So this is weird.....DBAN

Ed West · 01-19-2008, 06:51 PM

Have any of you heard of a program called DBAN? It's an acronym for Derrik's Boot and Nuke and it's designed to wipe out all the data on a hard drive. There are several levels of "cleaning" the program lets you use depending on how thoroughly you want your hard drive cleaned. I use it a lot because I frequently need to salvage PC's and I like to scrape the hard drive clean before I let it go to the outside world. I also use a less thorough cleaning method if I'm simply going to re-install Windows due to a virus or some other catastrophy.

This brings me to my question....before I installed Windows on the PC I built (I built it out of spare parts....I posted on this earlier) I used DBAN to scrape the drive so it would be clean. After I installed Windows XP, I realized I wanted to give a Linux distro a whirl, so I grabbed Dapper Drake and installed that. It works great, but now I want to install Gutsy Gibbon and I'm having a bit of trouble with it. I thought maybe if I cleaned out the hard drive again, I might have more luck.

I believe DBAN is a Linux based application. You simple boot from the DBAN CD and it will prompt you through the rest of the cleaning process. I have never had a problem with it until I tried using it to clean out Dapper Drake. Normally, it boots to the DBAN application but in this case it starts booting and then jumps to the Dapper Drake install. I went into the BIOS and I disabled every boot device except the CD and it STILL boots Dapper Drake.

Any idea why this is happening?

There's another disk wiping utility I've used in the past called AutoClave and it works off a boot floppy, so I might need to use that instead.

Thanks for any ideas you might have.

-Ed-

**sobeit** · 01-19-2008, 07:13 PM

if you are installing ubuntu, then you can do the drive cleaning during the install.

another option is to use gparted.

fredobrien · 01-19-2008, 07:27 PM

Hi Ed. I use boot & nuke all the time. I clean all the hard drive I reinstall on or any that has been used. I have not had a problem doing this. I feel like what ever you clean off the drive the better things will work. Fred

Ed West · 01-20-2008, 03:09 PM

Thanks for the responses, guys.

I've never had a problem using DBAN, either (until I tried to scrape the drive that has kubuntu on it). I wonder if I have a problem with the drive?.....I'll check that next.

01-19-2008, 06:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
Ed West Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: San Gabriel, CA Posts: 16 OS: XP SP2	So this is weird.....DBAN Have any of you heard of a program called DBAN? It's an acronym for Derrik's Boot and Nuke and it's designed to wipe out all the data on a hard drive. There are several levels of "cleaning" the program lets you use depending on how thoroughly you want your hard drive cleaned. I use it a lot because I frequently need to salvage PC's and I like to scrape the hard drive clean before I let it go to the outside world. I also use a less thorough cleaning method if I'm simply going to re-install Windows due to a virus or some other catastrophy. This brings me to my question....before I installed Windows on the PC I built (I built it out of spare parts....I posted on this earlier) I used DBAN to scrape the drive so it would be clean. After I installed Windows XP, I realized I wanted to give a Linux distro a whirl, so I grabbed Dapper Drake and installed that. It works great, but now I want to install Gutsy Gibbon and I'm having a bit of trouble with it. I thought maybe if I cleaned out the hard drive again, I might have more luck. I believe DBAN is a Linux based application. You simple boot from the DBAN CD and it will prompt you through the rest of the cleaning process. I have never had a problem with it until I tried using it to clean out Dapper Drake. Normally, it boots to the DBAN application but in this case it starts booting and then jumps to the Dapper Drake install. I went into the BIOS and I disabled every boot device except the CD and it STILL boots Dapper Drake. Any idea why this is happening? There's another disk wiping utility I've used in the past called AutoClave and it works off a boot floppy, so I might need to use that instead. Thanks for any ideas you might have. -Ed- Last edited by Ed West; 01-19-2008 at 06:53 PM.

01-19-2008, 07:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
sobeit TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NEAR Posts: 7,433 OS: windows/linux	Re: So this is weird.....DBAN if you are installing ubuntu, then you can do the drive cleaning during the install. another option is to use gparted. __________________ there's been global warming since the ice age

01-19-2008, 07:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
fredobrien Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Clarks Hill, Indiana Posts: 216 OS: XP pro, PCLINUXOS Ubuntu	Re: So this is weird.....DBAN Hi Ed. I use boot & nuke all the time. I clean all the hard drive I reinstall on or any that has been used. I have not had a problem doing this. I feel like what ever you clean off the drive the better things will work. Fred

01-20-2008, 03:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ed West Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: San Gabriel, CA Posts: 16 OS: XP SP2	Re: So this is weird.....DBAN Thanks for the responses, guys. I've never had a problem using DBAN, either (until I tried to scrape the drive that has kubuntu on it). I wonder if I have a problem with the drive?.....I'll check that next.