Having decided out desktop is no longer needed and it wasn't worth passing
on, I decided that the case would take up less room in the bin if I
stripped the innards out and flattened it..........

I was impressed by the standardisation that must have been agreed so that
components could easily be fitted and added with just a few screws.

The motherboard (ASUS) - well, I can't bring myself to throw this away. The
tiny tracks on the circuit board - the standardised sockets - the lever
operated socket for the processor. All amazing works of mass production.

The Hard Disk drive. I don't think I have ever seen such a wonderful peice
of precision engineering - all for a very low cost.

Next to appreciate on its way to the bin will be the CD drive.

The power supply has gone on e-bay as it was fairly new.Again - impressive
in the way that so many standard voltages and plugs are agreed upon.

Should I seek help?

On 15/01/2016 10:12, DerbyBorn wrote:

Should I seek help?

Nope, no need, there are a few that see the beauty in old PC parts.

Perhaps making the wife new shoes.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...08_634x385.jpg

On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 10:12:19 GMT
DerbyBorn wrote:

Having decided out desktop is no longer needed and it wasn't worth
passing on, I decided that the case would take up less room in the
bin

I thought up to this point that you were referring to the top of a
desk, and was wondering why you would put its case in a bin.

--
Davey.

On 15/01/2016 10:12, DerbyBorn wrote:

The Hard Disk drive. I don't think I have ever seen such a wonderful peice
of precision engineering - all for a very low cost.

What have you done to disable it?

On 15/01/2016 11:25, Jonno wrote:

Rather than bin so much, you could offer the comp to a charity that can
reuse it -

https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/enviro..._waste/C/items
/Computers.asp


The real cost in doing that is the time to wipe the hard disk to a
really good standard. It's far easier just to hit it hard with a big hammer.


Even an old PC may be able to run a lightweight OS. RemixOS is a version
of Android that may be interesting.

https://otacdn.jide.com/ota/Remix_OS...1102_Alpha.zip

Very new, so I guess the alpha means you would be testing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMO9v4jmcsI

On 15/01/2016 11:30, GB wrote:
On 15/01/2016 11:25, Jonno wrote:

Rather than bin so much, you could offer the comp to a charity that can
reuse it -

https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/enviro..._waste/C/items
/Computers.asp


The real cost in doing that is the time to wipe the hard disk to a
really good standard. It's far easier just to hit it hard with a big
hammer.


Even an old PC may be able to run a lightweight OS. RemixOS is a version
of Android that may be interesting.

https://otacdn.jide.com/ota/Remix_OS...1102_Alpha.zip

Very new, so I guess the alpha means you would be testing it.

The official release is out:
http://www.jide.com/en/remixos-for-pc#downloadNow



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMO9v4jmcsI

Having decided out desktop is no longer needed and it wasn't worth passing
on, I decided that the case would take up less room in the bin if I
stripped the innards out and flattened it..........


I did the opposite. I found the case of my old desktop PC was made of heavy
enough gauge steel to use for fabricating a repair panel for my Land Rover
foot well. It folded and welded nicely:-)

Mike

GB wrote:
On 15/01/2016 11:25, Jonno wrote:

Rather than bin so much, you could offer the comp to a charity that can
reuse it -

https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/enviro..._waste/C/items
/Computers.asp


The real cost in doing that is the time to wipe the hard disk to a
really good standard. It's far easier just to hit it hard with a big hammer.

Why bother? Just do a 'long' reformat and, unless you have something
of value to MI5 no one is going to go to the trouble of trying to get
the data back.


--
Chris Green
·

En el artículo 6,
DerbyBorn escribió:

Should I seek help?

Not as someone who appreciates good engineering, no.

--
(\_/)
(='.'=) Bunny says: Windows 10? Nein danke!
(")_(")

En el artículo , Huge
escribió:

Or run DBAN on it.

Takes too long. A linux boot CD and

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=4M

is how I do it.

Or when I was on La Palma, playing 'toss the rock' with it. Outside.
It was strangely satisfying smashing up a drive that had actually dared
to fail on me.

