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Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2012 05:38:08 -0500 (CDT)
From: Robert Bonomi <bonomi@mail.r-bonomi.com>
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To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
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Subject: Re: fsck on FAT32 filesystem?
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> Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2012 05:52:17 -0400
> From: "Thomas Mueller" <mueller23@insightbb.com>
> Subject: Re: fsck on FAT32 filesystem?
>
> Regarding the security of various methods of deleting data, I just saw in 
> Office Depot's online ad for the coming week, which is the reason I 
> couldn't post this any earlier:
>
>    Need to discard an old PC but worried about protecting your identity?
>
>    Let us securely erase your personal files and pictures for only $49.99.
>
>    We use the only permanent data deletion software certified by NIAP, used 
>    by the Department of Defense and Fortune 500 Companies.
>
> (quoting verbatim but formatting not preserved)
>
> URL was
>
> http://officedepot.shoplocal.com/OfficeDepot/BrowseByPage?storeid=2501355&
> promotionviewmode=1&promotioncode=OfficeDepot-120722&listingid=0&sneakpeek
> =N#
>
> Personally, I'd save the money, time and gasoline too, and use dd 
> if=/dev/zero of=/dev/(disk-to-be-deleted) bs=1M
>
> from FreeBSD or other (quasi)-Unix OS.

Needless to say, that approach doesn't work under Windows.  <grin>

For *most* users, that approach _is_ probably adewuate.  *if* the have
the know-how to use it.

However, for a _lot_ of end users, the situation is not quite that simple.

Trying to wipe the disk that the O/S is running from is fraught with
unexpected failure modes.

Lots of 'end user' machines have only _one_ drive in them, and the users
do not have any other 'bootable' media available, that they know how to
use.