Wiping hard drive(s) before first use.

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Synomenon

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Just curious. Does anyone else here wipe new hard drives with utilities like DBAN before their first use?

I've been doing this all the time. Each time I buy a new hard drive, the first thing I do after installing it is wiping it with DBAN. I think I do this now because of the stories I've read of hard drives shipping with viruses.
 
The simple answer is no.

It's remotely (emphasis on remotely) possible, but highly unlikely any production facility could allow a virus to be transported via new products. It's a corporate security issue and its bad for business, so companies are keen to it. However, its not impossible. If it makes you feel better, then wipe it.

In reality, the only advantage in wiping a new disk is when you require a sterile environment, i.e., it contained data you require or desire for some reason not to exist on a binary level, where with some skill (or perhaps none at all) the information can be retrieved by a stranger with too much free time. Think about your personal info, company financial data etc.

It's more practical to be concerned about wiping those hard disks when you throw them in a garbage can or give them away, assuming they still functioned. Especially if you're buying things with a computer..
 
Arent new disks supposed to be delivered blank, like with no partitions or file system?

What virus could be "given away for free" that way?
 
I dunno, but I've seen it mentioned on the news and on the web a couple of times in the past.
 
you cant put a virus on a disk that has no file system, and a blank drive has no file system. Furthermore, whats a virus going to do when the windows disk comes by and formats it? it either gets over written then or later, theres no chance for code to actually be executed from blank space (ie, if you have the binary for the most malicious software every in a couple tracks on your hard drive, but according to the file system those tracks are empty, theres no way this binary can get executed).

Who ever is giving you this news is lying.
 
But those 3 cases were with drives that were already formatted with a file system.

The drives you're buying aren't formatted with a file system. They're blank.

But if using DBAN gives you peace of mind, then do so. It's your data and your system. If you want to ensure security, then go for it.
 
Well, I really didn't start this thread to gauge or ask if it's ok to wipe a new drive. I'll do it because it's habit now.

I started this thread to see if others do it too. If anyone has a problem with the idea of wiping a new drive, then don't post in this thread please.
 
Sorry, didn't mean for my post to sound like you needed approval from me or that I had a problem with the idea of wiping a new drive.

To get back on track, no I do not wipe new drives. I'll wipe old drives that I've received from others but not new internal desktop drives.
 
I always run the manufacturer's extended diagnostics on a new drive, usually two or three times before I'll install an OS on it. Never wiped one, though.
 
BlindedByScience said:
I always run the manufacturer's extended diagnostics on a new drive, usually two or three times before I'll install an OS on it. Never wiped one, though.
Click to expand...

I 0 write the drive with dban then do the diagnostics to check the drive for errors. I have in the past gotten bad drives and spent hours trying to get windows to install only to get errors.
 
People actually take the time and trouble to zero a drive - a brand new drive more often than not - from start to finish before using it? Wouldn't that be equated to buying a new car, disassembling it piece by piece, putting it back together and then actually deciding to drive it?

What a colossal waste of time and needless wear and tear on the drive's mechanics for absolutely zero (no pun intended) benefit. Weird...
 
as long as the MBR gets wiped before you boot off of it, even if its chock full of virus's its harmless
 
Heh, I've never heard of anyone doing full wipes on system drives before using it (assuming they are brand new drives).
 
I've never wiped a hard drive due to fear of viruses. However, I do try to stress a new hard drive before I start using it so I might wipe the drive just for that reason (though I'd rather choose benchmark tests).
 
That's been floating around for years now... seems to be having a resurgence of popularity. :)
 
Grimmda said:
I can't say I've ever "wiped" a new disk or thought there was a need to.
Click to expand...

I would tend to agree with this statement. If youre buying a used disk, sure, but a retail, in the wrapping, factory sealed? Totally unnecessary, if you think its necessary, you might be one of those "truthers"
 
Ok, thanks for all the jack assy-ness ppl.. I guess I can stop doing this now since everyone seems to agree that it's not necessary.
 
