If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Is a HDD still functional after using Secure Erase?
Hi guys, this is kind of a weird question, but I am purchasing a used hard
drive and plan on using Secure Erase (http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml) on it before I format it and install Windows on it. The application, "Secure Erase", uses the ATA internal command that is built into the hard drive itself (as you probably already know). My concern is that the drive will be wiped so well that it will lose the ability to be partitioned and formatted. I'm guessing that my concern is not valid, but I should have a more definitive answer before I make an expensive paperweight that looks like a hard drive. Thanks, Jon |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Is a HDD still functional after using Secure Erase?
On Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:04:51 -0700, "Jon Danniken"
wrote: Hi guys, this is kind of a weird question, but I am purchasing a used hard drive and plan on using Secure Erase (http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml) on it before I format it and install Windows on it. The application, "Secure Erase", uses the ATA internal command that is built into the hard drive itself (as you probably already know). My concern is that the drive will be wiped so well that it will lose the ability to be partitioned and formatted. I'm guessing that my concern is not valid, but I should have a more definitive answer before I make an expensive paperweight that looks like a hard drive. Thanks, Jon What do you think yourself?! If a secure erase could be deadly for a ssd then nobody would use the program. And a secure erase before reusing a ssd is even advised by several people... Massimo |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Is a HDD still functional after using Secure Erase?
Jon Danniken wrote:
Hi guys, this is kind of a weird question, but I am purchasing a used hard drive and plan on using Secure Erase (http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml) on it before I format it and install Windows on it. The application, "Secure Erase", uses the ATA internal command that is built into the hard drive itself (as you probably already know). My concern is that the drive will be wiped so well that it will lose the ability to be partitioned and formatted. I'm guessing that my concern is not valid, but I should have a more definitive answer before I make an expensive paperweight that looks like a hard drive. Thanks, Jon I Secure Erased a drive, and am still using it. Be aware, that at least one computer design out there, cannot tolerate an "all zeros" drive. I have a computer here, that stalls in the BIOS, if a zeroed drive is connected. To escape, I have to connect the drive to another computer, then use disk management to put one partition on it. And then, the BIOS on the other computer doesn't mind if the drive is re-connected. So that tells me, the BIOS snoops the content of the hard drive (the first sector) a little too much for its own good. In that case, the BIOS would just sit there, even though the BIOS settings are not set to try to boot from that drive. There could be a perfectly valid boot drive, plus a second "all zeros" hard drive, and then the BIOS just sits there, and nothing happens. Paul |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Is a HDD still functional after using Secure Erase?
Paul wrote:
I Secure Erased a drive, and am still using it. Be aware, that at least one computer design out there, cannot tolerate an "all zeros" drive. I have a computer here, that stalls in the BIOS, if a zeroed drive is connected. To escape, I have to connect the drive to another computer, then use disk management to put one partition on it. And then, the BIOS on the other computer doesn't mind if the drive is re-connected. So that tells me, the BIOS snoops the content of the hard drive (the first sector) a little too much for its own good. In that case, the BIOS would just sit there, even though the BIOS settings are not set to try to boot from that drive. There could be a perfectly valid boot drive, plus a second "all zeros" hard drive, and then the BIOS just sits there, and nothing happens. Thanks Paul, I appreciate it. One other thing I think I read about is that SE also removes sectors marked as bad, but now I can't find the page (of course). Fortunately the drive I'm buying only has 90 hours on it, so maybe I'll be fine. Jon |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Is a HDD still functional after using Secure Erase?
