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Best way to clean h/d

  • 23-12-2008 9:32am
    #1
    corblimey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,475 ✭✭✭


    I have an external h/d which has Ubuntu 8.04 installed on it. Since it's the amd alternative version, I'm just going to wipe and start again with 8.10 386. I've gone back into windows and used Ext2IFS to map the 2 partitions (main and /swap). Can I now just use the format command from Windows Explorer? Or is there a better way to do this? I was considering just doing the live-CD install and let parted do its thing, but I'm not sure it would let me override existing partitions?


Comments

  • #2
    An Fear Aniar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,377 ✭✭✭An Fear Aniar


    Gparted in the Ubuntu install process can do all that for you. You can choose manual partitioning if you like. The file format should be ext3, I think that's the best one to use.


    .


  • #3
    gagomes
    Registered Users Posts: 378 ✭✭gagomes


    From inside Linux, find out which is your maindisk (often /dev/sdX or hdX) and then do the following command:

    dd if=/dev/null of=/dev/sdX1

    That will clean the entire disk, not just partition tables. It's possible that data is irrevocably lost afterward. Be very very very cautious when selecting the disk.


  • #4
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 5,589 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I've done pretty much the exact same thing a couple of times using gparted.. worked perfectly each time.


  • #5
    djmarkus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,606 ✭✭✭djmarkus


    gagomes wrote: »
    From inside Linux, find out which is your maindisk (often /dev/sdX or hdX) and then do the following command:

    dd if=/dev/null of=/dev/sdX1

    That will clean the entire disk, not just partition tables. It's possible that data is irrevocably lost afterward. Be very very very cautious when selecting the disk.
    dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdx

    or better, but slower

    dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/sdx


  • #6
    shaner
    Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭shaner


    If you want to be ultra paranoid about any data that might be on it download DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke). That'll wipe it clean enough!

    Then format with gparted or similar.


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  • #7
    KAGY
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,092 ✭✭✭KAGY


    If you are installing another version of Linux then you should be given the option to partition and / or format the disk during the install progress. (no need to use windows)


    I;ve a separate swap (2gb), boot (100mb), root (20GB) and home partitions. So, like recently when I changed to suse (kde) from Kubuntu most of my settings and all of my documents where still there.

    BTW; I'm going to try portable suse (it's a script that will copy an existing Suse installation onto a portable HDD so you can use it on other computers that can boot from a USB HDD)


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