List of Wiping Util...
 
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List of Wiping Utilities

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 isth
(@isth)
Posts: 65
Trusted Member
Topic starter
 

Hi All,

Would anyone happen to have a list of hashes for wiping utilities (install.exe's and extracted files) they would be willing to share? I received a drive that was supposedly heavily used, but the 2nd partition is filled with zeros. Thinking there may have been some sort of wiping utility utilized.

Thanks much in advance.

 
Posted : 26/04/2011 2:54 am
(@mscotgrove)
Posts: 938
Prominent Member
 

A full format on Windows 7 (and possibly Vista?) will initialise sectors.

The partition could have just been formatted.

Is the whole partition zeros, or does it have a basic $MFT etc

 
Posted : 26/04/2011 3:03 am
 isth
(@isth)
Posts: 65
Trusted Member
Topic starter
 

It is a Windows 7 machine and it does have the basic post-formatted files on it. That might make sense then! This is actually the first windows 7 machine i've encountered, so I'll do some research on how it's formatting works (unless you have a good link you'd like to share). Many thanks.

 
Posted : 26/04/2011 3:09 am
(@athulin)
Posts: 1156
Noble Member
 

A full format on Windows 7 (and possibly Vista?) will initialise sectors.

The partition could have just been formatted.

Doesn't formatting place a basic file system on the volume also? After all, that's what formatting is about – creating a volume boot record, and placing the file system of choice on the volume. A full formatting then proceeds to wipe remaining unused space, but the file system structures will be present.

If all sectors in the partition are zero, a wiping tool seems to make more sense, if there is evidence that the partition at some time did contain information. Otherwise, it may be that it never was formatted.

 
Posted : 26/04/2011 11:05 am
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