Low Level Format Software

[Combat Killer]

Hi All,

i was wondering if anyone can provide me with a low level format software, i need to low level format hard drives of all types and brands. They are all SATA & IDE.

I had software before but i cant seem to find it now and i tried looking online for a replacement software but cant seem to find anything, so could anyone please point me in a direction where i can get low level format software.

Cheers.

 

[drtweak]

Why do you need to low level format? are they being dispossed of or had files on there from others and is now being moved to another PC?

I use Active Kill Disk (I have a license for the full version though) but the free version lets you do one pass wipe of zeros.

The other option is to delete all partitions, make on big one, and then use CCleaner, to do multiple passwipes

 

[Combat Killer]

yeah, im a pc builder from home and i like to low level format old drives from old pc's so i can resell them. i had a good low level format software from seagate once but i lost the install file and i cant seem to find it again on their site.

Yeah i saw Active Kill Disk website, i was just considering that.

Here is my setup, probably should of put it in first post,
I have a HHD Hot Swapable on my pc, and what i used to do is plug the hard disk in there and low level format, and run low level format from my pc through the software. but all im finding are bootable disk to carry out a low level format, which is not what i want to do.

Dam i wish i had not lost my lowlevelformat.exe file

 

[mbarnes86]

Hi

Most low level formats are blocked unless you use manufacturer specific software
If is usually a option on manufscturers disgnostic software

Low level format is not the same as writing to every sector of the hard drive

Wd datalife guard for windows and seagate equivalent have a option to write 00 to each sector and fix minor errors

Dban used to be the market leader in free software for erasing hard disks
It has not had much recent development as the authors created a commercial version

With vista and latter format and un tick quick format is usually good enough
You could then run ccleaner if realy paranoide

Regards
Mike Barnes

 

[drtweak]

I've had pretty good success using ActiveKillDisk when i wipe clients drives. Regular clients i do a 3 Pass and clients who are had potential data about clients, taxes, medical records, etc, i do 7 pass wipes on. I have NEVER been able to recover any kind of data using one of the MANY recovery software tools that I have, some of which I have recovered files that have even been over written at one point or part of the file was overwritten.

you can also try this here

http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/

If the data doesn't have anything important on it, a single pass wipe is usually good enough, otherwise if you don't want anyone to get anything you want to do a 3 pass wipe and not just one that fills with with 0's. Active Kill disk (The free version only does 0's and 1 pass at a time) but the paid version the 3 pass does 0's then 1's then it does just random data.