Need to return a hard drive....help to erase!

Biz.Kid09 · 7 Sep 2011 at 23:03

Hi guys,
I bought a Hitachi XL 2tb today from ***** and i have got it home, backed up my stuff via Acronis and now i have just restarted my PC (Thanks Windows update) and now the drive is clicking and is unrecognisable in Windows.

How can i fully erase it so i can take it back, i dont trust the supermarket to send back to Hitachi and rather just put on shelf again.

Is there anyway i can do this? use a magnet or something?

Thanks guys.

Please no "kill with fire" etc as i dont think the supermarket will take back an empty box

Biz.Kid09 · 7 Sep 2011 at 23:11

I will try that Panyan.

Chigley- It does and it shows up in My Computer but just as "Local Disk" and if i try and right click format or use disk management it just crashes and i have to restart .explorer.

Biz.Kid09 · 7 Sep 2011 at 23:13

Ok thanks mate.

I am going to bed now because i start college tomorrow but will try it when i get home.

If that doesnt work. What "physical" options do i have?
I have read about magnets etc?

I thought 2tb for £49 was too good to be true.

Biz.Kid09 · 7 Sep 2011 at 23:17

Ok,
I have 28 days dont i? so i can leave it as long as it needs.

Biz.Kid09 · 7 Sep 2011 at 23:47

Buchanan0204 said:
Is there anything on the drive of particular importance that could be catastrophic in the hands of someone else?

If not.... just leave it alone and send it back.

P.S. I'm sick of telling people to never buy Hitachi!!!

Not necessarily but i would very much prefer it if was wiped as there is a lot of photos on there and things.

Well it was cheap!

Biz.Kid09 · 8 Sep 2011 at 11:52

I know i am being paranoid but i have time to kill.

So i have just booted into DBAN.

What method do i go for? not worried about time as long as its not over say 5hrs? (When i finish work)

Thanks MAXIBOY for the suggestion but i dont really need one and i just bought it for the sake of it tbh.

Biz.Kid09 · 8 Sep 2011 at 12:06

Did it take that long?

I have selected the drive i want to do in DBAN and hit f10 to start but its not doing anything?

Biz.Kid09 · 8 Sep 2011 at 12:26

I have got Kill Disk now and its running One Pass Zeros.
Is that a good method to use?

Will that erase it fine?

Biz.Kid09 · 8 Sep 2011 at 12:43

Tribune said:
Worked for Gary glitter.....oh wait..

If your not going to help why bother posting?

Anyway, KillDisk seems to be going along nicely. 602mins left so roughly 10hrs?

Biz.Kid09 · 8 Sep 2011 at 14:25

panyan said:
the drive died whilst it was doing it - i just RMA'd it after

it will erase it fine - enough for an RMA

Ah ok.

Well if you call taking back to the supermarket a RMA then yeh

Biz.Kid09 · 9 Sep 2011 at 09:59

Aod said:
Supermarkets sell Hard Drives these days?

Yeh, the one i went to had been selling 250gb for £1, 500gb for £5 etc but i got too late and only had these 2tb left.

BTW i left kill drive and it is now fully working

, i am going to leave it for a while and see if its ok before putting any files on there.