Learn how to use Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) to wipe a hard drive clean

[ihavswaqq]

Does this erase Microsoft word and stuff

[dvnupldr]

when using autonuke, how many passes does it do?

[Pureinfotech]

@dvnupldr Depends on what level of security you are looking for. The more passes the more secure the erase will be. But if you are not a corporation will a lot of sensitive data on the hard drive 1-3 passes in my opinion would be OK.

Thanks,

[dvnupldr]

@Pureinfotech i know about the passes thing, but what i meant was how many passes does autonuke run by default?

[YVFH45SE]

At exactly 0:32 seconds is where my computer gets stuck at when i run the software. I press enter as suggested and it says dban is starting... waiting for usb to register... PCI (sysfs) and then nothing happens... What am i doing wrong?

[Pureinfotech]

@YVFH45SE See if you can download and burn a previous version of DBAN from the same download page. Try not to use the latest release of the software.

Thanks,

[TripleM24]

@YVFH45SE same here!

[Panda4Cash]

Hey since my bios doesn't reconize my cd rom can I burn the cd to a USB and boot from a USB?

[Pureinfotech]

@Panda4Cash @Panda4Cash Yes you can here you can find how, go to pendrivelinux com and do a search for dban usb boot and is the first actual result. Thanks,

[puvid3]

This doesn't delete windows right? And if it does, why don't you just use a windows dvd and reformat it?

[Pureinfotech]

@puvid3 Yes, this deletes everything that is inside of the hard drive including Windows. You could use the format tool if you are rebuilding your computer, but the data still recoverable. By using DBAN it becomes really, really hard for anyone to get the data of the drive. This is a solution more toward people that want to get rid of their PCs and they are concern about their privacy.

Also if for some reason the Win format tool doesn't work well, you can use this as well 4 those situations.

Thx

[TheJewman20]

Thanks this helped only 70 mins to go

[silencer6]

Mine didn't work.

DBAN failed.

Error: Disks not found. DBAN could need a driver for this computer.

Press an dhold the power button to shutdown.

I used a CD-R. Should I be using a DVD-R?

[Sean1Sullivan]

Sorry for the idiot question, but how do I start it from boot-up?

[ChrisFMdotCOM]

@Pureinfotech How come the following (or similar) question has been asked several times and still, there is no answer? "I've burned the ISO image to a cd (and dvd), also change the boot order, and all I get is the copyright screen "ISOLINUX 4.00" with the message ERROR: No configuration file found" PLEASE??? Some help here. Thanks Pureinfotech!

[Pureinfotech]

@ChrisFMdotCOM I didn't experience this problem before, but looking around the web I found that someone did the following and it worked: Inserted DVD/CD into the drive and turned off the comptuer. Then powered it back on again and it read the disk perfectly. On a second machine I had to hit CTRL-ALT-DEL to get it to read after the above steps. Also try to find and download a previous version of the ISO and burn it to a CD and use a low burning speed. If you can try the CD in another pc...

[ChrisFMdotCOM]

@Pureinfotech so i went with a previous version (i386.iso) and burned it at a lower speed. now it load, but when i hit "enter" it will not go into the "waiting for usb devices to register" screen. instead it shows it's loading dwipe, and then it crashes. :/

[Pureinfotech]

@ChrisFMdotCOM Sorry to hear that : ( see if you can try going into computer's BIOS and if possible disable or disable any usb devices, card reader, etc. also unplug any peripherals that may be connected to the computer only leave plugin the essentials, monitor, keyboard, mouse and inside the computer disconnect any card reader or thing that you think it may trigger this software to stop the process and try again. I hope this helps

[Pureinfotech]

@ChrisFMdotCOM Continuing... if the CD works in another PC, you could try getting the hard drive off the pc where the dban is not working and install it in the pc that it works, run and wipe the drive and then put the hard drive back into the other computer. I hope this helps.

[Joker11436]

What if it's low battery and it shuts down...and I do it all over what can happen..?

[Pureinfotech]

@Joker11436 First you shouldn't run this program on battery, you laptop you plug to the electrical outlet. If the it shutdown your hard drive will become corrupt and it is more than likely that the operating system will not boot. Some data may still recoverable with the use of software. I would recommend you to start the process over.

Just keep in mind that data gets ruin but not the actual physical hard drive.

Thanks,

[ShredManFretShredder]

what happens if your in the middle of the process and someone interrupts it? like say unplugs the computer half way through or removes the cd or bootable usb? does it fuck the hdd up?

