Might simplify your Hardware swopping. :-D

Jayco (OZ)# XC4833
May be the same # in USA and UK. I'm still to use it as I have been involved in loading tracks onto 3 iPods.

Bazza

 

If that's the VanTec "Everything-To-USB-Adapter" I'm way ahead of you I've had one for over a year and a day doesn't go by that I don't use it. Here's a link to more info http://www.vantecusa.com/demo/front/product/pro_list/61
What I need is a low level tool (like a Boot-N-Nuke) to completely zero out a hard drive including the boot sector, everything. But it MUST run from within Windows (at least 2000 and XP, Vista is a bonus but not required). If it's a stand-alone, even better. And if it's fast, even more better. (More better?)

THANKS!

 

Nobody? Nothing?
:cry

(yes, this is a bump )

 

Check out http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=161443 referring back to Adrynalyne's tip at http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=138098 relating to mkdiskraw command.

Hope this helps. Bazza

 

I have used Eraser as well but I had all kinds of problems with it. Mainly it would refuse to erase certain files and no matter what I did it would be locked into refusal mode (if I used unlocker on a file prior to eraser, it would work, but if I tried unlocking it after attempting to erase, it would refuse even after the file was unlocked, saying it was still in use when it wasn't anymore). So I switched to BCwipe and found a free version that works just great without any glitches. I found it on a site that lists a bunch of Last Free Versions, heres the page for Bcwipe:

Code:

http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/page14.html

There's 30+ pages of last free versions of stuff ranging from VSO divxtodvd (convertX) and dbPowerAmp Music Converter to WYSIWYG Web Builder. Take a look around, but don't be fooled by the shareware at the bottom of each page, not everything listed is free there.

Since its an older version of Bcwipe and the newer ones are not free, I'm not at all certain if it will recognize usb or sata drives, but its free to try and comes in handy for deleting stuff to keep your drive clean from recycle bin clutter.

 

Nice link Appzalien! Totally off topic, but I've been looking for the free version of VSO's DivXtoDVD for a L O N G time. Thanks. It's on page 12 if anyone cares Anyway, I'll check out BCwipe and see what's up with it, but there's plenty of wipe tools here at MajorGeeks (DPWipe is one I've used with great results http://www.majorgeeks.com/DP_Wiper_d4916.html and it's free). What I need is a tool like the format option in the WinXP Disk Management console. But I need it to do a really low level wipe, zeroing the entire drive including the boot sector. Wiping individual files and folders is great, but I need something that runs from within Windows that will wipe the entire drive in one shot regardless of the file system or data on the drive.

 

The Eraser post before me was what I commented on basically and steered me in that direction, a drive wipe utility would probably wipe the boot sector but wouldn't really format a drive. When I want to format a drive to the bare disk I usually pull out my Win98 floppy and format unconditionally (format d: /u) from a boot in DOS of course but maybe if you copied the floppy to the root of C you could run it from the command prompt and use its format tools from there. I wouldn't have the slightest Idea how to do that (autoexe.bat?) but you know what I mean right? Also if you were to edit the config.sys file so it didn't create a RAM drive or load cd-rom drivers it would probably work better cause it wouldn't move the rom drives up a letter and you wouldn't need the drivers in windows.

The problem is its a fat32 format and there's no good way to tell which drive your about to format except by drive letter and that could be dangerous. The fat32 can be solved with a second format from the disk management tools but I'm starting to think this is not a good idea.

 

Hmmm... interesting idea: running a boot floppy from a command prompt window.... verrrry interesting. Yeah, the config file would need some editing, but it sure is an interesting idea. Perhaps not the easiest, or really what I was looking for, but it might work. I have to try to it just to see if I can get it to work! Thanks.

Anyone else? Anything? Anyone? :cry Hello????

 

CCleaner will do the job up to department of defense, or NSA standards.

Here's how:

1. Install and launch CCleaner
2. Hit ALT + o (or click the 'Options' tab)
3. Press the 'Settings' button
4. Next to 'Secure Deletion' select the 'Secure File Deletion' radio button
5. On the drop down, select the level of security you desire
6. Press the 'Include' button
7. Add the external/slave drive
8. Run CCleaner

 

I hadn't thought of using CCleaner. I use it all the time for cleaning temp files, junk files, reg cleaning, etc. Will it erase the entire drive completely including the boot sector and everything? If so, I can just use the portable version of CCleaner and I would need to install it every time; I'd just run it from my USB thumb drive :-D

 

Hi dlb. You might want to try diskpart.exe. command line utility supplied with all versions XP and i think with 2k. look in help and support under disks manage disks from the command line for info on diskpart. I have never tried it and i dont know if it will run off of a flash drive but i suspect that it might since it is not a gui program. the command to zero a disk is clean all. clean with no argument just zeros the MBR and partion tables. I would read all the help info at least twice and be sure that I had a backup image of my system disk in case I fat fingered my way into disaster. good luck. Jerry

 

c:\>diskpart
DISKPART>list disk (or partition) (or volume)
DISKPART>select disk #
DISKPART>clean
DISKPART>exit

you just zero'd your drive. Want more commands - DISKPART>disk ?

want even more...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300415