gHacks technology news » erase dvd http://www.ghacks.net A technology blog covering software, mobile phones, gadgets, security, the Internet and other relevant areas. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:31:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Erase Data On CD Or DVD Permanently http://www.ghacks.net/2008/09/18/erase-data-on-cd-or-dvd-permanently/ http://www.ghacks.net/2008/09/18/erase-data-on-cd-or-dvd-permanently/#comments Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:01:48 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=7058 Data CDs and DVDs that are no longer needed pose a few problems. Throwing them away could be a privacy risk because everyone who finds them could simply read them and discover what data has been stored on the disks. Destroying them by cutting, scratching or breaking on the other hand might release chemicals to the environment.

Lite-On developed the Smart Erase technique to give users a reliable way of erasing the data on CDs and DVDs without damaging the disk. To make it clearer, the technique is compatible to all CD-R and DVD-R disks, not only their rewritable counterparts.

Smart Erase overwrites the data contained on the disk with random characters much like the tools that can erase files or the free space of a hard drive so that the data is not recoverable afterwards. Nero 7 Essentials which ships with the retail versions of each DVD writer will have that feature build in which can be used in combination with one of the announced Lite-On DVD writers.

The first DVD writers are expected to hit shelves in September and October:

  • iHAP322 is a 22X DVD writer with PATA connection
  • iHAP422 is a 22X DVD writer with PATA connection and LightScribe
  • iHAS322 is a 22X DVD writer with SATA connection
  • iHAS422 is a 22X DVD writer with SATA connection and LightScribe

The new technique supports two modes: Quick Erase will only erase data in the lead in track and the first track of the CD / DVD while Full Erase will erase the full disk.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2008/09/18/erase-data-on-cd-or-dvd-permanently/feed/ 5 The Compact Disk Eraser http://www.ghacks.net/2007/04/11/the-compact-disk-eraser/ http://www.ghacks.net/2007/04/11/the-compact-disk-eraser/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2007 07:38:53 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/2007/04/11/the-compact-disk-eraser/ Let me ask you a question: What do you do with old CDs and DVDs that have data on them ? Do you simply throw them away, recycle them ? What do you use to destroy the data on the disks ? If you never thought about this matter before and have a stash of used disks lying around you might want to take a look at the compact disk eraser. The disk eraser is a handy compact tool that wipes out CDs and DVDs environmentally friendly keeping the disks intact. You slide the disk once or more through the disk eraser creating a wide strip that can’t be polished out.

compact disk eraser

The website answers some frequently asked questions on their website. Breaking a CD would for instance have the same effect but would not make it recyclable anymore. Microwaving CDs would be bad for the microwave due to metal arcing and toxic fumes. Scratching CDs with sharp objects like knifes could have the same effect but is more time consuming and not that data secure.

I’m still not really convinced if the method is really destroying all data on the disks. It does not cost much and would be worth a try but how am I supposed to find out if the CDs and DVDs can’t be read by experts ? What do you normally use for this purpose ?

found: fosfor

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