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Author Topic: Permenently erasing a file  (Read 1553 times)

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Permenently erasing a file
« on: March 28, 2007, 08:11:09 pm »
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I'm thought about this for a while, but have never worked out how to go about doing it.

Basically I want to try doing it up to a miltary standard, so basically you completely wipe the file of the HD and rewrite the area of memory it was in several times.

What I can't work out is how to directly access an area of memory on the HD to overwrite, all windows related functions will not permit you to access memory outside your processes footprint.
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Re: Permenently erasing a file
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2007, 08:14:50 pm »
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I've no idea how to do it, but I know it's possible (to some extent) as I had a "document shredder" program once. It claimed to permenantly delete the file, although I suspect it wasn't completely deleting, it was just deleting without going to the recycle bin and stuff.
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Re: Permenently erasing a file
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2007, 01:58:08 pm »
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Basically, you would have to zero everything on the HD that is not taken up by a file. Because when you resave a file, it could be saved on a new bit of memory but the data is still on the old memory area. By zeroing EVERYTHING that is not taken up by a file you'd make sure that the files you can see are the only one that's there.

To access the harddisk directly you'd probably have to access the drivers directly. Also note that NTFS (if that's the filesystem you use) is a complicated one. It's also hard to get information on how it works. You can probably find some information on reverse engineerings of it, though (but that's mostly on reading, not writing).

You could also just switch to another filesystem to store files on. Some filesystems (I think ext3 does it, not ext2 however) automatically zeroes everything not used by files.
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Pedlya

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Re: Permenently erasing a file
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2007, 02:03:14 pm »
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Getting rid of that kiddie porn is tricky eh?

Infinitus Edit: Please don't troll my topics, this was a serious request for infomation. Not everyone who wants to look into modifying HD data is just out to erase their tracks.


Pedlya Edit: Jokes on ZFGC are stricly UNNALOUD.


Infinitus Edit: Whether it was a joke or not is irrelevant, it breaks the rules.


Pedlya Edit: There are no rules pertaining to making a joke on a !@#$% forum. If it was serious trolling, I would have done it in the knowledge that you were going to be honestly offended by it, I was not honestly suggesting you were a pedophile, and it sounds to me like you need to take that little pill called 'Midol'.

Infinitus Edit: Are you aiming for another warning?

Pedlya Edit: Are you going to cry yourself to sleep if you have to?


Infinitus Edit: Yes :(
« Last Edit: March 29, 2007, 11:30:19 pm by Infinitus »
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Re: Permenently erasing a file
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2007, 02:04:08 pm »
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Quote
Basically, you would have to zero everything on the HD that is not taken up by a file. Because when you resave a file, it could be saved on a new bit of memory but the data is still on the old memory area. By zeroing EVERYTHING that is not taken up by a file you'd make sure that the files you can see are the only one that's there.
I don't really care about temporary memory as it will end up getting overwritten fairly quickly, I just want delete the section of memory the regular copy is being stored in.

Quote
Also note that NTFS (if that's the filesystem you use) is a complicated one. It's also hard to get information on how it works. You can probably find some information on reverse engineerings of it, though (but that's mostly on reading, not writing).
I know, I've looked ^.^. I actually found a nice open-source file eraser, unfortunatly though the code is huge and pretty recursive so I haven't had a chance to find the actual erasing part yet.

Quote
You could also just switch to another filesystem to store files on. Some filesystems (I think ext3 does it, not ext2 however) automatically zeroes everything not used by files.
Well I was thinking of writing a small open-source eraser application as all the ones currently available either suck ass or are majorly expensive. Unfortunatly for a project like this I can't ask all the target base to change file system :D.
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Re: Permenently erasing a file
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2007, 02:23:49 pm »
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answer= really big magnets
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Re: Permenently erasing a file
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2007, 05:36:42 pm »
  • Minalien
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He wants to erase small bits of the HD, not destroy the thing, legofreak XD

I thought I had found something like this before somewhere, it was a C tutorial, but I'm not sure if I can find it again. If I do, I'll let you know
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Re: Permenently erasing a file
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2007, 10:52:57 pm »
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I think you would have to do it in DOS/something that's not related to your normal operating system? I'm not sure though, but there are quite a number of security features that Windows implements that might make it difficult to do something along those lines from within windows, but it might be easier to do from outside the OS?

Then again. I really have no clue as I've never attempted this before. That's just my two cents.
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Re: Permenently erasing a file
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2007, 11:22:52 pm »
Quote from: Pedlya on March 29, 2007, 02:03:14 pm
Getting rid of that kiddie porn is tricky eh?

Infinitus Edit: Please don't troll my topics, this was a serious request for infomation. Not everyone who wants to look into modifying HD data is just out to erase their tracks.


Pedlya Edit: Jokes on ZFGC are stricly UNNALOUD.


Infinitus Edit: Whether it was a joke or not is irrelevant, it breaks the rules.


Pedlya Edit: There are no rules pertaining to making a joke on a !@#$% forum. If it was serious trolling, I would have done it in the knowledge that you were going to be honestly offended by it, I was not honestly suggesting you were a pedophile, and it sounds to me like you need to take that little pill called 'Midol'.

Infinitus Edit: Are you aiming for another warning?

Pedlya Edit: Are you going to cry yourself to sleep if you have to?
lol ^^

ehh i dont know good question helios ive done it before but it was randomly done and i dont  know how , it happened after Q+O defrag hapened to my pc errr. im never using it again it comlpletely erased my hd except for windows <.<

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developer198807
Re: Permenently erasing a file
« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2007, 09:17:54 pm »
i wiped my harddrive lol
i wiped it all over even my OS (windows xp)

I use wipedrive pro its 10/10
that will do it ,at the cost off 12 hours waiting and buying the program
« Last Edit: June 03, 2007, 09:20:59 pm by developer198807 »
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Re: Permenently erasing a file
« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2007, 09:34:45 pm »
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Ok, two things.

a) Thats not what I'm after, any idiot can format a HD what I was after is technical specs as to how you would do it in a programming language.
b) Please don't grave dig. Thanks.
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