How to wipe a disk that cannot be mounted in WinXPor Vista

Don Olique wrote:
> I have a WD 400 GB RE2 disk disk drive that has a CRC error somewhere that
> prevents Windows from formatting it or even create a partition there.
> (so much for 1.2 miliion hours mtbf)
>
> XP and Vista fails when formatting it.
> I have tried to delete the partition and recreate it, but only the wiping
> succeeded.
>
> I have extracted all the data with GetDataBack, but I also want to wipe the
> files from it before it is returned for replacement.
> GetDataBack is able to access the drive even though WIndows refuses to work
> with it.
>
> I used WinDLG from Western Digital and tried the option "Write zeros to disk",
> but that program did only work for 5 minutes until it
> met with a bad sector, and refused to continue writing.
>
> Is there any software that can wipe the disk with its current condition?

I would probably try dban. Nothing to lose at this point, right?

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:41:29 -0500, Don Olique
<lingus@finger.com> wrote:

>I have a WD 400 GB RE2 disk disk drive that has a CRC error somewhere that
>prevents Windows from formatting it or even create a partition there.
>(so much for 1.2 miliion hours mtbf)
>
>XP and Vista fails when formatting it.
>I have tried to delete the partition and recreate it, but only the wiping
>succeeded.
>
>I have extracted all the data with GetDataBack, but I also want to wipe the
>files from it before it is returned for replacement.
>GetDataBack is able to access the drive even though WIndows refuses to work
>with it.
>
>I used WinDLG from Western Digital and tried the option "Write zeros to disk",
>but that program did only work for 5 minutes until it
>met with a bad sector, and refused to continue writing.
>
>Is there any software that can wipe the disk with its current condition?
>

Try booting system to the DOS(?) bootable version to wipe.
http://support.wdc.com/product/downl...id=504&lang=en


Keep in mind that unless you have some pretty questionable
stuff on the drive like plans to overthrow the government or
child pron, you wouldn't have much to worry about if there
was some remnant of data on a platter you'd already began
wiping. If any HDD company were to start mining data off
customer returned drives it'd be the end of their business,
through both loss of sales and lawsuits till the end of
time.

Don Olique wrote:

> I have a WD 400 GB RE2 disk disk drive that has a CRC error somewhere that
> prevents Windows from formatting it or even create a partition there.
> (so much for 1.2 miliion hours mtbf)
>
> XP and Vista fails when formatting it.
> I have tried to delete the partition and recreate it, but only the wiping
> succeeded.
>
> I have extracted all the data with GetDataBack, but I also want to wipe
> the files from it before it is returned for replacement.
> GetDataBack is able to access the drive even though WIndows refuses to
> work with it.
>
> I used WinDLG from Western Digital and tried the option "Write zeros to
> disk", but that program did only work for 5 minutes until it
> met with a bad sector, and refused to continue writing.
>
> Is there any software that can wipe the disk with its current condition?

have you tried partition magic if you that worried about the data on it put
the hard drive next to a magnet.

On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:51:06 +0100, darklight
<nglenngeln@netscape.net> wrote:

>Don Olique wrote:
>
>> I have a WD 400 GB RE2 disk disk drive that has a CRC error somewhere that
>> prevents Windows from formatting it or even create a partition there.
>> (so much for 1.2 miliion hours mtbf)
>>
>> XP and Vista fails when formatting it.
>> I have tried to delete the partition and recreate it, but only the wiping
>> succeeded.
>>
>> I have extracted all the data with GetDataBack, but I also want to wipe
>> the files from it before it is returned for replacement.
>> GetDataBack is able to access the drive even though WIndows refuses to
>> work with it.
>>
>> I used WinDLG from Western Digital and tried the option "Write zeros to
>> disk", but that program did only work for 5 minutes until it
>> met with a bad sector, and refused to continue writing.
>>
>> Is there any software that can wipe the disk with its current condition?
>
>have you tried partition magic if you that worried about the data on it put
>the hard drive next to a magnet.


Ever tried to erase a hard drive with a magnet? I mean
without opening it, can't open it as that'll void the
warranty. Hard drives are not very susceptible to external
magnets, it'd have to be extremely strong and far more
powerful than what most would have access to.

I have a WD 400 GB RE2 disk disk drive that has a CRC error somewhere that
prevents Windows from formatting it or even create a partition there.
(so much for 1.2 miliion hours mtbf)

XP and Vista fails when formatting it.
I have tried to delete the partition and recreate it, but only the wiping
succeeded.

