I get questions surrounding data recovery fairly often. People are often concerned that files they’ve deleted might be recoverable after the fact, and it’s good and security conscious of them to be concerned.
At the other end of the spectrum are people who give no thought at all to the potential recoverability of their data, and discard old computers and hard drives without giving it a second thought. We often hear about people who’ve picked up an old computer at a recycler or yard sale, only to find that the hard disk is full of the previous owner’s sensitive data.
Identity theft often follows.
DBAN, short for Darik’s Boot And Nuke, is a free utility dedicated to doing one thing, and one thing well…
Erasing hard drives.
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You boot from it, and you nuke the hard drive. It’s that simple, and it’s very, very effective.
DBAN is available as either an ISO file you can burn to create a bootable CD, or as an installer that will allow you to create a bootable floppy or USB stick.
Once you boot DBAN, there are several options which, for most practical purposes you can safely ignore. Press F10 and it will detect and erase everything on every hard disk on the machine.
Let me say that again, this time quoting the site:
| DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect. |
Once you run DBAN on a machine, whatever was on the hard disk is gone. Forever.
Which is exactly what you want when you’re about to dispose of a machine or hard disk.
DBAN does have advanced options for overwriting data multiple times, using different algorithms to even more securely erase your data, but for common usage the defaults are plenty.
DBAN: Boot and Nuke your data.
I recommend it.
Hi Leo, that was a good article about computer theft and how hackers can get about everything personal from a stolen computer hard drive. I was wondering if online banking files can be accessed too or if not, why not?
Thanks a bunch, Rick.
10-Dec-2008
Another fine article, Leo.
Back in May I donated my old circa 1997 Gateway 2000 266 mHz PII w/256 MB of SDRAM and a massive 8 GB hard drive running Win 98SE (flawlessly, I might add) to our local Goodwill charity. I included all the manuals and all the OEM (and subsequent) software on CD (back in 1997, Gateway actually included a very nice book, holding all the OEM software CDs!), all the cabling, and the 19″ monitor.
I used Sammi Torvaldsen/Heidi Computers free “Eraser” software (which incorporates the erasing methodology used in DBAN as well as several others) to totally wipe everything on the drive before donating it.
I urge folks to consider donating solid, functional (if older) computing hardware to charities such as Goodwill. You get a small tax write-off and the charity gets to resell the system to someone who can put it to use!
I would like to delete the files on my laptop and give it to a friend, but I want to keep Windows XP loaded. Will DBAN do this for me?
Thanks don
16-Dec-2008
I WANT TO CLEAN EVERYTHING OFF MY HARD DRIVE & REINSTALL MY ORIGINAL PROGRAMS. I WONDER HOW TO DO THIS. IS THIS PROGRAM GOOD FOR THAT?
THANKS,
JO
– Back up your data using a good backup program
– erase the hard drive. Technically this is optional, but DBAN is perfect for it
– reformat the hard drive. Also technically optional, and typically part of the next step
– boot from a Windows Installation CD and install Windows
– update Windows.
– install all your applications
– restore any data from your backup that you need
16-Dec-2008
I used a DBAN cd to delete data from an old laptop, but I did not realize I had my external backup hard drive attached to it. Could the dban process have started with the external hard drive attached? The external hard drive is now not being recognised when connected to another computer. Also I cannot reboot the old laptop I was trying to DBAN, I am wondering what occured?
Will it be possible to retrieve the data off my external hard drive?
As far as I know, everything will have been deleted off of the main drive, along with the external drive. It is not recognized because it has no software anymore. You will have to reformat it with a CD.
Your computer will not boot until you have run a windows installation cd on the computer.
Austin
“The external hard drive is now not being recognised… “
Uh-oh. Uhm, just take a wild guess why…
Sorry!
As Leo quoted from the DBAN website:
“DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect.”
That means the system drive and all other internal and atteched drives.
Leo,
Afer I use the “DBAN” and erase everything off of my HD, how do I go about reformatting it and then reinstalling windows or Linux or whatever? I’m not the smartest kid on the block, but I would like to try and do it with one of my old computers, just so that I’ll know that I can do it, if I ever have to. Thank you
09-Sep-2009
Hi Leo – thanks for all your advice, help and hints.
