Skip to content

TechRepublic

  • Top Products Lists
  • Developer
  • 5G
  • Security
  • Cloud
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Tech & Work
  • Mobility
  • Big Data
  • Innovation
  • Cheat Sheets
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • CES
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • Top Products Lists
  • Developer
  • 5G
  • Security
  • Cloud
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Tech & Work
  • Mobility
  • Big Data
  • Innovation
  • Cheat Sheets
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • CES
  • See All Topics
  • Sponsored
  • Newsletters
  • Forums
  • Resource Library
TechRepublic Premium
Join / Sign In
Storage

Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk

By Selena Frye November 7, 2010, 9:39 PM PST

Image
1
of 9

Gallery-AK-Zeroing-A-Hard-Disk-FigA.jpg
Gallery-AK-Zeroing-A-Hard-Disk-FigA.jpg
Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk

Introducing Active@ Kill Disk

Introducing Active@ Kill Disk

The Active@ KillDisk utility is one component of the feature-rich Active Boot Disk environment. With Active@ KillDisk, a hard drive can be zeroed out for safe data erasure that a simple hard drive format can’t ensure. Active@ KillDisk has a free edition that includes limited functionality, and is a free download from the KillDisk website. Aside from the free products, the Active@ KillDisk utilities include supported tools to perform Department of Defense 5220.22-M clearing and sanitization functionality for compliance-regulated tasks.

Installing the Active@ KillDisk Free Suite gives options to install a number of free utilities.

Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk

Install Active@ Kill Disk

Install Active@ Kill Disk

Once the Active@ KillDisk Free Suite is installed, the Bootable Disk Creators folder will contain tools to create boot environments. These can be USB, CD-ROM or floppy disk environments. These can be as simple as a FreeDOS boot environment to a full-featured Windows PE environment with a full complement of tools.

Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk

Secure the media

Secure the media

The boot disk creation options for Active@ KillDisk include writing to a USB drive, floppy, or CD-ROM drive. As a general note, the media that is created with tools like this should not be freely lying around data centers, computer labs, or work spaces as these boot media have data-destructive capabilities.

Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk

Boot environment and drive recognition

Boot environment and drive recognition

The standard CD-ROM media boots into the environment above with six disk utility tools. Depending on the disks connected to the system, the standard CD-ROM boot environment will enumerate all drives that it can recognize.

Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk

Start the zeroing task

Start the zeroing task

In this example, the standard CD-ROM media displays the single 146GB drive presented to this system. On the right-hand side, information about the drive is displayed. And F10 will start the zeroing task.

Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk

Confirmation prompt

Confirmation prompt

The free version of Active@ KillDisk supports only a single pass of zeroes on the disk. In the prompt above, the first confirmation of the task is presented before the operation proceeds.

Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk

Second confirmation to erase all data

Second confirmation to erase all data

The second confirmation is presented on the drive, and the user is required to enter the text “ERASE-ALL-DATA” before the task will proceed. This second precaution requires deliberate intervention by the user and should be done only on systems that require their contents removed.

For systems that have multiple drives, it would be a good idea to remove all drives which do not need the data removed from them. Another strategy is to perform the data removal on a designated system only.

Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk

Single pass of zeroes

Single pass of zeroes

After the second confirmation, the single pass of zeroes is being written to the disk with Active@ KillDisk via the standard bootable CD-ROM. It is not exactly a quick process, so in most situations it would make sense to let it run overnight or split multiple drives to run simultaneously.

Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk

Free trial download

Free trial download

If more functionality is needed, the Active@ KillDisk is available on a Windows-based bootable environment. A number of additional utilities plus a more intuitive environment are available. A free trial download of the Active@ KillDisk LiveCD is available here.

  • Storage
  • Account Information

    Share with Your Friends

    Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk

    Your email has been sent

Share: Zeroing a hard disk with Active@ Kill Disk
Image of Selena Frye
By Selena Frye
Selena Frye is a former Senior Editor for TechRepublic. Her background is in technical writing, editing, and research. I edit the Data Center, Linux and Open Source, Apple in the Enterprise, and IT Security blogs.
  • Account Information

    Contact Selena Frye

    Your message has been sent

  • |
  • See all of Selena's content

TechRepublic Premium

  • TechRepublic Premium

    IT staff systems and data access policy

    IT pros typically have access to company servers, network devices and data so they can perform their jobs. However, that access entails risk, including exposure of confidential information and interruption in essential business services. This policy from TechRepublic Premium offers guidelines for governing access to critical systems and confidential data. From the policy: SUMMARY IT ...

    Published:  January 31, 2023, 11:00 AM EST Modified:  February 1, 2023, 12:00 PM EST Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Windows administrator’s PowerShell script kit

    The Windows GUI is the traditional way to perform administrative tasks, but scripting offers faster and more versatile methods that can help further your technical skills. This download includes 21 publicly available PowerShell scripts, along with a document explaining each one, to help you up your scripting game and administer your AD environment more efficiently. ...

    Published:  January 31, 2023, 11:00 AM EST Modified:  February 1, 2023, 12:00 PM EST Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Scheduled downtime policy

    Maintenance tasks, equipment upgrades and installations must be completed regularly — potentially creating disruptions and preventing employees from doing their work. This policy is designed to help your organization determine procedures for scheduling and communicating server, system and network downtime with the goal of minimizing the impact and inconvenience for your staff, clients and contractors. ...

    Published:  January 30, 2023, 11:00 AM EST Modified:  January 31, 2023, 6:00 PM EST Read More See more TechRepublic Premium
  • TechRepublic Premium

    Nondisclosure policy

    This policy outlines the measures the organization is taking to ensure protection of its confidential information, including the imposition of a contractual obligation in the form of a nondisclosure agreement. From the policy: SUMMARY A nondisclosure policy protects an organization’s confidential information from exposure to persons outside or inside the organization who could intentionally or ...

    Published:  January 30, 2023, 11:00 AM EST Modified:  January 31, 2023, 8:00 PM EST Read More See more TechRepublic Premium

Services

  • About Us
  • Newsletters
  • RSS Feeds
  • Site Map
  • Site Help & Feedback
  • FAQ
  • Advertise
  • Do Not Sell My Information

Explore

  • Downloads
  • TechRepublic Forums
  • Meet the Team
  • TechRepublic Academy
  • TechRepublic Premium
  • Resource Library
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • TechRepublic
  • TechRepublic on Twitter
  • TechRepublic on Facebook
  • TechRepublic on LinkedIn
  • TechRepublic on Flipboard
© 2023 TechnologyAdvice. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Property of TechnologyAdvice