[Pureinfotech]

@ShredManFretShredder Well, your hard drive will become corrupt and it is more than likely that the operating system will not boot. Some data may still recoverable with the use of software. I would recommend you to start the process over.

Just keep in mind that data gets ruin but not the actual physical hard drive.

Thanks,

[ShredManFretShredder]

@Pureinfotech okay cool, thanks :D

[nesstifer]

When you boot up your computer, press f2. Find the media card label and disable it. Then save and exit. Reboot your computer again with the boot and nook and it should work..

[bequinta1]

about how long would it take for 3 passes on a 1TB 7200rpm HDD?

[GK1799]

help me i did it all correctly but when i boot up a screen comes up saying linuxiso. config or whatever it then says a config file is missing i checked disc n its there what do i do

[boca10205]

How long does it usually takes to wipe out a hdd?

[Pureinfotech]

@boca10205 It all depends on how large is your hard drive, how fast it is, and the method you use. If you have a 2TB hard drive be ready because it may take a long time!

Thanks,

[dboiwil8503]

@riderdecade913 didnt find a solution yet....

[dboiwil8503]

it also does nothing at the 2nd screen...it stops at PCI (sysfs) ....is it because im using a dvd-rw maybe??

[Pureinfotech]

@dboiwil8503 See if you are using the beta version of DBAN or if it is the stable version. Also you can try downloading the and burning the software again into a cd. additionally you can try using a lower speed to burn the new disk.

I hope this helps,

[allclipslineup]

@Pureinfotech i had the same problem, and i am using the beta version. what do you mean try downloading "the"

[nesstifer]

@dboiwil8503 When you boot up your computer, press f2. Find the media card label on the left side and disable it. Then save and exit. Reboot your computer again with the boot and nook and it should work..

[GETONMYPRESTIGE7]

can i use a usb instead of a cd?

[Pureinfotech]

@MgKUnReal Alright, try to see if the disk that you inserted is dirty, if not, just in case, download DBAN again and burn it to blank cd once again.

One more thing, it is unlikely but if the CD or DVD drive is old, it could have some problems or it may just dont like that CD, this happened to me in the past. If this is the case try using a different drive.

I hope this helps,

[youknowita]

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[RayKillzya]

I'm building a new computer for gaming, but don't want to fork out the extra money for a hard drive, so I'm going to use the one I currently have. If I use DBAN to 1 pass wipe my drive, can I use the hard drive as if I just bought it and install windows 7? Or will I get some errors? P.S. How would I go about burning it to a disc? Sorry, I'm not very good with computers. lol

[Pureinfotech]

@RayKillzya Good questions: If you are not giving away the hard drive or the new PC there is not need to use DBAN, just install the old hard drive into the new computer and boot it up with the Windows 7 and choose the Custom option to let Windows 7 know that you want a clean installation (if you happen to have more than 1 partition on the drive click drive options link and delete them) and it will take care of the formatting for you.

Thanks

[RayKillzya]

@Pureinfotech This is going to be my first time ever building a computer, so I'm afraid if I do it that way, I might damage something. Is it possible to break something if I do something wrong this way?

And would I be safer just using DBAN?

[Pureinfotech]

@RayKillzya Don't worry, you won't break anything. The only thing that is going to happen is that when you install Windows all the data you HAD in the old hard drive will be erased (gone!) and it will be replaced with a fresh and clean new installation of Windows 7. If you have any important data in that old hard drive I will recommend you to back them all up to another computer or storage device before installing Windows.

Thanks

[RayKillzya]

@Pureinfotech Is there anything specific I need to do when I first boot up the newly built computer to have it boot from the disc instead of the drive?

[Pureinfotech]

@RayKillzya Yes, if you already installed the hard drive in the new computer, you want to make sure that you BIOS is set to boot from the CD/DVD drive (if you Win7 is a DVD). You may want to check the motherboard manual to do this, 'cause is different between vendors, but usually right after you turn on the computer you can access the bios by pressing ESC, F2 or F10 and then change the boot order, save the changes, reboot and Windows 7 install should be startin

I hope this helps, good luck : )

[RayKillzya]

@Pureinfotech Thanks so much for the help. :)

[RayKillzya]

@Pureinfotech I tried doing this this morning, I got into my BIOS and set my boot sequence to CD-rom drive, put the CD in, rebooted the comp, then it just booted normally, nothing happened at all. No files missing, no errors. Did I do something wrong?

[Pureinfotech]

@RayKillzya Make sure that if you have more than one CD drive, you put them before than the hard drive and the hard drive at the end.