I have extracted all the data with GetDataBack, but I also want to wipe the
files from it before it is returned for replacement.
GetDataBack is able to access the drive even though WIndows refuses to work
with it.

I used WinDLG from Western Digital and tried the option "Write zeros to disk",
but that program did only work for 5 minutes until it
met with a bad sector, and refused to continue writing.

Is there any software that can wipe the disk with its current condition?

kony wrote:
> On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:51:06 +0100, darklight
> <nglenngeln@netscape.net> wrote:
>
>> Don Olique wrote:
>>
>>> I have a WD 400 GB RE2 disk disk drive that has a CRC error somewhere that
>>> prevents Windows from formatting it or even create a partition there.
>>> (so much for 1.2 miliion hours mtbf)
>>>
>>> XP and Vista fails when formatting it.
>>> I have tried to delete the partition and recreate it, but only the wiping
>>> succeeded.
>>>
>>> I have extracted all the data with GetDataBack, but I also want to wipe
>>> the files from it before it is returned for replacement.
>>> GetDataBack is able to access the drive even though WIndows refuses to
>>> work with it.
>>>
>>> I used WinDLG from Western Digital and tried the option "Write zeros to
>>> disk", but that program did only work for 5 minutes until it
>>> met with a bad sector, and refused to continue writing.
>>>
>>> Is there any software that can wipe the disk with its current condition?
>> have you tried partition magic if you that worried about the data on it put
>> the hard drive next to a magnet.
>
>
> Ever tried to erase a hard drive with a magnet? I mean
> without opening it, can't open it as that'll void the
> warranty. Hard drives are not very susceptible to external
> magnets, it'd have to be extremely strong and far more
> powerful than what most would have access to.

I wonder if you could wrap the case with wire and apply current,
effectively making the hard drive the electromagnet's core? That would
certainly direct the magnetic field into the right area, and you could
increase the strength just by making more windings.

"Don Olique" <lingus@finger.com> wrote in message newsart1of1.1.yRHn9Jkjd8CJXg@ue.ph...

if all else fails find someone with a bulk eraser device - the type that erases tapes.
Some of these devices are very powerful and will be strong enough to wipe your disc.
Recording studios usually have them....

On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:30:54 GMT, Grinder
<grinder@no.spam.maam.com> wrote:


>> Ever tried to erase a hard drive with a magnet? I mean
>> without opening it, can't open it as that'll void the
>> warranty. Hard drives are not very susceptible to external
>> magnets, it'd have to be extremely strong and far more
>> powerful than what most would have access to.
>
>I wonder if you could wrap the case with wire and apply current,
>effectively making the hard drive the electromagnet's core? That would
>certainly direct the magnetic field into the right area, and you could
>increase the strength just by making more windings.

I doubt that would induce a strong enough field to matter.
Magnets are pretty strong at their poles and yet a typical
magnet like that with the pole up against the cover near the
platter would usually not have enough field strength to
realign the platter particles. I suppose if you used hefty
enough wire, enough current, it would seem to be getting
dangerous... a hard drive isn't worth all that much usually,
given that it's dead and no data remaining to retrieve by
the user.

tg wrote:
> "Don Olique" <lingus@finger.com> wrote in message newsart1of1.1.yRHn9Jkjd8CJXg@ue.ph...
>
> if all else fails find someone with a bulk eraser device - the type that erases tapes.
> Some of these devices are very powerful and will be strong enough to wipe your disc.
> Recording studios usually have them....

Too bad this is just a prototype:
http://www.networkworld.com/news/200...rd-dog.html?t5

On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:36:20 +0100, "tg"
<tg@nospamevereverever.net> wrote:

>
>"Don Olique" <lingus@finger.com> wrote in message newsart1of1.1.yRHn9Jkjd8CJXg@ue.ph...
>
>if all else fails find someone with a bulk eraser device - the type that erases tapes.
>Some of these devices are very powerful and will be strong enough to wipe your disc.
>Recording studios usually have them....
>

I can't say whether a big enough bulk eraser would do
anything to a hard drive, but tapes are much much easier to
erase with a magnet/magnetic field than a hard drive is.
Even a refrigerator magnet will erase a tape but a giant fan
magnet and motor won't do anything to a hard drive if
mounted right on top of it.