HDD Erase

[jmacavali]

I want to take about 30 HDD and wipe them all. I will do this using adapters that will allow me to hook the internal HDD externally. I would like some kind of free software that will wipe the HDD from the computer I would hook them all up to. They will be hooked up via USB to my main computer. Any ideas?

 

[Remeniz]

Try Revo Uninstaller

I use it all the time to remove applications and their associated files/registers and it has the function of completely removing un-recoverable data from a hard drive.

 

[jmacavali]

Doesn't look like it's going to do quite want I want. I want to be able to format/erase an entire hard drive, not just files/folders.

However, it is an interesting program that I will certainly look into a little more. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Remeniz]

I've just spotted this.....

Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN")

 

[jmacavali]

Yup I have that, but I think it requires you to boot up the computer, which I want to avoid. I'll look into that some more as well and see if it will let me run it without booting up.

Basically I need a way to format a ...really big... USB drive because that is essentially what my setup will turn the HDD into.

 

[dude_56013]

I don't know of any software like that that runs in Windows. I'm not getting why you can't wipe them with DBAN...? And I don't really understand what you are trying to do with them...You say you are going to need to format a big USB drive, but the only those 30 drives and connect them together is through RAID. I highly would NOT recommend doing that with 30 drives on a USB ADAPTER. You are looking for trouble.

I still don't understand what you're doing...

 

[jikifreak]

TuneUp Utilities has a built in Shredder that wipes the HDD with military grade. Google it...but it costs $$$

 

[jmacavali]

@jikifreak:
Cost is not good. I work for a school and we are very short on cash so I don't want to have to pay for anything. I want a free program.


@dude_56013 and Remeniz:
Sorry about not being clear. Let me try again:

I have about 30 computers that are being recycled. They are old '98 computers. I have taken the HDD out of them and I need to wipe them clean before I can recycle them. I have a USB style adapter that will allow me to hook them up to my main computer. Like this.

I want a program that will allow me to wipe/format them from my main computer. I was saying they are essentially USB thumb drives becasue of the way they are hooked up. I don't want to have to hook up all 30 computers individually, boot it up, wipe/format it, unhook it and hook the next one up. Even if I have 2 or 3 going at once it will just take to long. I'd like a program that will allow me to format the drive from within Windows on my main computer. Then I'd just plug in the HDD to the USB adapter, wipe/format, unplug and plug the next one in. That is just way easier than doing them individually and needing a monitor/keyboard/mouse/pwr cables/etc.

I guess I don't even know if something like this exists and that is why I'm asking.

 

[jikifreak]

Ok sorry about that, it was a recommendation but due to budgets, I clearly understand

 

[dude_56013]

@jikifreak:
Cost is not good. I work for a school and we are very short on cash so I don't want to have to pay for anything. I want a free program.


@dude_56013 and Remeniz:
Sorry about not being clear. Let me try again:

I have about 30 computers that are being recycled. They are old '98 computers. I have taken the HDD out of them and I need to wipe them clean before I can recycle them. I have a USB style adapter that will allow me to hook them up to my main computer. Like this.

I want a program that will allow me to wipe/format them from my main computer. I was saying they are essentially USB thumb drives becasue of the way they are hooked up. I don't want to have to hook up all 30 computers individually, boot it up, wipe/format it, unhook it and hook the next one up. Even if I have 2 or 3 going at once it will just take to long. I'd like a program that will allow me to format the drive from within Windows on my main computer. Then I'd just plug in the HDD to the USB adapter, wipe/format, unplug and plug the next one in. That is just way easier than doing them individually and needing a monitor/keyboard/mouse/pwr cables/etc.

I guess I don't even know if something like this exists and that is why I'm asking.

So you are taking the HDDs out of their respective computers, wiping them, and then getting rid of them? I don't see why you can't just use one computer, run DBAN on the drive, unplug, plug in the next drive, off you go again....

That's seems to be the logical way. You aren't going to be able to do it from within Windows, and even if you were, it wouldn't be any faster than using DBAN. Just use DBAN and do a short wipe (3 passes I think) and that's perfect for what you are doing.

Do get what I'm saying? So just use one of the 98 machines to DBAN all the drives. It's going to take just as long as doing it from within Windows (if there was a program), so you might as well get to to it rather than looking for one.