Does Formatting A Hard Drive Erase All Data

July 13, 2020

Back up anything you want to keep, such as photos, software product keys, etc. When the hard drive. When you wipe a hard drive, all the data that's stored is erasing beyond the point from where there is no coming back. What I mean is that once you're done erasing your hard drive, you won't. Special software programs can permanently erase your hard drive. There's little chance you can get any data back. Similarly, no one else will be able to use data recovery software to recover your files. Most programs run a low-level format that overwrites all the deleted files with zeros and other incomprehensible data. When you format a volume you may have noticed that the Quick Format is checked as default, like the screen shot below, leave it as checked and Windows will just remove all the files and create a new file system, bad sectors (if there are) are ignored and will be using for accessing and storing data, which will eventually damage the hard drive. Otherwise, formatting a hard drive using the quick format option (or an earlier version of Windows) will not actually erase all of its stored data. When you choose to format a hard drive, you are essentially only removing the pointers to the data as the partition table is either cleared or rebuilt.

You want to donate or recycle your old computer gear, but there's something you have to do first — wipe your hard drive. That means clearing out all your personal information.

You may think that's not a lot of stuff, but your old devices probably hold a ton of information. Your medical records, browser history, login info for your bank account, past emails — all that information about you that accumulates on a device.

It's not enough to simply delete old files. Why? The delete button doesn't actually delete.

Your personal information will be retrievable on a computer's hard drive unless you take steps to wipe the hard drive clean. If you don't, the files are there for the taking. Anyone with recovery software and bad intentions could access them and put your privacy and the security of your personal information at risk.

How to completely wipe a hard drive

Follow these steps to ensure you're truly wiping your hard drive clean. They'll help keep you from passing on or losing your documents, photos, passwords, financial information, and personal data when you say goodbye to your old device.

Step 1: Back up your hard-drive data

Before you wipe your computer's hard drive or do a factory reset, make sure to back up all of your information to your new computer, an external hard drive, or a web service.

Backing up your data regularly is a smart way to keep your data safe. Hard drives can crash, get lost, stolen, or encrypted by ransomware software. The best defense is to make sure all the data is backed up safely and frequently.

You can back up your data on thumb drives or USB flash drives. But keep in mind these are small storage devices and may not accommodate all the data from your PC. External hard drives can offer more storage. You can also transfer your data to another laptop or PC.

'Cloud backs' are another option. They're safe and one of the most convenient ways to store data. Here's how it works.

First, you create an account and complete the initial setup. Next, you enable the storage of your data to the cloud — a network of remote servers. There's no physical location for the backed-up data. So the risk of it getting stolen or destroyed by things like floods or fires is mitigated. Plus, the files are encrypted. That makes it difficult for cybercriminals to access or steal your information.

The importance of data backup

It's a good idea to make backing up data a part of your cyber hygiene. If you happen to lose your data due to a hardware defect or ransomware attack, having a backup could be the respite you're looking for.

Step 2: Don't just delete files from your computer

You might think moving your documents to the trash or recycle bin and emptying it will do the trick. Maybe not. This action appears to delete the files, but often leaves them where they were, hidden from view. Most data recovery programs can actually recover these hidden files.

Here's why. When you empty files from the trash or recycle bin, the file name or the reference to the deleted file is erased. The computer can no longer see the file.

This means the space the file took up on the laptop or PC is no longer reserved for that file. But the file is still in the hard drive. It will stay in the hard drive until its location is given up for a new file to be stored in that exact location.

Data recovery software is capable of rebuilding the file header. This makes it possible for the computer to see the file again.

Here's the risk. When your files are not deleted completely from the hard drive, cybercriminals can run data recovery software to access your deleted files.

Law enforcement agencies use data recovery software to access deleted files from confiscated computers. Cybercriminals can use the same tools and techniques to commit identity theft.

Step 3: Use a program to wipe your drive

Special software programs can permanently erase your hard drive. There's little chance you can get any data back. Similarly, no one else will be able to use data recovery software to recover your files.

