Help with Active@ Kill Disk - Hard Drive Eraser

I am about to download the free version of Active@ Kill Disk - Hard Drive Eraser and was wondering if someone could assist me in understanding the different download methods. On the Active@ KillDisk download page:

http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm

they provide the Booting from Floppy and the 1 step Bootable Floppy Creation methods for Free version. The Booting from Floppy method is pretty self explanatory, but I guess I don't quite understand the 1 step Bootable Floppy Creation method. I don't mean to ask a stupid question, but for the 1 step Bootable Floppy Creation method, is that simply a matter of executing the program on the spot by clicking "Run"? Also, for the Bootable ISO Image for Free version
method, could someone tell me a little bit more about that. The instructions say:

This downloads an ISO IMAGE (not a regular file) that needs to be burned to the CD AS AN IMAGE (not as an added file).

What all is entailed in burning to the CD AS AN IMAGE? Also, does anyone know how long it takes for the erase program to run? Thanks in advance for the help.

 

RCGUY


Consider this: FREE VERSION


***Wipes out all floppies and hard disk drives completely by secure overwriting data on physical level using [One Pass Zeros] data destruction method ***


Thats not enough to be worth your time......."one pass....zero" could be recovered so easily...........

Think about that....an decide if you still want to continue.

 

most new cd/dvd burning programs let u burn cd images. such files may have extensions like .nrg, .iso, .bin/.cue, .mds/.mdf. theyre like copies of a cd or dvd but in a single file. if u just need to burn that one image, then download imgburn. for erasing a hard disk, the amount of time required depends on the method u use to erase and ur hard disk speed and size.

 

I would suggest you take a look at DBAN (Darik's Boot & Nuke).
http://dban.sourceforge.net/features.html
Highly regarded...does everything Kill Disk does and more.
Open source and free.
I think it also comes with Heidi's version of Eraser.

 

It's as simple as you think it is: insert blank floppy and run the program.

About 5 - 15 minutes to completely erase my 40 GB harddisk. I use this program on my testing machine to wipe an entire disk. For maximum security use a eraser that supports the Gutmann method. A free program that supports this method can be found on http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone. And Snowman, I understand what you are saying, but the main reason why I am interested in this program is because I am having instablity in my computer and I can't run any strong programs on my computer such as spyware or virus scans because after about 10 minutes into the scan, my computer goes blanks and restarts it. Also, I can't go into Safe Mode to do a Hijackthis scan because after going in to Safe Mode, I get this strange looking unreadable language on the screen. I posted a thread about this at another help forum and it was determined that there was a problem with my the language files and the best course of action would be to reformat my hard drive and reinstall my Windows XP Home Edition OS. Well, one of the persons helping me at the other forum quoted part of an article that he had provided about entering the BIOS settings and setting the CDROM as the first boot device, and added some additional clarification:

"When your computer first boots look for an option to enter the BIOS settings." When the computer is powered up the first screen you see is the video card identification. It then moves to the next screen where the RAM check is done and the drives are detected. At that screen you will see a prompt (usually at the bottom of the screen) that says "Press DEL (F1,F2,Alt-F1 or some other key combo) to enter setup". Press the key required (the one the prompt told you to press) and you will get into BIOS setup. From there you look through the menus until you find a reference to "boot order" or "boot priority". You then set the CDROM as the first boot device.

However, in attempting to do so, when I got into the BIOS setup page, it too was in that strange looking language that I mentioned earlier and I couldn't make heads or tails out of anything and I couldn't find the reference to "boot order" or "boot priority." Therefore, my next plan of attack was to just erase my hard drive and reinstall my Windows XP Home Edition OS from scratch. And yes, if I were going to be selling, donating, or disposing of my computer, I would rather used something more secure than a One Pass program. By the way, in case you were wondering, I would have posted a thread about Hard Drive Erase programs at the other forum, but I had inquired about that in my thread at the other forum and asked to be referred to another thread about Hard Drive Erase programs, but I didn't get too much feedback concerning that, therefore, I decided to post a thread about HD Erase programs at this forum.(Although, I was referred to the Darik's Boot and Nuke program at the other forum, but it turned out that my system was too unstable to install that program onto a floppy disk.)

 

So, diginsight, from what you said, all I need to do is just insert a blank floppy disk into my computer before I click "Run"? Also, I'm just curious....If it's that easy, then why do they even have the Booting from Floppy method? Plus, how secure is this free program from the heidi.ie site? Also, I just checked the site and is this program a full hard drive erase overwriting program, or is it just a program that erases and overwrites certain files on your hard drive?

 

Eraser lets u erase individual files. u can also create a boot disk to erase hard disks.

 

How would I do that, WSFuser. And with all the options that's been given me in this thread, which program would best?

 

after installing Eraser, u should have a context menu that says erase when u rightclick files or folders. to create the boot disk go to the start menu and look for the eraser folder. there should be an item "Create Nuke Boot Disk"

 

Try the demo version of CopyWipe from TerabyteUnlimited, it's excellent and have very advanced mode, even in the demo version.

.merle1.

 

HELP!!!!

Hey folks. I think right now I need a quick solution to wipe my hard drive.(Secure overwriting isn't necessary at the moment.) What is happening is that my computer has been shutting down and restarting itself randomly, however, just a few minutes ago, it shut down and didn't restart. Also, for about the last couple of weeks, my system's instability has not allowed me to do any types of scans(spyware or virus) and around 10 minutes into the scans, my system shuts down and restarts itself. In addition to the instability and the problems with the language files that I am having while in Safe Mode, it's possible that my computer could be infected with something. Does anyone know about the "C\: Format" procedure that is done to wipe out the hard drive? I've heard it mentioned several times at this one help forum, but no one every explained exactly how it's done. I know that you're suppose to key in something like "C\: Format," but where exactly do you suppose to key that in at? Also, how long will that method take to wipe my hard drive? Plus, to reinstall Windows XP, do I just follow the instructions on my disk package?(I never installed my disk the first time. The owner of the shop where I got my computer from installs some sort of global Windows XP Home Edition onto the computers that he sells, but provides a new upopened XP disk where the customer has to key in the "Product Key" number into the computer within a certain amount of time so that the OS will continue to work.)

