DBAN and format?

suomi

suomi

suomi

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3 Apr 2007
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Never having wiped a disk previously, I was wondering if I could ask what may be a silly question.

Is it better to format the SSD then run DBAN after the format, or is there nothing in it and just run DBAN straight away?

As I am selling on the SSD a clean disk is more important than how long it takes.

Thanks.
 
I don't think there's anything in it as I think a regular format just does the same thing that deleting a file does. It's still there, just hidden. I'd just run a format straight off the bat.
 
Just make sure you only run a single pass of DBAN on the SSD, no point in anything more than a single pass for flash based storage (not least of all because it will run more use cycles through the blocks, but also because there is no residual data left behind like there would be on a magnetic platter).
 
Essexraptor said:
qucik question please?

what's the difference between a secure erase and formatting?

thanks :)
Click to expand...

Formatting deletes the data on the disk but the data still remains there. When you delete stuff all that happens is the data is removed from view and it can be rewritten over. This is why if you deleted a file not too long ago, you can download a data recovery program which can get the deleted files back for you.

Whereas with a secure erase the program being used (in this case DBAN), deletes the data and then writes over it with random 1s and 0s so that no data recovery can be performed in the future.

So when your selling storage devices, it is best to do a DBAN wipe so that the person on the receiving end doesn't get adventurous and decide to see what data was stored on the hard drive he bought.
 
I use Parted-Magic to erase my ssd.

http://partedmagic.com/doku.php?id=start

Quick & simple to use.

Below copied from EVGA'a forum.

SSD's are erased differently than a mechanical hard drive. Using Diskpart and Darrick's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) is fine for mechanical drives because the programs writes "1's" and "0's" to the drive repeatedly (depending on what level of secure erase that you choose with DBAN) to erase it. SSD's are secure erased by writing "1's" to delete the character that is in the cell, thereby, enabling the cell to be reused quicker rather than waiting to be written over by a new character. Your best bet is to use the Secure Erase program that Corsair provides on their website.
 
Last edited:
valkynaz said:
Formatting deletes the data on the disk but the data still remains there. When you delete stuff all that happens is the data is removed from view and it can be rewritten over. This is why if you deleted a file not too long ago, you can download a data recovery program which can get the deleted files back for you.

Whereas with a secure erase the program being used (in this case DBAN), deletes the data and then writes over it with random 1s and 0s so that no data recovery can be performed in the future.

So when your selling storage devices, it is best to do a DBAN wipe so that the person on the receiving end doesn't get adventurous and decide to see what data was stored on the hard drive he bought.
Click to expand...

Thanks :)

I use DBAN on all my mechanical HHD's

Just wondered if secure erasing a SSD with something like the tool in OCZ's toolbox did the same thing without having to load the DBAN CD in.

Many thanks again :)
 
Use the manufacturer provided software.

The bootable OCZ environment nukes my Vertex 3 in under a second. It's not the same as a mechanical HDD secure erase so follow the manufacturers guidelines, and if they provide them - their own tools.

Quoted from elsewhere:

Secure erase simply tells the SSD controller to issue a command that applies a voltage spike at a specific voltage to all of the NAND simultaneously, thus cleaning the NAND. This in turn resets all the NAND cells on the SSD and leaves the drive erased.
Click to expand...

It's also instant - Bonus :D
 
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