Utility to zero-fill unused space on HD ?

I thought there was a Norton Utilities program that had the capability to
write zeros on all the unused space on the hard drive. I looked at all the
menu options in Norton DiskEdit and Disk Doctor and I don't see any such
capability.

Can someone tell me do you know if Norton has it anywhere? Or what utility
can do it ?

TIA Bill S.

Western Digital Utilities for WD Drives.....Check Web Site.
Seagate may have also...

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:48:29 -0700, "Patches Forever"
<jorkimer99@comcast.net> wrote:

>I thought there was a Norton Utilities program that had the capability to
>write zeros on all the unused space on the hard drive. I looked at all the
>menu options in Norton DiskEdit and Disk Doctor and I don't see any such
>capability.
>
>Can someone tell me do you know if Norton has it anywhere? Or what utility
>can do it ?
>
>TIA Bill S.
>
>

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:48:29 -0700, "Patches Forever"
<jorkimer99@comcast.net> wrote:

>I thought there was a Norton Utilities program that had the capability to
>write zeros on all the unused space on the hard drive. I looked at all the
>menu options in Norton DiskEdit and Disk Doctor and I don't see any such
>capability.
>
>Can someone tell me do you know if Norton has it anywhere? Or what utility
>can do it ?
>
>TIA Bill S.

Eraser

heidi.ie
--
Michael Cecil
http://home.roadrunner.com/~macecil/
http://home.roadrunner.com/~safehex/
http://home.roadrunner.com/~macecil/hackingvista/

In article <9t4b83p3dddklfkijeijq9om0jrmo682pa@4ax.com>,
Michael Cecil <macecil@gmail.com> wrote:
>On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:48:29 -0700, "Patches Forever"
><jorkimer99@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>>I thought there was a Norton Utilities program that had the capability to
>>write zeros on all the unused space on the hard drive. I looked at all the
>>menu options in Norton DiskEdit and Disk Doctor and I don't see any such
>>capability.
>>
>>Can someone tell me do you know if Norton has it anywhere? Or what utility
>>can do it ?
>>
>>TIA Bill S.
>
>Eraser


I have some vague memory of hearing of a feature in XP to write zeros
as appropriate to make sure that old data it to be found in unused
blocks.



--
a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m
Don't blame me. I voted for Gore. A Proud signature since 2001

On 29 Jun 2007 19:32:03 -0400, adykes@panix.com (Al Dykes) wrote:

>In article <9t4b83p3dddklfkijeijq9om0jrmo682pa@4ax.com>,
>Michael Cecil <macecil@gmail.com> wrote:
>>On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:48:29 -0700, "Patches Forever"
>><jorkimer99@comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>>I thought there was a Norton Utilities program that had the capability to
>>>write zeros on all the unused space on the hard drive. I looked at all the
>>>menu options in Norton DiskEdit and Disk Doctor and I don't see any such
>>>capability.
>>>
>>>Can someone tell me do you know if Norton has it anywhere? Or what utility
>>>can do it ?
>>>
>>>TIA Bill S.
>>
>>Eraser
>
>
>I have some vague memory of hearing of a feature in XP to write zeros
>as appropriate to make sure that old data it to be found in unused
>blocks.

You can use the command line tool cipher.

cipher /w:\

where D:\ is the drive desired to be cleared. See the options with
cipher /?
--
Michael Cecil
http://home.roadrunner.com/~macecil/
http://home.roadrunner.com/~safehex/
http://home.roadrunner.com/~macecil/hackingvista/

Thanks for the info everybody

Bill S.

"Frank McCoy" <mccoyf@millcomm.com> wrote in message
news:m85b83p72t9k7h4phdmgcs1fut3va410qo@4ax.com...
> In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt "Patches Forever"
> <jorkimer99@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>>I thought there was a Norton Utilities program that had the capability to
>>write zeros on all the unused space on the hard drive. I looked at all
>>the
>>menu options in Norton DiskEdit and Disk Doctor and I don't see any such
>>capability.
>>
>>Can someone tell me do you know if Norton has it anywhere? Or what
>>utility
>>can do it ?
>>
> TWO Norton utilities will do the job:
> Wipeinfo
> SpeedDisk
>
> In Wipeinfo, you can "Wipe Free Space".
> In SpeedDisk, you have the option of filling free space with zeroes
> after the defrag is done. (Look under Options.)
>
> In either case, if you really want to completely wipe the disk, then
> format it first (Fast Format) and then run either the defrag or the
> wipe.
>
> --
> _____
> / ' / T
> ,-/-, __ __. ____ /_
> (_/ / (_(_/|_/ / <_/ <_

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:20:55 -0500, Michael Cecil wrote:

> On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:48:29 -0700, "Patches Forever"
> <jorkimer99@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>>I thought there was a Norton Utilities program that had the capability to
>>write zeros on all the unused space on the hard drive. I looked at all the
>>menu options in Norton DiskEdit and Disk Doctor and I don't see any such
>>capability.
>>
>>Can someone tell me do you know if Norton has it anywhere? Or what utility
>>can do it ?
>>
>>TIA Bill S.
>
> Eraser
>
> heidi.ie

Eraser is better than most, as it also overwrites cluster tip areas, file
name and alternat[iv]e data streams. Set it to 3 passes for speed, 7 for
security or 35 for paranoia (and go on holiday while you wait).
Don't defrag before using Eraser.
--
Peter.
You don't understand Newton's Third Law of Motion?
It's not rocket science, you know.