# Best External HD Cleaner software?



## dawgfan (Jul 3, 2008)

I need to really clean some HDs - like govt clean. Any suggested software?


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## dane (Aug 30, 2007)

Disassemble HD, remove platters, wipe down vigorously with a strong magnet (the ones on the back of the woofers in an RS-750 will suffice), triple wrap them in ziplocks, place on several bricks and proceed to smash them with a 20lb sledgehammer.

I know of WHAT to do for a good clean wipe, I just don't know of any freeware tools out there to do it.. I have an older copy of Partition Magic that does have a wipe feature. Other partitioning software probably offer similar features.

..dane


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## dawgfan (Jul 3, 2008)

Thanks, Dane. I shoulda specified I'd like to use 'em again.


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## skullguise (Apr 17, 2008)

There should be several freeware "wipe" programs that will overwrite the HDD with all zeroes. Even ones that'll do multiple passes.

Go to www.nanoags.com and look under disk tools (I THINK that's the category) for the freeware category. Should be more than one there.

If it's for your own personal use, though, there is less need to do a secure wipe, I'd say. A full format (not quick) should be fine, and would even help ID bad sectors if they exist.

Whatever the case, good luck!


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## mojave (Dec 30, 2006)

DBAN is supposed to be very good.


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## JazzySmooth (Dec 6, 2008)

DBAN may work for you - http://www.dban.org/

Govt of Canada and several state / county offices use it.

Download here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/dban/

supposedly version 2.0 supports USB drives. I've only used it for internal drives though.

NOTE: "DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect" - so I'd suggest removing or disconnecting any internal drives you don't want to wipe just in case


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## dawgfan (Jul 3, 2008)

JazzySmooth said:


> NOTE: "DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect" - so I'd suggest removing or disconnecting any internal drives you don't want to wipe just in case



I wondered about that. Thanks for the warning.


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## dane (Aug 30, 2007)

dawgfan said:


> Thanks, Dane. I shoulda specified I'd like to use 'em again.


Ohhh.... *now* you go adding more conditions to your request.. 

..dane


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## ljhodad (Jun 14, 2009)

*First Post!*

CCleaner.com v2.19.901 FREEWARE

Under Settings you can select Secure file deletion:

Simple overwrite (1 pass)
DOD 5220.22-M (3 passes)
NSA (7 passes) or
Gutmann (35 passes)

plus select drives to wipe free space

I use it several times a week - highly recommended

***Lurker from head-fi.org, but I think there's a Gizmo in my future...


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## dweeke (Oct 30, 2006)

I was looking through some programs out of curiosity, and this seems most intriguing to me. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDDerase
http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml


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## dawgfan (Jul 3, 2008)

Thanks for the additional suggestions. I already use CCleaner, but didn't notice that it had the secure file deletion features. I really like the CMRR stuff too.


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