Write zeros to hard drive......

[emc2kh]

I want to write a utility I can run in DOS, that writes zeros over all existing data on a hard drive. Can someone point me in the right direction?

 

[timmay3141]

The only way I can think to do that would be to first delete as much as you can on the hard drive, then start creating files and filling them with 0s. I'd be very surprised if someone was stupid enough to create a documented API that would give direct access to a hard drive like you are asking for. That could do tons of damage.

 

[Kalisto]

(I might be talking out of my rear here, but..) Im sure I read last year of someone recovering data that had been "shredded" in this way. Admittedly, they used real high powered tools to do it, but they recovered data that was supposedly erased and overwritten.

The only way to be really sure you have erased all traces of data from a hard drive is to use an angle grinder on it, and cut it into really small pieces...