The Truth About Formatting Your Hard Drive

June 2005

We've had lots of experiences here at WhiteCanyon that have proven to us that there is more to cleaning your hard drive than simply formatting it. Windows and most formatting utilities leave retrievable data on your hard drive—data that shady characters can get at.

So what can you do about it? In this issue, we have included two special offers, an article, and some suggested products. Read on to learn how to truly clean your hard drive and avoid those shady characters!

1. Two Special Offers
2. Article - 10 Steps to Format Your Hard Drive in Windows XP
3. This Issue's Suggested Products

Two Special Offers

WhiteCanyon is giving you two special offers to increase your security. Buy any product and get $10 off the purchase of each additional product. You also get a free copy of MySecurityVault with any purchase!

10 Steps to Format Your Hard Drive in Windows XP

In the past, formatting a hard drive required knowledge of MS-DOS, FDISK, and drive partitioning. Today, users can erase and format a hard drive in Windows XP with a simple procedure that anyone can perform.

Follow these 10 easy steps to erase and format a hard drive in Windows XP:

1. Permanently erase all files with a disk sanitizer, such as WipeDrive.
2. Insert the Windows installation CD into the CD drive. Make sure that there are no other disks in the computer, and reboot the computer.
3. At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press the Enter key to set up Windows.
4. Press the C key to continue setup.
5. Press the F8 key to agree to the license.
6. Press the C key to create a partition.
7. Enter the size of the partition, or just press the Enter key to use the maximum size.
8. Select the "New (Unformatted)" option, and press the Enter key.
9. Select NTFS or FAT file system (select NTFS if you are unsure).
10. Simply follow the prompts to format the hard drive in Windows XP and continue the Windows installation.

Formatting Alone Does Not Erase Hard Drive Data!

Because Windows erases only file records, not file contents, the free space of your hard drive is full of "deleted" files that can be easily recovered. Even after you format a hard drive in Windows XP, old files can still be accessed by many data recovery programs and free utilities.

A recent study of 129 old hard drives (many of them formatted) revealed more than 5,000 credit card numbers, medical correspondences, love letters, pornography records, bank account information, and other confidential data.

If you format your hard drive the traditional way, you run the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft (America's fastest growing crime). To protect yourself, erase all data with a disk sanitizer, such as WhiteCanyon's WipeDrive, before you format a hard drive with Windows XP.

WipeDrive is the perfect solution for anyone who needs to:

• Clean a hard drive data before selling or donating a computer
• Completely erase a damaged operating system with possible hidden viruses and spyware
• Remove all personal data before returning a computer to a company or employer

WipeDrive: Securely Erase and Format a Hard Drive in Windows XP

Because your hard drive is filled with personal information, the US Department of Defense created a standard for hard drive sanitation known as the DoD 5220.22-M standard. WipeDrive is listed by the Department of Defense as one of only five approved hard-drive erasers in the world.

That's why WipeDrive is the hard drive eraser of choice for major Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and users all over the world. Use WipeDrive to erase and format hard drive data in Windows XP according to Department of Defense standards.

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