--
(\_/)
(='.'=) Bunny says: Windows 10? Nein danke!
(")_(")

DerbyBorn wrote:
Having decided out desktop is no longer needed and it wasn't worth passing
on, I decided that the case would take up less room in the bin if I
stripped the innards out and flattened it..........

I was impressed by the standardisation that must have been agreed so that
components could easily be fitted and added with just a few screws.

The motherboard (ASUS) - well, I can't bring myself to throw this away. The
tiny tracks on the circuit board - the standardised sockets - the lever
operated socket for the processor. All amazing works of mass production.

The Hard Disk drive. I don't think I have ever seen such a wonderful peice
of precision engineering - all for a very low cost.

Next to appreciate on its way to the bin will be the CD drive.

The power supply has gone on e-bay as it was fairly new.Again - impressive
in the way that so many standard voltages and plugs are agreed upon.

Should I seek help?


Pull the hard drive to bits, it has a super dooper magnet in it.

In article 6,
DerbyBorn wrote:
The motherboard (ASUS) - well, I can't bring myself to throw this away.
The tiny tracks on the circuit board - the standardised sockets - the
lever operated socket for the processor. All amazing works of mass
production.

If it is ok stick it on Ebay. Someone will buy it.

--
*Change is inevitable ... except from vending machines *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Sat, 16 Jan 2016 00:44:33 +1100, F Murtz wrote:

DerbyBorn wrote:
Having decided out desktop is no longer needed and it wasn't worth
passing on, I decided that the case would take up less room in the bin
if I stripped the innards out and flattened it..........

I was impressed by the standardisation that must have been agreed so
that components could easily be fitted and added with just a few
screws.

The motherboard (ASUS) - well, I can't bring myself to throw this away.
The tiny tracks on the circuit board - the standardised sockets - the
lever operated socket for the processor. All amazing works of mass
production.

The Hard Disk drive. I don't think I have ever seen such a wonderful
peice of precision engineering - all for a very low cost.

Next to appreciate on its way to the bin will be the CD drive.

The power supply has gone on e-bay as it was fairly new.Again -
impressive in the way that so many standard voltages and plugs are
agreed upon.

Should I seek help?


Pull the hard drive to bits, it has a super dooper magnet in it.

Well, some of them do.

On Friday, 15 January 2016 10:12:22 UTC, DerbyBorn wrote:
Having decided out desktop is no longer needed and it wasn't worth passing
on, I decided that the case would take up less room in the bin if I
stripped the innards out and flattened it..........

I was impressed by the standardisation that must have been agreed so that
components could easily be fitted and added with just a few screws.

The motherboard (ASUS) - well, I can't bring myself to throw this away. The
tiny tracks on the circuit board - the standardised sockets - the lever
operated socket for the processor. All amazing works of mass production.

The Hard Disk drive. I don't think I have ever seen such a wonderful peice
of precision engineering - all for a very low cost.

Next to appreciate on its way to the bin will be the CD drive.

The power supply has gone on e-bay as it was fairly new.Again - impressive
in the way that so many standard voltages and plugs are agreed upon.

Should I seek help?

I once took a printer to bits.
It was extraordinarily well made.

Should I seek help?


Pull the hard drive to bits, it has a super dooper magnet in it.

Well, some of them do.

Got it out.
The case of the hard drive was also beautifully made.

On 15/01/2016 10:12, DerbyBorn wrote:
Having decided out desktop is no longer needed and it wasn't worth passing
on, I decided that the case would take up less room in the bin if I
stripped the innards out and flattened it..........

I was impressed by the standardisation that must have been agreed so that
components could easily be fitted and added with just a few screws.

The motherboard (ASUS) - well, I can't bring myself to throw this away. The
tiny tracks on the circuit board - the standardised sockets - the lever
operated socket for the processor. All amazing works of mass production.

The Hard Disk drive. I don't think I have ever seen such a wonderful peice
of precision engineering - all for a very low cost.