Danny Bui said:
The drives you're buying aren't formatted with a file system. They're blank.
Click to expand...

This.

I buy blank drives, I format them in the OS after installation, done.
No time, need, or desire to run DBAN, it would take way too long to do that in a "production" environment.
 
IsLNdbOi said:
No one is "giving me this news". As I've mentioned previously, I've seen it on major news outlets on TV, online and on print, in the past.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39290782,00.htm

http://www.techjapan.com/Article1184.html

http://www.betanews.com/article/Apple_Ships_iPods_with_Windows_Virus/1161112089

Those are just the few I could find doing a quick search. It's happened many times. Maybe you should watch or read news more often.
Click to expand...

Or maybe you should realize they're not talking about blank drives, the drives in your links have been formated for whatever reason. Blank drives are... blank. Theres nothing on them, and even if there was, again, a format would kill it. You simply cant get code executed if the executor doesn't know its there.

And we all know major news outlets are always on the ball when it comes to tech stories right?
 
I guess you didn't read the rest of the thread (before your post). I've already been corrected / educated on how this works.

If any mod happens to come in here you can lock or delete this thread. I really just wanted to see if there were others who do this.
 
Actually I do this. It has nothing to do with virus's, but I do it because it'll produce full sweep of writes across the whole drive, so just in the unlikely event it finds a bad block along the way, it'll get marked before the drive is used. I also do this because several of my Samsung drives have actually failed diagnostics when completely blank, perhaps it was certain versions of the software, but it seems as if they expected certain sectors to have something in them. After blanking the drives passed diagnostics fine.

It also puts some stress on the drive before loading, since we all should know hard drives have a tendency to die in infancy or old age, I'd rather find out sooner than later if somethings up. No it's not necessary, but it's never hurt. The last hard drive that actually died on my was a 2.5 GB Quantum Bigfoot from 1996, but that's just because they were shitty drives. Every other drive I've had has gone 5+ years before I got rid of them, and last time I counted that was between 30 and 40 drives. I may also do it because I'm just old school, I remember when buying drives you had to low-level format them. Not what people call low-level today, I mean the real kind :cool:
 
I always partition and then format then run manufacturers diagnostics on a new drive. Used drives I have picked up some where get a 3 pass Dban. I don't know what used to be on it, don't want to know, and prolly don't want anyone else to know either.;)
 
Bad sectors are automagically remapped by hard drives these days, they always have been. Check the S.M.A.R.T. status on current drives and you'll even see that the drive keeps track of such re-allocations without user intervention or the need to do much of anything at all. If a bad sector caused a major catastrophe in this day and age, I've never noticed it happening. If I do have some error that I attribute to a drive, I'll hit it with SpinRite for a level 4 pass (hooked up to a secondary test box as I can't set aside my primary machine for that time consuming task) then run the manufacturer's diagnostic on it for a second opinion, if you will.

SpinRite and other such tools as well as the manufacturer's diagnostics don't give a rat's ass if a drive is formatted or not as the file system is irrelevant in the kinds of diagnostic/testing those utilities do. Some aspects of the software can rely on the file system the user has put into place, but the most important uses of those utilities don't bother with the file system at all.

I personally just consider it a rather large waste of time in today's world if a person were to go out and buy a 1TB drive and decide "I'm gonna zero that sucker out before I use it." It's their drive, if that's what squeaks their sneakers, so be it...
 
I've gotten stuff off a brand-new drive...

I got a key for MS Backoffice server, and MS Windows 2002 small-buisiness edition!

No joke! I ordered a PC from Tiger Direct and it came with a partial install of W2002 on it and partial install of backoffice server!

Only happened once, but still, strangest thing that's ever happened... MBR would not fully erase either, I installed XP and it still asked me is I wanted to boot XP or 2002 server... even though I formatted the drive with XP (I know I shoudl have wiped it, live and learn...)
 
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