Windows Xp | Erase Hard Drive

Finally, the screen flashed: [sda] ... Pass completed.

The hard drive in front of him was a relic—a dusty, beige 3.5-inch Western Digital Caviar. It belonged to the old Dell Dimension 3000 that had sat in the corner of his late father’s den for fifteen years. Windows XP. The operating system of a bygone era. And on this drive, Arthur suspected, was the reason he hadn't spoken to his father for the last decade of the man's life. erase hard drive windows xp

He selected the method—a three-pass wipe. Overwrite with zeros, then ones, then a random character. The Department of Defense standard for non-classified but sensitive media. That felt right. Finally, the screen flashed: [sda]

He pressed Enter .

The blue glow of the monitor was the only light in the cramped office. To Arthur, it felt less like a glow and more like an accusation. It belonged to the old Dell Dimension 3000