Next to appreciate on its way to the bin will be the CD drive.

The power supply has gone on e-bay as it was fairly new.Again - impressive
in the way that so many standard voltages and plugs are agreed upon.

Should I seek help?




No ... but you need to get out more

BTW .. what interconnects wonderfully took a long time to evolve .... I
have printers with Centronics parallel port .... DB15 serial port ....
USB .... Ethernet

There you go 4 different types of plugs and cables - just for a printer

On Sat, 16 Jan 2016 00:44:33 +1100, F Murtz wrote:

Pull the hard drive to bits, it has a super dooper magnet in it.

And the drives themselves make excellent front-surface mirrors. With a hole in
the middle for sticking a flashlight through, great for poking around in
inaccessible places.

Thomas Prufer

On Friday, 15 January 2016 17:36:17 UTC, rick wrote:

BTW .. what interconnects wonderfully took a long time to evolve .... I
have printers with Centronics parallel port .... DB15 serial port ....
USB .... Ethernet

There you go 4 different types of plugs and cables - just for a printer

.... 20mA loop


NT

On 15/01/16 21:05, wrote:
On Friday, 15 January 2016 17:36:17 UTC, rick wrote:

BTW .. what interconnects wonderfully took a long time to evolve .... I
have printers with Centronics parallel port .... DB15 serial port ....
USB .... Ethernet

There you go 4 different types of plugs and cables - just for a printer

... 20mA loop

Loudspeaker, cassette tape and audio typist..


NT



--
You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a
kind word alone.

Al Capone

"GB" wrote in message
...
On 15/01/2016 11:25, Jonno wrote:

Rather than bin so much, you could offer the comp to a charity that can
reuse it -

https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/enviro..._waste/C/items
/Computers.asp

The real cost in doing that is the time to wipe the hard disk to a really
good standard.

Costs nothing to use DBAN and bugger all time too.
http://www.dban.org/

It's far easier just to hit it hard with a big hammer.

Bull****.

Even an old PC may be able to run a lightweight OS. RemixOS is a version
of Android that may be interesting.

https://otacdn.jide.com/ota/Remix_OS...1102_Alpha.zip

Very new, so I guess the alpha means you would be testing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMO9v4jmcsI

On 16/01/2016 03:13, jack wrote:

The real cost in doing that is the time to wipe the hard disk to a
really good standard.

Costs nothing to use DBAN and bugger all time too.
http://www.dban.org/

It takes ages to run, although I agree you don't have to stand over it.
Hitting the drive hard with a big hammer takes virtually no time, and is
quite satisfying.




It's far easier just to hit it hard with a big hammer.

Bull****.

Would bull**** work better than a hammer?



Even an old PC may be able to run a lightweight OS. RemixOS is a
version of Android that may be interesting.

https://otacdn.jide.com/ota/Remix_OS...1102_Alpha.zip

Very new, so I guess the alpha means you would be testing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMO9v4jmcsI

On Saturday, 16 January 2016 10:35:32 UTC, GB wrote:
On 16/01/2016 03:13, jack wrote:

It's far easier just to hit it hard with a big hammer.

Bull****.

Would bull**** work better than a hammer?

It does for Rodney, every time.

On Friday, 15 January 2016 10:12:22 UTC, DerbyBorn wrote:
Having decided out desktop is no longer needed and it wasn't worth passing
on, I decided that the case would take up less room in the bin if I
stripped the innards out and flattened it..........

I was impressed by the standardisation that must have been agreed so that
components could easily be fitted and added with just a few screws.

The motherboard (ASUS) - well, I can't bring myself to throw this away. The
tiny tracks on the circuit board - the standardised sockets - the lever
operated socket for the processor. All amazing works of mass production.

The Hard Disk drive. I don't think I have ever seen such a wonderful peice
of precision engineering - all for a very low cost.

Next to appreciate on its way to the bin will be the CD drive.

The power supply has gone on e-bay as it was fairly new.Again - impressive
in the way that so many standard voltages and plugs are agreed upon.