 

Put your XP disc into the CD-ROM drive and shut-down..........wait a minute or so an turn your computer back on...........this may present you with a means of re-installing or repairing.............give it a try.......you may need your product number.....it should be on the XP disc.......

this would be the simply way.....hope it works for you

 

if u need more instructions for what aka:snowman said, click this microsoft link

 

Thanks for the sugguestion, but I don't know if you saw my one post above that said:

Therefore, I can't use my XP disk to reinstall, repair, or do anything because I can't read my BIOS setup page so that I can set the CDROM as the first boot device. But that's okay, I'll just do a search on the internet and see if I can find instructions on how to format the C drive with the C command.

 

Also, I just clicked on WSFuser's link and if you click on the How to partition and format your hard disk by using the Windows XP Setup program link, under number 1. you will see:

Note To start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM (or from the startup disk), your computer must be configured to start from the CD-ROM drive, the DVD-ROM drive, or the floppy disk drive. In some cases, you may have to modify your computer's BIOS settings to set this configuration. For information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM drive, the DVD-ROM drive, or the floppy disk drive, see the documentation that is included with your computer, or contact the computer manufacturer.

 

Hi, sorry to hear about your woes ! Why don't you power off the PC and take off the cover and short out the CMOS pins to reset the memory back to it's default settings, which should be in normal/ish english ! Then you can carry on with your tasks.

Hope you're back with us soon with better news.


StevieO

 

Yikes!

 

Yikes again!

Clean the Hard Drive Before Dumping Your PC

I think I'll just use the Active@ Kill Disk Eraser.

 

Well, I followed the instructors and clicked on "Run" and inserted the floppy when prompted and downlaoded the program onto the floppy, but I didn't quite know what to do next. At the Kill Disk site, I clicked on the User Guide link, scrolled down and clicked on the:

3.1.3. One-Step Method.

link, got totally confused by the Preparing a DOS-Bootable Floppy Disk section, scrolled down to where it said One-Step Method and wasn't quite sure what "you are ready to boot from the floppy and use the software for disk erasing" meant and clicked on Next and then all hell broke loose. Apparently, I'm making this harder than what it is. Is there anyone who can help simplify this for me?

 

after the floppy has the software loaded onto it, u reboot with the floppy in the drive and start off of it.

 

Hi,

I've been busy at work and didn't have to respond earlier.

It's that simple: insert blank floppy disk, run "killdiskfloppysetup" and press "Start".

 

Hi, Folks. Just for an update, way back in March, I followed diginsight's suggestion and used the easy floppy disk version. The only problem that I had was that the strange gibberish language was on my screen, but I went ahead and tried to run the Killdisk program anyway. I was able to guess my way through the screen and the ascending yellow bars that I saw let me know that the program was progressing to completion as the bars traveled from left to right. However, after the program was completed, I still had the strange language which caused me not to be able to go into my BIOS and tell the controls to accept a CDRom(for the Windows XP Home disk for reformatting). But anyway, one weekend, I took my computer to one of the instructors at the computer college that repaired my computer before, and from his observation, he believed that it needed something called a "BIOS Flash." The instruction told me that he would have to search for the correct BIOS Flash that was needed for my computer and that I would have to bring my computer back the following weekend since he was busy teaching students during the weekdays. Well, my computer sat in the trunk of my car for a week and the subsequent weekend, he still hadn't found the correct BIOS Flash. Well, the same thing happened the following weekend and I got tired of waiting and took my computer to regular repair shop. Also, keep in mind that I live in the midwest in the U.S. and the weather has been kind of cool, actually cold at night, but when the guys at the repair shop hooked up my computer to see exactly what was going on, amazingly, my BIOS screen was displaying in clear English. I asked the guys if the deep cooling of my computer from sitting in the trunk of the car could have somehow helped with the problem with the BIOS language malfunction. They told me that that was possible since overheating can cause various problems with computers. But anyway, they where able to identify a problem with the PowerSupply box not distributing power to my pc correctly, in addition to it's fan being out, along with the CPU not having a fan and getting too hot. Therefore, they replaced the Powersupply box(with a working fan) and added a new fan and new fins to my CPU. Well, apparently, the guys at the repair shop thought that all the problems with my pc were fixed and they were even able to install my Windows XP Home operating system, however, I asked the instructor at the computer college if he could still install Microsoft Word to my computer(since they had originally done so when they had repaired my computer before), however, when I took my computer to the computer college, the instructor couldn't install Microsoft Word to my computer becuase he pointed out to me that the second screen when my computer boots up, was still in gibberish language. He told me that I needed to take my computer back to the shop that had repaired it and show that to them. He also said it looked like it was a problem with the video card. Well, the guys at the repair shop were surprised that the second boot up page was still in gibberish language and said that they didn't notice that before. They also determined that the problem was from a bad video card and put a new one in and the problem was fixed. But anyway, I decided that I didn't want to take my computer back to the computer college and have the instructor install a complimentary copy of Microsoft Word into my computer, so I took my computer home and hooked it up, and now I am merrily on my way.

P.S. I hope this information helps someone else who encounters the same problem with their computer.