Encryption + Format = a new form of data wiping?

I used TrueCrypt to encrypt a partition and was curious to see what my recovery program "File Scavenger" would be able to recover. Surprisingly, the program could not recover a single file. It seems to me that this method of "wiping data" was more effective than the "Eraser" wiping program (Which had leftover recoverable data..) This leads me to the following question:

Is encrypting a partition + formatting it a better form of wiping data?


(Note: I only used regular overwrite TrueCrypt Option (Fastest) VS DOD or Gutmann)

 

1. If you encrypt a disk with a good encryption program, then you've also wiped that disk. Disk encryption programs can do everything wiping programs can do, plus they have the added benefit of actually encrypting your disk.

2. Eraser doesn't wipe the whole disk. It only wipes empty areas and securely erases files. Programs like DBAN wipe the whole disk.

Edit: It's not new (referring to the thread title).

 

Does Truecrypt encrypt, empty space, bad blocks, reallocated sectors, or hidden partitions?
Probably is a waste of encryption processing to do so because there is no usefull data to encrypt or it can't access it.

Does your wiping program wipe these same spaces?
If not, then your wiping program is missing some things.

 

Just some more information for people who are still learning.....

http://www.h-online.com/newsticker/...ion-a-single-overwrite-will-do-it-739699.html


I also recommend using Whole Disk Encryption!