Should I seek help?

No you should seek Raspberry. That an a new hard drive would get you a nice gift.

On Friday, 15 January 2016 12:53:56 UTC, Mike Tomlinson wrote:
En el artículo , Huge
escribió:

Or run DBAN on it.

Takes too long. A linux boot CD and

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=4M

is how I do it.

Or when I was on La Palma, playing 'toss the rock' with it. Outside.
It was strangely satisfying smashing up a drive that had actually dared
to fail on me.

Doesn't La Palma have a volcano or are you just a compulsive tosser.

En el artículo ,
Weatherlawyer escribió:
On Friday, 15 January 2016 12:53:56 UTC, Mike Tomlinson wrote:

Doesn't La Palma have a volcano

It has several, actually. I worked for 14 years at an observatory on the
rim of the crater of the largest one, the Caldera de Taburiente.

http://www.iac.es/eno.php?op1=2&lang=en

or are you just a compulsive tosser.

Looked in the mirror lately? I'm waiting for your apology, though
suspect it won't be forthcoming.

******.

--
(\_/)
(='.'=) Bunny says: Windows 10? Nein danke!
(")_(")

En el artículo , GB
escribió:

(you're replying to one of Wodney's many nyms)

Would bull**** work better than a hammer?

Wodney's bull**** would wipe a drive to a post-nuclear Armageddon state.

--
(\_/)
(='.'=) Bunny says: Windows 10? Nein danke!
(")_(")

On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:30:17 +0000, GB wrote:

On 15/01/2016 11:25, Jonno wrote:

Rather than bin so much, you could offer the comp to a charity that can
reuse it -

https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/enviro...te/az_waste/C/
items
/Computers.asp


The real cost in doing that is the time to wipe the hard disk to a
really good standard. It's far easier just to hit it hard with a big
hammer.

Unless the drive is so old that it predates the PMRL data reading
technique that's been in common use for some 15 years or thereabouts, a
single pass "Low Level Format" (LLF) using the disk maker's diagnostic
programme will more than suffice even against the best attempts of
government sponsored attempts at forensic discovery of scraps of
incriminating data.

Smashing a modern disk with a hammer whilst effective against the casual
data miner is actually less effective against detailed forensic
techniques to recover sufficient snippets of incriminating data. You'd do
much better with just a single pass LLF. For anyone with something they
really want to hide, then an oxyacetylene torch or a really hot furnace
will provide the unquestionable destruction they so crave of their data.

It seems a shame to destroy even a drive as small as 1% of the current
top capacity drives available today (6TB - forget the 8TB Archival ****
from Seagate). A 60 GB drive can still offer enough storage to experiment
with even recent versions of windows or *nix based distros.



Even an old PC may be able to run a lightweight OS. RemixOS is a version
of Android that may be interesting.

https://otacdn.jide.com/ota/Remix_OS...1102_Alpha.zip

Very new, so I guess the alpha means you would be testing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMO9v4jmcsI

That's fine if you fancy dabbling in older computer OSen but beside the
point if one is merely freeing up storage space by eliminating unused /
out of date / outlived its usefulness kit.

TBH, it sounds as though Derbyborn has already taken the drive apart
making it beyond redemption as a functioning device (all that "wonderful
peice (sic) of precision engineering" is contained within the confines of
a far from transparent metal housing).

However, I do understand his feelings with regard to the junking of,
often still functioning gadgets, merely because a more powerful and even
cheaper collection of such clever gadgetry has rendered it completely
obsolete in all but a few usage cases where its primary function remains
unchanged.

--
Johnny B Good

On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 12:32:01 +0000, Jonno wrote:

GB scribbled


On 15/01/2016 11:25, Jonno wrote:

Rather than bin so much, you could offer the comp to a charity that
can reuse it -

https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/enviro...te/az_waste/C/
items
/Computers.asp


The real cost in doing that is the time to wipe the hard disk to a
really good standard. It's far easier just to hit it hard with a big
hammer.

