Securely Erase Hard Drive with Darik's Boot And Nuke

When we want to delete some files we do not use any more, we usually simply hit delete button or click empty recycle bin icon. There is nothing wrong with this method, but you should now, this way of deleting files is actually no deleting at all but simply telling Windows to remove connections which tell Windows where and what files you are keeping.To permanently delete files (pictures, movies, diary etc) we must overwrite them with other data otherwise files still remain on hard drive and with special programs such as Recuva and forensic techniques those files could be restored.


There are a lot of programs for erasing computer files but basically they are all sorted in two categories: programs run inside operating system on one hand and self-contained boot cd/usb/floppy on the other hand. Major distinction between the two categories is that programs in first category erase only files or drives you specify and leave operating system intact and the other one erases all existing data, including operating system itself. Here I am going to show you the second option.

Darik’s Boot And Nuke is a free self - contained boot disk which uses several different erasing techniques like DOD 5220 and Gutmann and offers up to 35 sequential erasing cycles which is considered to be secure enough for even the most intelligent forensic methods can not recover them any more. DBAN for short can be installed on a Cd, Dvd, Usb, and floppy. When you are done burning it on a CD simply insert it into Cd/Dvd drive and restart computer to boot with it. To be able to boot from a Cd you must enable this option in BIOS under boot options (enable boot from Cd - is what you are looking for). When a blue screen appears (not the one we all hate) choose boot with graphical interface, wait for a few seconds until it loads and than choose desired erasing method and number of erasing cycles (higher is more secure). This process might last for the entire day, depending on the amount of data and chosen method so be prepared for it.

Download Darik’s Boot And Nuke

Securely Erase Hard Drive with Darik's Boot And Nuke