Eraser - hard drive wear?

Discussion in 'privacy technology' started by Fontaine, Feb 26, 2008.

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  1. Fontaine

    Fontaine Registered Member

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    I use Eraser to securely remove data from my hard drive. I've gotten in the habit of basically using Eraser anytime I delete files. Does this wear down my hard drive each time I use it since it's wiping over the data several times? I usually use the 3-pass DoD option.

    Also, in the options of the program, I usually have it set to clear the paging file at shutdown, however when I look at it now, the box is not checked and the option is grayed out so I cannot select it. Any ideas why?
    Thanks!
     
  2. Tarq57

    Tarq57 Registered Member

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    Having not (yet) worn out a hard drive, I don't know, but it seems reasonable that increasing the read/write operations by a large amount will, of course, increase the wear and tear. Since just starting the computer and using it causes the os to perform these operations, I don't know if running Eraser for all file deletion will make that much difference. Maybe someone does. I've read a little about this at the Piriform forums-Ccleaner- without conclusive opinions, except to say it will wear it out "a little" earlier than otherwise.)

    Re clearing the page file:
    The likely "culprit" here seems to me "administrative privileges" or "Windows version". (If you're still running '98 or ME!)

    There is a simple reg modification that can also perform this operation on every shutdown, if you're interested. No need to invoke Eraser.
     
  3. Fontaine

    Fontaine Registered Member

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    Thanks for the reply.
    Good thinking. I just re-enabled admin privileges the other day and this is the first time I checked it, so I'm sure that's it.
    Do you know where I can find the reg hack? If not, I can do some searching on the net too.
     
  4. Fontaine

    Fontaine Registered Member

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    Think I found it from a simple search:

    1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
    2. Change the data value of the ClearPageFileAtShutdown value in the following registry key to a value of 1:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management
    If the value does not exist, add the following value:
    Value Name: ClearPageFileAtShutdown
    Value Type: REG_DWORD
    Value: 1
    Reboot

    Thanks Tarq57!
     
  5. Tarq57

    Tarq57 Registered Member

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    That's exactly the reg mod I was referring to.
    For info, I've found that after enabling (or disabling ) it, it takes a restart or two to become effective.
    And you're welcome.
     
  6. EASTER

    EASTER Registered Member

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    That question is 4 years late. LoL

    I asked it to developer Garret of Heidi's Forums when Eraser first came out and was assured it was completely safe. All these years later nothing is shown signs of wear at all and i still use several drives that used to have Window98 with ERASER for wiping individual files routinely every single day, some even at 35 pass gutmann.

    So i must conclude it's surely safe for HD's from my experiences with it.
     
  7. markymoo

    markymoo Registered Member

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    You can can get just as much wear and tear from scanning frequently with Anti-Virus, Spyware programs everyday. This surely shortens the lifespan of drives.
     
  8. Fontaine

    Fontaine Registered Member

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    Great info guys, thanks.
     
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