Short Course on Technology – What You Need To Know

What You Should Know About Degaussing of Hard Drives Lots of PC users believe that when one deletes a file and empties the trash bin, the information is completely erased. However, this is not true. The reality is that the data is still in the hard drive. The only thing one achieves is to delete the pathway to the files in the PC. Nevertheless, it is still possible to erase information completely from your HD. There are actually three different ways to erase data from a computer hard drive. You can erase the hard drive using a hard drive eraser, you can physically destroy the drive, or you can do what is known as degaussing. Degaussing is simply permanent erasing of data. Degaussing is very popular considering the amount of sensitive information the needs to be permanently erased by various organizations. This method of doing away with data is different from others. Degaussing is not like simple deleting or formatting, it uses a unique technique to clear data completely. Discussed below are some important things to understand what degaussing is all about. Employs the Use of Magnetic Fields
A Quick Overlook of Computers – Your Cheatsheet
Degaussing is pretty much the elimination or decrease of a magnetic field. In order to erase data from magnetic storage devices, there has to be a magnetic field involved. A fine coating of chromium oxide and iron oxide sometimes exists on the tape. A very intense magnetic field is generated during this process. It is the intensity of this magnetic field that aids in permanent removal of the information stored on the iron oxide coating or the chromium oxide. The data stored on a disc is therefore destroyed completely because the magnetic field of the tape is changed. During this process, the recorded data pattern is either removed or randomized. This is why the data can never again be recovered.
A Quick Overlook of Computers – Your Cheatsheet
Safety Issues As per the WHO degaussing is completely harmless to people’s health. This means people shouldn’t fear being exposed to these magnetic fields during the degaussing process. How Fast It is The process of degaussing might sound complicated and slow. However, contrary to what the name sounds like the process of erasing data is quick and simple. Difference from Hard Drive Eraser As previously mentioned, degaussing requires the use of magnetic fields to help neutralize a hard drive’s magnetic charge. Hard drive erasers however, actually work on the principle of overwritten data, once the data is overwritten enough times it becomes impossible to forensically recover it or even decipher its meaning. Unlike the name suggests, there is no type of erasing that goes on when using HD erasers.