Most programs run a low-level format that overwrites all the deleted files with zeros and other incomprehensible data. Mojave 10 14 2 update. This makes it impossible for data recovery software to recover the files.

DBAN is a free data destruction program* that completely erases files on a hard drive. This includes all personal files, operating systems, and installed programs.

It's smart to use a program to wipe your device. Most products offer proof of erasure. Some even provide information about what was done to the drive and its data. This helps when wiping a company laptop or PC.

Step 4: Physically wipe your hard drive

If you want to double-ensure your hard drive is wiped, you can take additional measures. For instance, you can physically wipe the drive. Just remove your hard drive and take a rare earth magnet to it. Another option? Physically dismantle it with a screwdriver.

A rare earth magnet, like the neodymium magnet, can be used to deform the metal plates in the hard disk. This makes it unusable. One warning: The magnets are powerful and can cause physical harm if used incorrectly.

A safer method might be using a screwdriver to dismantle the pieces of the hard drive to make it useless.

Step 5: Do a fresh installation of the operating system

There's another way to completely rewrite over the whole hard drive. That's by completing a clean installation of the original operating system that came with the computer. This can be especially important if you're giving the device to someone like a friend or family member.

What are the risks of not wiping my hard drive?

As the line between the real world and digital world blurs, it's smart to understand how cybercriminals work. A security product like Norton Security Premium helps protect your personal PC files, financial information and your family's devices. But when you discard your device without properly wiping the hard drive, you run the risk of losing your data.

Cybercriminals value your personal data — such as your email address, passwords, Social Security number, driver's license details, and credit card information. They could sell the information on the dark web.

Cybercriminals can buy the information and launch cyberattacks to commit other kinds of crimes like identity theft and extortion. They could open bank accounts in your name, purchase items with your credit card information, or take out loans and default on them, leaving you with the consequences.

Thieves also look for private and confidential information. This may include non-disclosure agreements, personal photographs, private chat conversations, and other details you may not want to expose. If a hard drive wasn't wiped clean, cybercriminals could retrieve this information to blackmail the owner of the content.

Types of data deletion

No matter what kind of data you had on your computer before you decided to donate or recycle it, it pays to play it safe.

Remember, deleting your files from the recycle bin or trash doesn't mean the file is gone from your device. It only means its location is available. Data recovery software can easily find those files in your hard drive.

Here are a few ways to wipe your hard drive like the pros and avoid the risk of someone accessing your old data.

1. DBAN

Short for Darik's Boot and Nuke, DBAN* uses a random number generator that wipes and overwrites everything on the drive several times. Every file that has been deleted now has the new number assigned to it. This makes it impossible for data recovery tools to access it. This tool is useful if you plan to sell, donate, or recycle your computer or laptop.

2. Destroy the hard drive

A sure way to completely destroy the hard drive is to make it physically impossible to access the disks. This can be done by dismantling the pieces of the hard disk with a screwdriver and using a hammer to scratch and mangle the disk. The goal is to make sure the disk will not work when it is loaded into another hard drive. A powerful rare earth magnet can also be used to destroy the platter in the hard drive.

How Norton Utilities can help wipe your hard drive

Your PC is likely packed with personal files. It's wise to keep all that information secure and private. Norton Utilities is a handy tool that keeps your PC running like new. It fixes common issues that slow down or crash your PC. It also frees up space by finding duplicate files and unused applications.

It's commonplace to store personal files on your PC. Now it's easy to keep your digital life private. Safely dispose of personal documents, so no one can access them. Think of it as a digital shredder. Norton Utilities helps keep what you do on your computer private. It can permanently erase all record of your computer and web-based activities to help protect your privacy.

It also safely disposes of personal documents permanently and renders them inaccessible. Most of all, it maintains your digital privacy by erasing your recently opened files and website browsing history.

