How many times to 'clear' a plate drive

**Banny** · Jul 22nd 2012

How many times do you have to low level format to wipe a hard disc drive before the data is irretrievable?

Happy_highlander · Jul 22nd 2012

Minimum 5 passes but some recommend 14. Best bet is to nuke the drive multiple times using darick's nuke program from hirens boot disc.

**Banny** · Jul 22nd 2012

Was a trick question mate, you only need to do one pass :)

This was one of those things that someone hypothesised and become fact, when it was only ever said that it could be possible, which it isn't :)

Happy_highlander · Jul 22nd 2012

My preffered method to protect old hdd info is to cut then up with an angle grinder and put the parts in different bins

**Banny** · Jul 22nd 2012

Better safe than sorry :)

ijmorrison · Jul 24th 2012

degauss it .. that's what I do to my work ones :) no way it will ever come back lol

Iain

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