I have a computer running Windows XP. I want to delete everything and then re-install Windows. I am told I need to access BIOS to do this. What is BIOS please and how do I re-install XP?
Thanks a lot.
Marian
I recently used DBAN on a computer I was disposing of and found it very effective. It’s difficult to overstate it’s effectiveness, since it can completely and utterly obliterate everything.
But it would also be worth emphasizing that it will if required obliterate only one disk, if you have more than one, or one partition if a disk is partitioned.
ok i had an issue with DBAN you see im useing linux and im giveing my laptop to my bro and he wants xp so i used DBAN and linux still comes up know what im doing wrong here? It seems like it doesnt delete it please help.
13-Sep-2009
I have a 2 year old Dell Laptop (Vista) that I am going to give to a friend. The hard drive has a PC Restore partition which can be used to restore the computer to the factory delivered state. Can I use DBAN to only nuke the main hard drive partition and leave the PC Restore partition alone?
hey leo i was wondering does dban delete your window software
02-Dec-2009
i have nuked my drive and i am now reinstalling wxpp how long dos this take hours days mine is @ 42% 12hrs later is this normal.Thanks
I want to use this to remove Windows 7 and Windows Vista from my 2 partitions, now you said it will delete EVERYTHING but will it also delete the BIOS or my just Stupid?
20-Jan-2010
I am trying to wipe completely a Window 98 from my compuer and I have downloaded and burned DBAN on a CDR disk, but it doesn’t do anything, do you have any suggestions? Thanks
30-Apr-2010
Leo, This may seem like a stupid question,but I honestly don’t know the answer.I am going to download DBAN and save it for erasing my hard drive on disposal, so the question- when downloading DBAN do I RUN it or SAVE it when downloading ( I don’t want to erase my harddrives by accident.
05-May-2010
When disposing of computers, I always remove the hard discs, open them up and use the nice shiny disks as cup coasters! I suppose I could be even more secure by running this utility first…
You might want to take a magnetic tape eraser to that disc before doing anything else with it. :)
You’d have to open the case to do that. I don’t believe it will erase thoroughly through the case if at all. DBAN is the tool to use.
hi,
yesterday i use your software to delete one of my hard disk. but i don’t know how but i lost all of my 5 hard disk & now I have no data anymore.
after a few second that dban run i restart computer to prevent from data loss. but it’s doesn’t work.
please help me to recover my hard disks.
I Had a problem runing DBAN. [ up-down arrows not responding ] — On a hunch I changed the keyboard. and all worked fine.It turned out I had a FAULTY KEYBOARD aftr changing DBAN worked perfectly. So THANK YOU DBAN
“DBAN only erases data. The normal sequence for reformatting and reinstalling is:
– Back up your data using a good backup program
– erase the hard drive. Technically this is optional, but DBAN is perfect for it
– reformat the hard drive. Also technically optional, and typically part of the next step
– boot from a Windows Installation CD and install Windows
– update Windows.
– install all your applications
– restore any data from your backup that you need”
Are you saying here that if you have the Windows Installation CD there is no need to erase anything using DBAN or anything else, and that using the Installation disk will do the job itself before installing the installation files?
29-Jul-2010
I tried to use DBAN on my laptop that is having problems after downloading an update from the Windows site. I boot from the disc and told it to “autonuke.” DBAN started but soon after said “PCI(sysfs)” and didn’t do anything after that. How do I get it to complete the erasing process? What could be the reason for this fail? Thanks!
Interesting regarding DBAN.
KILL DISK is another free utility to completely wipe-ouy the Hard Drive before disposal.
Why throw away if the hard Drive is usable.
Re-Use for Back-ups as Internal or External source.
@ninja You will probably have to get into your BIOS and disable any card reader port to an external drive that is enabled by default, it usually hangs on something like that.
Just wanted to thank you for your very informative and useful website and newsletter
DBAN is FREE and it does one thing only. It wipes the HD completely and forever.