Plex server windows 10. There's a lot you can do to help protect your personal information if you take the right steps before disposing of your old computer.

Disclaimers and references:

* The inclusion of websites, links, or programs here does not imply endorsement or support of any companies, materials, products and/or providers listed herein.

Copyright © 2020 NortonLifeLock Inc. All rights reserved. NortonLifeLock, the NortonLifeLock Logo, the Checkmark Logo, Norton, LifeLock, and the LockMan Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NortonLifeLock Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Firefox is a trademark of Mozilla Foundation. Android, Google Chrome, Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google, LLC. Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Microsoft and the Window logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. The Android robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Nov 23, 2020 • Filed to: Answer Hard Drive Problems • Proven solutions

If you also own a Linux system, which is running on low disk space, then you might be facing a similar situation. Although Linux is one of the most popular open-source operating systems, it can be a bit complicated at times. For instance, there is no direct solution to do a Linux format disk using a dedicated GUI feature. Don't worry – you can still erase disk on Linux with the help of the right commands. Read on and clear your Linux disk space by following this extensive guide.

Part 1: Why We Need to Format and Wipe Linux Disk?

Before we get to know different ways to format a disk on Linux, it is vital to understand the reasons behind it. Ideally, there could be the following major reasons for wiping or formatting a disk on a Linux system:

• If your system is running low on free space, then you can choose to wipe the data of a partition or a disk.
• Sometimes, a system can become slow by having limited free space. By formatting its Linux drive, you can improve its performance as well.
• If your system has been corrupted by malware, then you can wipe the hard disk of your Linux to resolve this.
• Mostly, users prefer to do a Linux format disk before reselling their systems. This helps them protect their data.
• There could be an issue with the firmware or the system storage, which can be fixed after wiping a Linux disk.

Part 2: How to Format a Linux Hard Drive?

Unlike Windows or macOS, there is not a dedicated disk management tool that can help us partition or format the disk. Therefore, we need to take the assistance of certain commands to format a Linux disk. If you are connecting your drive for the first time to your Linux system, then you need to create a partition beforehand. To implement this, you can enter the fdisk command. Once a partition is created, you can use the 'mkfs.ext4' command to format the disk. Here's a simple solution to format a disk on a Linux system.

Step 1: Create a partition of the disk

Firstly, connect the disk to your Linux system if you haven't already and launch the Terminal window on it. You can enter the following command to check it:

sudo fdisk –l.

Now, to create a partition, enter the command 'fdsk' in the following format:

sudo fdisk /dev/sdb.

This will launch the results of the fdisk command. If you want, you can type 'm' to get help. It will display a list of the supported parameters. You can type 'n' to create a new partition, 'd' to delete the partition, 'p' to check the partition table, and so on.

Firstly, press 'p' and enter to view the partition table. This will let you know about the disk identifier and the sector space. Subsequently, enter the 'n' command to create a new partition. You will be given an option to create a primary or an extended partition. Press 'p' to create a new primary partition and give it a number from 1 to 4. If you want to create a single partition, then enter '1'.

Step 2: Format the disk

Great! Once you have created the relevant partition on your Linux system, you can format it by entering the command –

sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb.

This will make the system look for the available partitions on the drive. When you are asked to confirm your choice, just press 'y'. Afterward, wait for a while as the selected partitions would be formatted on the Linux system.

Step 3: Mount the file system (optional)

If you want, you can mount the file system as well. To do this, you can use the 'mkdir /data' command to make a directory. After that, end the following command to mount it:

mount /dev/sdb1 /data.

Part 3: How to Wipe a Hard Drive on Linux?

If you are planning to resell your system or are concerned about your privacy, then you should consider wiping the drive instead. Unlike formatting a disk, wiping it will erase the data and make the recovery process harder than before. Thankfully, there are multiple commands to do Linux wipe the disk. Here are some simple solutions to wipe a hard drive on Linux.