Make sure that you are using a DVD or combo drive and not a CD drive, Windows 7 is a DVD.

Thanks,

[RayKillzya]

@Pureinfotech I put the CD/DVD rom drive first, with the hard drive last. Still nothing.

[Pureinfotech]

@RayKillzya If you are using a burned copy of Windows 7, the DVD might not be working, try to burn the ISO image of Windows 7 into the DVD one more time, but this time use a lower burning speed.

Thanks

[RayKillzya]

@Pureinfotech Windows 7? I'm trying to get this DBAN program to wipe my hard drive so I can use it in another build.

[Pureinfotech]

@RayKillzya You can try downloading once again the DBAN program and burn it to a new CD, also try to burn the CD using a lower speed. Make sure that the CD drive works correctly.

And like I mentioned before, you don't really need DBAN if you are not getting rid of the computer, when you do boot the computer with the Windows 7 dvd, and start a clean installation (custom) the process will take care of easing (formatting) the hard drive automatically.

Thanks,

[1787dude]

theres alot of practical uses for this, like just wiping your hard drive.

[kingdomtrance]

I got stock when it says PSI (sysfs), nothing happens later it just stays there. Am I doing something wrong? Please help

[Pureinfotech]

@kingdomtrance Alright, try to see if the disk that you inserted is dirty, if not, just in case, download DBAN again and burn it to blank cd once again.

One more thing, it is unlikely but if the CD or DVD drive is old, it could have some problems or it may just dont like that CD, this happened to me in the past. If this is the case try using a different drive.

I hope this helps,

[kingdomtrance]

I got stock when it says PSI (sysfs), nothing happens later it just stays there. Am I doing something wrong? Please help

[FearnaEire]

Hey PureTech, which method would you recommend, for something pretty light weight, and not over the top. Is the DoD short best?

[AgentCell]

can you put the dban iso in a usb?

[neoman289151]

I want to know, does this work for windows 7?

Don't want to be taking any unnecessary risks, even though I have a keylogger I must remove xD

[Pureinfotech]

@neoman289151 DBAN is independent to Windows, so it will work with any operating system. the only thing DBAN does is to write 0s and 1s many times to erase the storage media.

I hope this helps!

Thanks,

[rachelestarr93]

When I start the computer, it takes me to a black screen saying "ERROR: No configuration file found" What should I do? I'm using this to get rid of a virus on my computer because I really do not want to pay someone to remove it. Any suggestions would be great!

[Pureinfotech]

@rachelestarr93 1st make sure that you create a DBAN boot CD from a clean computer, that the CD is clean of scratches, if you already did this. Try downloading again the iso file making sure what I just said. I hope that the bootable cd drive is working correctly!

what you can also try if none of this works is to use an antivirus boot cd to clean your computer, go to pureinfotech . com and do a search for antivirus rescue cds these are tools that can help with your problem as well.

thanks

[DreadlockDisaster]

I'm having the same problem as 'mongekyousharingan45'. It takes me to that black screen with the crash and stuff. same thing he had. I don't know if he fixed his or not but I don't know how to.

[Pureinfotech]

@DreadlockDisaster Make sure that you that the Bios is set to boot from the media you are trying to boot DBAN and also unplug anything that is connected to the computer and then boot it with DBAN and see if starts correctly!

If you have a card reader built-in to the computer see if you can go to the BIOS and disable it as well anything else you can disable, but not the main hard drive you want to wipe or keyboard or graphic card or CD ROM.

Thanks,

PS: Keep me posted!

[DreadlockDisaster]

@Pureinfotech I got it to work now, thanks.

[Pureinfotech]

@Kingwalker22 It is more than likely that there is a problem with CD or the software, try downloading and burning the cd again, if you can use another computer to do it the better.

Thanks,

[SlayeradinRevolved]

So I have had this computer for 2 years now, and it is getting kind of full/slow. So I have a question, If i wipe my entire hard drive, (I know it is going to wipe everything installed) will it delete the whole C: and D: drives?

[xXGUITARandBASSXx]

If I dont windows 7 as a CD will it erase Windows too?

[Pureinfotech]

@xXGUITARandBASSXx The question isn't totally clear, but one thing for sure is that when you choose which hard drive to wipe all the data will be erased!

[pitbull466]

I was using Gutman to wipe drive, so i changed the wipe to dod 7 wipes, and is showing that it will take around 24hrs on a 1TB hdd

[Pureinfotech]

@pitbull466 The time will always vary depending, on the hard drive being used, how fast it is, how large it is, etc.

