Multi-Pass Free Space Erase

[pro-logic]

Hi,

Is there a algorithm included with Eraser / a way to do the following.

When erasing an entire HDD with say 5 passes. The entire drive goes through 1 pass, than the entire drive goes through a 2nd pass, than 3rd, 4th and 5th.

It seems that the included algorithms that I've tried do 5 passes per cluster, and than move on to the next cluster.

I guess is there a way to set a preference on 'width' rather than 'depth' in the erase cycle, so that if the HDD gets disconnected before the entire cycle is completed there is a higher chance that the entire disk has been overwritten at least 2 times, rather than 2/5 of it, overwritten 5 times.

 

[Joel]

Hmm, that is one way of looking at it, but I've implemented the erasure the way it is now because I'd rather have those areas marked erased as really erased. Free space on your disk is a dynamic (i.e. changes with time) concept, it's hard to guarantee any sector being overwritten multiple times if we do the approach you did.

The immediate workaround is to break up your erase into different targets and let it run, I guess.