Deleting data and partitions from drive

[Daffy D]

Some while ago I posted some advice on using Active@ KillDisk  to delete all data and partitions from a Hdd.

 

I have used this program several times in the past and it worked well for me.

 

Googling for something else I came across a simple, easy way to achieve the same result within Windows, without any 3rd party program.

 

Simply, it's just a few lines under the Run CMD command and the job's done. 

 

Full information on YouTube:-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfS143DikPE  

 

CMD    (administrator?)

Diskpart

List Disk

Select Disk (?)

Clean

Watch the video for the complete sequence

 

 

[Foxx]

9 hours ago, Daffy D said:

a simple, easy way to achieve the same result within Windows

 

No it's not.  KillDisk repeatedly writes over a disk, making data recovery impossible.  DiskPark simpy reformats the drive - the data remain largely recoverable.

[Daffy D]

55 minutes ago, Foxx said:

 

No it's not.  KillDisk repeatedly writes over a disk, making data recovery impossible.  DiskPark simpy reformats the drive - the data remain largely recoverable.

Quite right.

 

DiskPark has limitations, as you say it does not make data totally unrecoverable, and you can't boot DiskPark from a flash drive so can't be used on an active operating system disk ("C") but if you just want to clean up a disk for your own use it works just fine.

 

 

[BigStar]

True, you can do most of what you need from the Windows command line. I still use it occasionally. 'Course, I use the Linux terminal a lot more often. :)

 

Yet typing in commands or even copying and pasting them is a bit tedious. 

 

A graphical partition manager is of general use and lets you see what's going on. I use Paragon HD Manager when I want a big gun. Otherwise

 

https://www.partitionwizard.com/

 

has a free version that does quite a lot, including wiping the disk if desired. Loads quickly, relatively intuitive.

 

[freeworld]

Just use shred or wipe in a linux terminal.

[BigStar]

5 hours ago, freeworld said:

Just use shred or wipe in a linux terminal.

 

OP is talking about

 

1. deletion only, not shredding

2. deleting data and partitions

3. presumably reformatting (NTFS)

4. all within Windows.

 

Within Linux I'd probably use Gparted or the KDE Partition Manager since KDE is my DE of choice.

[freeworld]

17 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

OP is talking about

 

1. deletion only, not shredding

2. deleting data and partitions

3. presumably reformatting (NTFS)

4. all within Windows.

 

Within Linux I'd probably use Gparted or the KDE Partition Manager since KDE is my DE of choice.

The OP actually refers to this Killdisk

 

"Powerful and portable software that allows you to destroy all data on Hard Disks, Solid State Disks (SSD) & USB disks and Memory Cards, excluding any possibility of deleted files and folders data recovery. Active@ KillDisk is a disk sanitation and partition eraser utility, supporting U.S. DoD 5220.22-M and more than 20 international data sanitizing standards."

 

If he wants to only delete the partitions and the data on his harddisk for his personal use and possession then using the windows command prompt and diskpart would be fine and then no reason to use linux or a 3rd party software at all.

 

In linux "disk utility" could also be used to securely wipe data.

[BigStar]

On 12/21/2023 at 11:33 AM, freeworld said:

The OP actually refers to this Killdisk

 

Yes. That was his old way of doing things. Now his topic is the new and easy way from within Windows.