So there is not an straight answer. If you feel that there could be a problem, the way that you can test is grabbing another 1 or 2 TB hdd and test, if their time is a lot different, it could be an indication that could be something wrong with the hdd but again the time that it takes depends in many factors.

thanks

[mongekyousharingan45]

PLEASE HELP

when i start it it will check the usb devices then it will go to a black screen that says

DBAN finished with no fatal errors ERROR /dev/sdb (process crash)

[Pureinfotech]

@mongekyousharingan45 You could try going to the BIOS and disable to start from USB devices and see if the error keeps poping up!

thanks

[pitbull466]

I have a 1TB HDD, i started the wipe this morning after 2hrs it told me Remaining time 14hrs, that's just too damn long.

It's ok if you have a spare Pc or Laptop i don't, so had to cancel it.

[TheItsfly]

soo if i do this my hard drive will be completely empty soo i can just reinstall windows and get going again as if it were new?

[Pureinfotech]

@TheItsfly Yes, you can reinstall Windows just like if it was a brand new hard drive. Thanks!

[TheItsfly]

@Pureinfotech THANK GOD! Bye bye to all crap on my hard drvie :L and say hello to team fortress and starcraft :D THANKS!

[curemymind]

@DoDMilitary1 When you boot from windows install cd/dvd it will see it the hard drive as a raw hard drive. Which then it will add the mbr and format and install windows... Unless you kill your HD with one of the over the top selections of that iso then no. If you kill your had drive you will never be able to use it for anything. But if it doesnt die on you it wont matte which type of method you use, You will still be able to install or put anything to it. Just format it to the format you wish.

[dudeme12]

can i wipe only one particular partition like c or d drive instead of the whole hard-disk??

plz reply

[Pureinfotech]

@dudeme12 Sadly you cannot, the software was designed to erase a hole hard drive.

[Pureinfotech]

Yes, it is possible to install Windows after to use DBAN. You can think it this way, after you use DBAN you technically have an empty hard drive and when you insert the Windows installation CD, Windows will see it this way and it will create a new files partition and install Windows without any problems.

Just remember that once you erase the hard drive you wont be able to get any data back, so you better have the Windows or recovery discs.

Thanks!

[iceman111]

ok so i burned the iso on disc but when i load it on bios it stays on the copyright line and the white dash just keeps blinking.

am i missing some files or what?

[Pureinfotech]

@iceman111 The ISO file should have all the necessary files, that should not be a problem.

Now, one other think that you can do is to try the disk in another computer and if you have the same problem.

You could try burning the iso with a lower speed, i dont know may be 2x 4x or 8x.

Make sure that the bios is setup to boot from cd drive.

Use a different brand of blank CDs.

Sorry, but it is a little hard to troubleshoot when you are not in front of the computer, but I hope this helps. Thanks!

[TheBlueMnM1]

@Pureinfotech so if i put files that i dont want to delete in a folder on my desktop those files wont get deleted rite?

[SinPyro]

its getting stuck at PCI (syfs)

[Pureinfotech]

@SinPyro Alright, try to see if the disk that you inserted is dirty, if not, just in case, download DBAN again and burn it to blank cd once again.

One more thing, it is unlikely but if the CD or DVD drive is old, it could have some problems or it may just dont like that CD, this happened to me in the past. If this is the case try using a different drive.

I hope this helps,

[Pureinfotech]

@wh1tegangster Yes, it does work because it is not a software that you have to install. It is a standalone boot disk, and it does not care if you have installed linux, windows or another operating system. it will just destroy the data on a disk.

-thanks,

[g4tvpwns]

When I restart my laptop DBAN won't load. I also put my cd/dvd drive first on my dios. What am I doing wrong?

[Pureinfotech]

@g4tvpwns check the cd. may be you did not burn the cd in the right way. DBAN is in ISO format, there is a chance that may be you just burn the dban file as data into the cd, instead of burning as image format.

reply if you need more help,

-Thanks!

[iceman111]

@Pureinfotech how do i burn the iso file i have the same problem as g4tvpwns

[Pureinfotech]

In the video description there is a link, check it out to learn how to burn an iso if you need it.

Thanks

[KONSMITH]

ok, now how do i reinstall windows after i done this, please help

[Pureinfotech]

@KONSMITH after you are done using DBAN, insert the Windows 7 DVD in the disc drive, reboot your computer and Windows 7 installation should start. Follow the steps and Windows should take care of creating and formating the new partition.

-Thanks!