Override the bits with garbage - create a text/binary file with random stuff that fills up the drive.
Right now I can't access the drive with Windows. It's seen as unallocated. It does not show up in Explorer, in Disk Management it shows up as unallocated and uninitialized. I try to fix that in Disk Management and it says "The media is write protected."Override the bits with garbage - create a text/binary file with random stuff that fills up the drive.
No, it's all in your head.You keep credit card numbers and passwords on your disk drives?
Really?
Many forms of generic magnetic storage media can be reused after degaussing, including audio reel-to-reel tape, VHS videocassettes, and floppy disks. These older media types are simply a raw medium which are overwritten with fresh new patterns, created by fixed-alignment read/write heads.
For certain forms of computer data storage, however, such as modern hard drives and some tape backup drives, degaussing renders the magnetic media completely unusable and damages the storage system. This is due to the devices having an infinitely variable read/write head positioning mechanism which relies on special servo control data (e.g. Gray Code) that is meant to be permanently embedded into the magnetic media. This servo data is written onto the media a single time at the factory using special-purpose servo writing hardware.
The servo patterns are normally never overwritten by the device for any reason and are used to precisely position the read/write heads over data tracks on the media, to compensate for sudden jarring device movements, thermal expansion, or changes in orientation. Degaussing indiscriminately removes not only the stored data but also the servo control data, and without the servo data the device is no longer able to determine where data is to be read or written on the magnetic medium. The medium must be low-level formatted to become usable again; with modern hard drives, this is generally not possible without manufacturer-specific and often model-specific service equipment.
If the drive won't spin up (which it sounds like), and you have data on it that is a security risk, weigh the risk against the $100 or such that the warranty replacement is worth. I'd probably just destroy the drive.
Baring that however, you can do some fun stuff. For example, being it with you when you get an MRI done. 3 tesla will probably wipe it if you get within a few feet of an MRI machine. However, 3 tesla will also be strong enough to rip it right out of your pants pocket and toss it across the room if you are in axial alignment. Could be fun. Could be deadly. What better reasons to try?
Honestly, the prospect that the drive gets sent back to WD without being crushed or bulk erased doesn't have me terribly nervous. I figure the risk is 1/1000, actually far less that someone will gain access to my CC numbers or passwords and do anything nasty with them.Wow, I was just going to suggest that maybe instead of using a hammer you just run over it with your car but it seems people got you covered.
I watched this. It's evidently soundless. It's pretty good. I was nervous because I couldn't check anything before the scan started or after it started. Evidently (hopefully) I will be able to check the one partition after the scan ends and be able to retrieve it. Should be late tonight or tomorrow. I just need to make sure that WD gets the HD by July 7, guess that should not be a problem. Riverside is about 400 miles from here, USPS should be able to get it there by then.Here a video tutorial on partition recovery with PW when the scan completes.
http://www.partitionwizard.com/video-help/partition-recovery/partition-recovery.html
Here a video tutorial on partition recovery with PW when the scan completes.
http://www.partitionwizard.com/video-help/partition-recovery/partition-recovery.html
The bulk tape eraser was simply too weak - almost every bulk eraser is, and even the most powerful consumer models cannot be trusted to destroy data. One seller of very powerful magnets even warned people they cannot reliably erase data from disks, but they are good for erasing technologically cutting edge media like floppy disks and zip disks.I decide it's time to use the bulk eraser on it (I was starting to get nervous and didn't want to try the Ubuntu Live CD thing), which I did yesterday. I gave it many passes with the Gauss-emitting machine, designed for cartridge tapes, brought the HD home and hooked it up and to my surprise it still passed the Quick test in DLGDIAG, still showed a caution in crystaldiskinfo (on reallocated sector count). My theory is that the metal casing of the HD is deflecting the magnetic field, thus there's still data on the HD that wasn't scrambled.
Uh, in other words they ... what?i highly doubt someone at WD is gonna even bother doing a restoration of data on the drive.
they will check to drive integrity and then try to refurbish it by replacing the bad platter, or motor, and then most likely low lvl format it, or send it off to the recycling plant if its not fixable.
They will not spend the many hours required in a clean room, taking off disks and doing a lvl3 restoration.
Well not unless u work for the government, and the guy at WD happens to be a international SPY that knows u have classified and confidential information on the drive, which relates to national security.
The risk of getting caught for the employee and losing his job is too great, not to mention, they just dont care most of the time. They have a desk pile high of drives they need to check after yours, so them going though RMA'd drives is not on the top of there priority.