This article talks about running DBAN from bootup and wiping ALL detected hard drives – is there an option to run it manually such that you can specify a specific drive? Often, people/friends give me drives that I take to work to run through the degausser to wipe them, but it would be easier if I could connect the drive to my PC and properly wipe it from there instead, without killing my entire PC.
24-May-2012
@Kevin
If you just want to wipe one non-system rive, you can use CCleaner. Under Tools there is a Drive Wiper option. It can be set to to wipe the contents of any specified drive. CCleaner windows cleaning tool.
I try to read all your newsletters but can’t always do that. I’ve gone back and read your old article about using DBAN to completely wipe a hard drive before giving it away or ‘destroying’ it someway. That was an ‘old’ article. Do you still support DBAN as your ‘wipe’ of choice?
I know you’ve recommended CCleaner under some circumstances but every time I install it and another program that you’ve suggested in the same articles, all of a sudden I start having funny problems with my computer. When I uninstall them – the ‘funny’ problems go away. Any suggestions? Thanks
DBAN is still Leo’s recommendation.
Since you don’t mention the other program, there’s know way to know.
I still recommend DBan, yes.
Without knowing what “funny problems” means, there’s no way for me to respond. Sorry. :-(
I have a gateway vista laptop bit do not know the password to even get into it, the hint says discovered and I have no idea of what I’m doing just trying to get into the thing so I can make my own password, can you help me
This article explains how to reset the password:
https://askleo.com/ive_lost_the_password_to_my_windows_administrator_account_how_do_i_get_it_back/
HI, I have a question guys. DBAN eliminates partitions too?
Yes.
Using DBAN to wipe the hard drive on my laptop. I selected the drive name (the word “wipe” is to the left of the hard drive name), and then pressed F10. Nothing happens.
Can I safely remove the DBAN CD from the drive once the wiping process begins? I’d like to be able to wipe multiple machines concurrently using just one DBAN disk.
I just finished a wipe wherein I removed the CD shortly after wiping started, and I see no issues. But I do only “light” wipes using the Quick Erase method, in which case the CD might not need to be accessed after DBAN initially loads.
Would removing the CD “prematurely” be bad practice?
I think it’s fine. Try it.
Yep, I wiped several machines, each time removing the disk once wiping started, and all went to completion ie to the “DBAN succeeded” screen with no errors reported :-)
Hi from the future, Dan, does this still work and may I still use it on a laptop I purchased at goodwill. Pretty sweet deal I got myself, and the laptop has no password, but I would like to start fresh a remove and old info on it, which so far I have encountered zero evidence that it ever belonged to anyone else. But, I am afraid of spyware etc… OK hope you still answer questions from this post. Also, if you think there’s a better option for me like a complete restore of the computer, without removing windows. Just give me the best advice based on the info I have given you.
It will work on a second-hand laptop. In fact that’s Leo’s recommendation when you get a second hand computer. DBAN, might even be overkill for a second hand computer. A format and install installation of Windows is essentially as safe and you can even download and install a fresh version of Windows for free as long as the computer has or has had a copy of Windows 7 or later installed. DBAN is useful when you sell or give a computer away because it might contain traces of files. Traces of files in unused areas of your hard drive are harmless.
If you do run DBAN, one pass is enough for that purpose.
How Do I Get the Password for a Computer I Purchased at a Garage Sale?
Where Can I Download Windows 10? Or Windows 7?
I want to wipe the drive on an Asus laptop, but the drive is an SSD and the DBAN site says it’s not for use on SSDs, only HDDs. Is that really the case? Is there another option for SSDs? Thanks.
To be honest I don’t think you need to go to DBAN-level security for SSDs. Simply install a new OS — maybe encrypt the drive, if you like — and you’ll be fine.
Thanks for the reply. I should have done a bit more homework prior to asking because that’s what I’ve done after further checking into Reset this PC/removing everything. In process now.
If you want to clean the drive to sell or give the computer away, you can install the new OS and run a free space wiper. CCleaner has a free space wiper function.
It appears DBAN does not work well with UEFI. Is there a way to wipe the system disk in a computer with UEFI?
UEFIs Secure Boot doesn’t allow booting from USB or optical media.
You’ll need to turn off Secure Boot to run DBAN.
Adventures with Image Backups and Secure Boot