1. wipe

As the name suggests, the command is used to wipe data from a magnetic disk. Though, a lot of Linux systems do not have the command readily installed. In this case, you can use the apt install command first.

# apt install wipe.

Once it is done, just use the 'wipe' command in the format - wipe [options] target. For instance, to wipe a partition, simply enter the command:

# wipe /dev/sda2

Confirm your choice, by entering 'yes' and wait as the selected partition would be wiped.

2. shred

This is one of the best ways to protect your private data on a Linux system. Ideally, this works as a dedicated shredder – that would overwrite your data with something else, making the recovery process harder. This Linux based command has the following syntax:

shred [option] target

As you know, 'target' would specify the location you wish to shred. It can be a partition, folder, or file name. Subsequently, it can have the following options.

• -n: To overwrite data 'n' times
• -f: To change permission and allow the writing operation
• -u: Truncates the files after shredding them
• -s: To provide the size to shred
• -u: To remove the file after shredding
• -v: To enable the verbose mode
• -z: To add zeros to the final overwriting process

Therefore, you can wipe the Linux disk, by entering a command like this:

# shred -vfz -n 10 /dev/sda2.

This will follow ten passes of overwriting on the provided location, making it impossible for a recovery tool to retrieve data from it.

3. dd

If you are running short on time, then consider using the 'dd' command to erase disk on a Linux system. Instead of generating random data, it will overwrite the entire disk with strings of zeros. Therefore, it will take less time to wipe the disk and protecting your information. Although, it provides certain options that you can use to customize the process. My book external hard drive ps4.

Does Reformatting Hard Drive Erase Everything

dd if=source of=target [Options].

Make sure that you run the command prompt and as a super-user. Here's a simple demonstration of the same.

# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda2 bs=512 count=1.

Does Formatting A Hard Drive Erase Data

The command will overwrite the target location with a string of zeros, as specified in the source. Also, this will copy 512 bytes in a single count. One of the major advantages of this is the time taken by the dd command is lesser than shred.

4. scrub

Lastly, you can also take the assistance of the 'scrub' command to overwrite your disk with specific patterns. Sometimes, the patterns can be randomly generated by the system too. Since the command is not present in every Linux system by default, you might need to install it first. To do this, you can use the apt install command.

Once it is done, just enter the command in the following syntax:

scrub [option] target.

Even if you don't provide an option and just specifies the target location to wipe, the command will work. Though, you would be asked to verify your choice to erase disk on Linux entirely. Here's a quick example of the same:

# scrub /dev/sda5.

Part 4: Tips for Formatting and Wiping Linux Disk

After getting to know about these popular commands to create new disk space on Linux, you would certainly be able to format or wipe it. Besides that, you can consider following these tips to format or wipe the Linux disk successfully.

• Make sure that you have logged-in as a super-user (administrator) while wiping a disk. This will make the entire process a whole lot easier.
• Not every command might be installed on your system. Therefore, you can consider checking its status or installing it beforehand.
• Although there are third-party applications available to shred and wipe a disk, it is recommended to use reliable commands. If you use a readily available tool, then make sure it is from a trusted source with a positive reputation in the industry.
• Always double-check the command before entering it (particularly the syntax and the location). One small error and you might end up causing irrevocable damage to your system.
• Most importantly, take a backup of your important files before wiping the Linux disk. This will make sure that you have a second copy of your vital data in advance.

That's a wrap, folks! Now when you know how to format or wipe disk on Linux, you can easily meet your requirements. In case if you have accidentally deleted your data or have formatted a drive, then use a reliable data recovery solution like Recoverit Data Recovery. Using it, you can just attach your Linux device to a PC and later extract the lost or inaccessible content from it. Go ahead and try some of these methods and feel free to share your shortcuts or tips in the comments below.

Video Tutorial on How to Recover Data from Hard Disk After Disk Wipe

What's Wrong with Drive

Recover Your Drive

Fix Your Drive

Format/Wipe Drive

Know Your Drive