'Erasing' files on SSD's

Geeforce · 2 May 2009 at 19:15

I was just wondering how one would go about securely erasing data on SSD's?

miniyazz · 2 May 2009 at 19:27

There's a program called SecureErase or some such thing. Don't know about it specifically in the context of securely erasing data, its main purpose is to maintain SSD write speeds when you format, so I don't even know if it'll securely delete individual files, but it specifically wipes the data from the disk so I would imagine it would securely erase it.
Like I said though, I don't know if you can erase individual files with it.

Geeforce · 2 May 2009 at 21:49

Thanks for the input, I'll have a look for it. I need something for individual files.

Sasahara · 3 May 2009 at 15:12

Try bcwipe, should work on SSD.

Doctor_Zhivago · 3 May 2009 at 16:51

Prevention is better than cure, next time avoid them illegal sites

Phal · 5 May 2009 at 11:17

Doctor_Zhivago said:
Prevention is better than cure, next time avoid them illegal sites

Who said anything about 'Illegal' sites?

Could just as easily be some confidential data from work or private financial data from using the PC at home?

Get your mind out of the gutter!

craig3000 · 5 May 2009 at 14:02

Phal said:
Who said anything about 'Illegal' sites? Could just as easily be some confidential data from work or private financial data from using the PC at home?

Get your mind out of the gutter!

LOL thats what i was thinking

hmmm securely erasing data currently with a mechanical hard drive requires you to do at least 3 passes using an algorithm called DOD i think or NSA which is 7 passes

Anywho the reason you do this on a mechanical drive is because the magnets and what not on the surface of the disk can still retain information even when overwritten which is why you have to overwrite many times as for an SSD im not entirely sure because i dont know how they store data i haven't looked into it

So with an SSD if its overwritten once it may be more than enough i dont know

with my current hard drive being a mechanical one i use file shredder to securely delete any confidential files etc http://www.fileshredder.org/

RavenLunatic · 5 May 2009 at 17:42

Can't securely delete data from SSD's due to the algorithms used by SSD's that prevent areas of the disk being written to too many times. Using disk encryption like truecrypt would secure any data put on the drive after its installed but might not remove traces to all data on the drive before installation.

miniyazz · 6 May 2009 at 08:43

I suppose the trim command might securely erase files.

Ninja Please! · 6 May 2009 at 12:44

miniyazz said:
I suppose the trim command might securely erase files.

Yeah it does as that's the whole point behind it rather than mark it for deletion but leaving it untill it is written over which takes more time.

miniyazz · 6 May 2009 at 13:26

Ninja Please! said:
Yeah it does as that's the whole point behind it rather than mark it for deletion but leaving it untill it is written over which takes more time.

Indeed, it's just whether or not there's any sort of memory footprint with SSDs as there is with HDDs. Totally different tech tho obviously, so...