Card Wiping software?

Nod

Nod

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Nod (UK)
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I'm probably going to give a few old small capacity CF cards away but I would like to wipe them properly before they go. My SanDisk RescuePro's wiping bit won't do the job but the file recovery bit has shown that there are loads of images on the cards that could be recovered. Anyone got any recommendations for good, free software that'll do the job? That isn't on a site that tries to give, sell etc you software that tries to hijack your browser?
 
Do a full format.. not a quick format. If every block on the card has been written to nothing can be recovered from it so far as I'm aware.
 
Format the cards then fill the cards with rubbish then erase.
no useful info left. :thumbs:
 
A format, full or otherwise will not delete data only the tables so all data can be recovered - try a programme like ERASER which overwrites the data and is free.
 
Cards already formatted (all data still recoverable) and not (yet) got any deliberate rubbish files to use as overwrite material. Good thinking though - will shoot largest possible files of probably macro carpet then copy/paste a few to create a 120MB (or thereabouts) folder as a space filler. Maybe I'll shoot the cat's bum, so anyone bothering to run file recovery will get a nasty shock (unless they're into unspeakable acts involving cats!)...
 
I found eraser yesterday and it was that site that wanted to install all sorts of other crap! I don't like having to opt out of installations - if I want to download something, I'll find it and download it for myself, not have it foisted on me because I missed a check box!
 
Nod said:
I found eraser yesterday and it was that site that wanted to install all sorts of other crap! I don't like having to opt out of installations - if I want to download something, I'll find it and download it for myself, not have it foisted on me because I missed a check box!
Click to expand...

Fairy-nuff but that's the sort of software you need :)
 
Sandisk rescue pro does it
 
Nod said:
I'm probably going to give a few old small capacity CF cards away but I would like to wipe them properly before they go.
Click to expand...

If you only want to give them away, why not just dump them and be done with it? You did say the were old and low capacity, so probably not much good for video use. :)
 
Just take a picture of a blank wall at your highest resolution and in raw, then copy and paste it to your card until you fill it up.
 
admirable said:
Sandisk rescue pro does it
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't! I've got it and tried it and it won't do the job.

@Bender.oh, see post #6!

@killwilly, somebody specifically wants small cards and I'd rather see them recycled than binned.

@gramps, yup, that's the sort of thing I'm after but I don't want to wade through several pages of "click to NOT download this piece of crap we're sponsored to supply you with". I know they have to finance their software somehow but I would rather pay for something to do a job than have crap thrust at me - and I'll specifically avoid things that require opt outs rather than opt ins.
 
I have used a piece of free software for years to delete files and it is fine:

http://www.sys-shield.com/fileshredder.htm

You can over-write your file twice or seven times so nothing is left and it is also very small.

.
 
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It works for me, click on 'wipe media' and up pops Secure Erase 3.0

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Thank you, Peter. I'll download that on the netbook - that runs XP so the software's suitable - this machine is Win & which isn't listed. No worries though, cards aren't heavy and I have a multi reader next to the netbook!
 
Nod said:
I would rather pay for something to do a job than have crap thrust at me - and I'll specifically avoid things that require opt outs rather than opt ins.
Click to expand...

In that case try Acronis get backup and file shredding/disc cleaning all in one useful package.
 
Hmmmm.... Tried filewaster and it seemed to do the job but to check, I put the card through RescuePro and there they all were!

Back to cat's bum plan!
 
Never has a cat's bum (OK, a rug!) had more photographs taken of it in such a short space of time, followed by JPEGs to fill any gaps! Cards then formatted to get rid of the shots to a casual downloader. I suppose I could have saved a moment or 2 by just filling one 128MB card then C&Ping the contents to the others before the format.
Anyway, job done for free - since the cards were all small, not even too much time invested (anyway, I have plenty of that while waiting for the postie and a carpet fitter/supplier).
 
neil_g said:
is anyone else interested in what was on the card to need a secure erase? :naughty:

Nothing interesting to you perverts! Just personal images and snaps.

what i use, very good.

However good the software may be, I dislike their site.

otherwise just snap it/whack it.

Somebody specifically wants small cards and I'd rather recycle them than landfill them (as I said in an earlier post...)
Click to expand...
 
You might like to try Ccleaner, it has a drive wiper in the tools section.

Not tried it on CFcards but see no reason for it not to work.
 
You could run one of the live LINUX CD and then use "shred" utility to wipe out the files.

you need to run a terminal, and understand where the card is mounted and then use

shred -u -v -z -n 25 <your file or wildcard *>

http://www.perpetualpc.net/srtd_shred.html

just one way ....
 
I don't give a Castlemaine whether it's open source or not, I just object to having to opt out of other downloads!

Job done now anyway and anyone who's that bothered can see loads of macro shots of a rug! IF they have a raw converter to read D700 raw files. Anyone that sad is welcome to the images!
 
No.
 
Nod said:
I don't give a Castlemaine whether it's open source or not, I just object to having to opt out of other downloads!

Job done now anyway and anyone who's that bothered can see loads of macro shots of a rug! IF they have a raw converter to read D700 raw files. Anyone that sad is welcome to the images!
Click to expand...

with most free software you have to these days, avast for example you now have to uncheck to install chrome..
 
Indeed you do and I very nearly bought something instead (but needed AV and couldn't get out to buy something).
 
As above Ccleaner works, free and useful as well.
 
Nod said:
Thank you, Peter. I'll download that on the netbook - that runs XP so the software's suitable - this machine is Win & which isn't listed. No worries though, cards aren't heavy and I have a multi reader next to the netbook!
Click to expand...

On XP it is dead easy to use - just place your mouse cursor on a file and right click and there it is - on Win7 you have to open it up then list the file(s) to be shredded - much more of a hassle and another reason I don't like Win7.

.
 
As I've said above, I've dealt with the "problem" by the easiest way possible - i put the cards into my D700, set it to large, raw and simply filled the cards as far as possible with raw files then topped them up until they would take no more with JPEGs of assorted sizes until not even a small, basic JPEG could be squeezed on! An in camera format followed and I'm happy that any of the original shots on the card are now buried beneath Macro shots of a rug! Fine for small cards but I wouldn't want to do it for 1GB or above!

In some ways, I also prefer XP to 7 but XP was no longer an option (as a pre-instalation) on a new off the shelf machine when I needed to get a new one.
 
petersmart said:
On XP it is dead easy to use - just place your mouse cursor on a file and right click and there it is - on Win7 you have to open it up then list the file(s) to be shredded - much more of a hassle and another reason I don't like Win7.

.
Click to expand...

sounds like the software needs updating to allow windows 7 context menus ;)
 
neil_g said:
with most free software you have to these days, avast for example you now have to uncheck to install chrome..
Click to expand...

Aye, nearly caught me out this morning on a problem computer!
 
gramps said:
A format, full or otherwise will not delete data only the tables so all data can be recovered - try a programme like ERASER which overwrites the data and is free.
Click to expand...

If the card is fully formated (all locks zero written) not a quick format, no data will be recoverable. Formatting in teh camera will not erase data as it's not a full format.

I mean a full on, write to the entire block allocation format from your computer.

Right click device to be formatted, and select format from menu.
nepOH.jpg


Uncheck Quick Format.
Id1to.jpg


That will format the entire card. As every block has been written to (which is why it takes so long) no data will be recoverable.

This USB pendrive had hundreds of files on it prior to formatting, and IR5 (which normally never fails to recover data for me, found nothing on it.
lTQqw.jpg


Another way, already mentioned is to download CCleaner. It's free.

JlYuW.jpg
 
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