Jon Danniken wrote:
Paul wrote: I Secure Erased a drive, and am still using it. Be aware, that at least one computer design out there, cannot tolerate an "all zeros" drive. I have a computer here, that stalls in the BIOS, if a zeroed drive is connected. To escape, I have to connect the drive to another computer, then use disk management to put one partition on it. And then, the BIOS on the other computer doesn't mind if the drive is re-connected. So that tells me, the BIOS snoops the content of the hard drive (the first sector) a little too much for its own good. In that case, the BIOS would just sit there, even though the BIOS settings are not set to try to boot from that drive. There could be a perfectly valid boot drive, plus a second "all zeros" hard drive, and then the BIOS just sits there, and nothing happens. Thanks Paul, I appreciate it. One other thing I think I read about is that SE also removes sectors marked as bad, but now I can't find the page (of course). Fortunately the drive I'm buying only has 90 hours on it, so maybe I'll be fine. Jon Yeah, I read that somewhere too, that the spare sectors also get erased. What that means is, the head will pass over all sectors, and apply write current. But it doesn't have to verify how the write turned out. It's not a write-verify kind of operation, more or less a "best effort", since it's inevitable that some sectors are too defective to be touched (like, embedded sync is missing as well). If the embedded sync is demagnetized, then the head won't be able to actively track position and keep the head over the track. The erase routine would have to move on to the next location, if that happens. Paul |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Is a HDD still functional after using Secure Erase?
Paul wrote:
Jon Danniken wrote: Thanks Paul, I appreciate it. One other thing I think I read about is that SE also removes sectors marked as bad, but now I can't find the page (of course). Fortunately the drive I'm buying only has 90 hours on it, so maybe I'll be fine. Jon Yeah, I read that somewhere too, that the spare sectors also get erased. What that means is, the head will pass over all sectors, and apply write current. But it doesn't have to verify how the write turned out. It's not a write-verify kind of operation, more or less a "best effort", since it's inevitable that some sectors are too defective to be touched (like, embedded sync is missing as well). If the embedded sync is demagnetized, then the head won't be able to actively track position and keep the head over the track. The erase routine would have to move on to the next location, if that happens. Paul I think my concern is that whatever effort the drive has put into identifying bad sectors is going to be wiped over, re-exposing the bad sectors as legitimate locations, instead of as marked bad. In other words, does the record that identifies bad sectors get written over as well? Jon |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Is a HDD still functional after using Secure Erase?
Jon Danniken wrote:
Paul wrote: Jon Danniken wrote: Thanks Paul, I appreciate it. One other thing I think I read about is that SE also removes sectors marked as bad, but now I can't find the page (of course). Fortunately the drive I'm buying only has 90 hours on it, so maybe I'll be fine. Jon Yeah, I read that somewhere too, that the spare sectors also get erased. What that means is, the head will pass over all sectors, and apply write current. But it doesn't have to verify how the write turned out. It's not a write-verify kind of operation, more or less a "best effort", since it's inevitable that some sectors are too defective to be touched (like, embedded sync is missing as well). If the embedded sync is demagnetized, then the head won't be able to actively track position and keep the head over the track. The erase routine would have to move on to the next location, if that happens. Paul I think my concern is that whatever effort the drive has put into identifying bad sectors is going to be wiped over, re-exposing the bad sectors as legitimate locations, instead of as marked bad. In other words, does the record that identifies bad sectors get written over as well? Jon No, the state of automatic sector sparing should be preserved. The "bad" sectors are still bad, and their replacements are still in usage. It would go against the ATA/ATAPI sense of automatic sector sparing, to unto that. But SCSI heritage drives support that kind of thing - the ability for the user to override the system (I've done it, to drives at work). AFAIK, ATA/ATAPI doesn't have that as an option. ATA/ATAPI drives have private means to make changes to drive state - one would be some kind of factory software, or perhaps by means of a firmware update. The drives accept firmware updates, either temporary ones, or permanent ones. And some drives have a three pin serial port interface, and there is some kind of terse language used there to talk to the controller. Perhaps some command there could do it. But using regular protocol commands over IDE ribbon or SATA cable, probably not. The ATA/ATAPI automatic system continues to maintain the same state. Paul |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Secure Erase My Hard Drive? | gecko | General | 7 | September 10th 08 02:28 PM |
DoD Harddrive Secure Erase Wipe | oktokie | Storage & Hardrives | 4 | April 29th 08 06:35 PM |
DoD Harddrive Secure Erase Wipe | oktokie | General | 2 | April 3rd 08 11:40 AM |
DoD Harddrive Secure Erase Wipe | oktokie | Storage (alternative) | 0 | April 3rd 08 02:38 AM |
How to secure erase memory card? | MarkW | General | 2 | May 31st 06 03:13 AM |