If you're a terrorist, a single pass LLF is a much better bet than
smashing it with a hammer. If you prefer to "get physical" with the
destruction of a drive's data, then use either an oxyacetylene torch or a
very hot furnace. At least that way, you won't have to google a decade
old drive model to confirm whether or not PMRL was used before relying on
a LLF to erase the data.



A load of ********. There are plenty of programs that can be used to
wipe a hard drive, for free - Crap Cleaner for instance. And exactly
how many people get a hard drive in the hope of obtaining the secrets of
some unknown previous user. It's yet another myth probably coming from
Seagate, who's drives were known to spontaneously ****up if there was a
D in the day.


Ah! A man after my own heart (re the Seagate putdown). :-)

A LLF (just overwriting every sector with zeros using the manufacturer's
disk drive diagnostic or the dd command to do exactly the same thing -
the LLF isn't a true low level format) will more than suffice since the
drive makers started using PRML read techniques to permit elimination of
any redundancy in the written to track data patterns which the forensic
data recovery techniques used to be able to rely upon with the older
drive designs to collect enough incriminating snippets of data by which
to bring a successful prosecution in a serious crime case.

If your only concern is to protect against the casual hacker, a LLF,
even with pre-PRML drive models will more than suffice.

--
Johnny B Good

On 17/01/2016 02:22, Johnny B Good wrote:

It seems a shame to destroy even a drive as small as 1% of the current
top capacity drives available today (6TB - forget the 8TB Archival ****
from Seagate). A 60 GB drive can still offer enough storage to experiment
with even recent versions of windows or *nix based distros.

At the risk of agreeing with TNP, a VM is a better option for that sort
of thing than an old HD.

On 17/01/16 03:30, Clive George wrote:
On 17/01/2016 02:22, Johnny B Good wrote:

It seems a shame to destroy even a drive as small as 1% of the current
top capacity drives available today (6TB - forget the 8TB Archival ****
from Seagate). A 60 GB drive can still offer enough storage to experiment
with even recent versions of windows or *nix based distros.

At the risk of agreeing with TNP, a VM is a better option for that sort
of thing than an old HD.


Exactly. The only reason for old or multiple *hardware* is if it has
some particular bit of peripheral on it that you cant drive with modern
stuff. Like an AT style IEEE bus card on a machine running DOS 2.



FFS even CP/M can be run on an emulator faster than it used to run on a Z80

http://www.andrewault.net/2010/02/01...-ubuntu-linux/


--
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will
eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such
time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic
and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally
important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for
the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the
truth is the greatest enemy of the State.

Joseph Goebbels

On Sun, 17 Jan 2016 03:30:24 +0000, Clive George
wrote:

On 17/01/2016 02:22, Johnny B Good wrote:

It seems a shame to destroy even a drive as small as 1% of the current
top capacity drives available today (6TB - forget the 8TB Archival ****
from Seagate). A 60 GB drive can still offer enough storage to experiment
with even recent versions of windows or *nix based distros.

At the risk of agreeing with TNP, a VM is a better option for that sort
of thing than an old HD.

I think it depends on what your goals are. The PC I built with the
intention of running Linux to replace XP on a Mac Mini as my 'daily
desktop' (but gave up on because Linux can't replace XP for me yet but
is still there dual booting with W10) has two trayless 3.5" SATA bays.

Therefore, if I'm *really* testing a new OS I want to:

1) be able to see how it performs ITRW on real hardware

2) to be able to run it 'as is' and *not* have to have anything in the
way (of direct hardware / network support)

and

3) to be able to knock it about (so 'just use it' in an everyday
sense, not mollycoddle it) and be able to use any everyday tools that
expect to see the OS directly, not via some VM.

(to name just 3).

And as you say, smaller drives are normally readily available for free
or very cheap and idea for testing such things.

And having two such bays and caddies that allow me to (tool less) add
laptop drives to the mix make it a very flexible and yet real world
solution / test-bed.

And running any OS on raw iron means (once again) you don't have all
your eggs in one basket (or completely scrambled like TNP's g) where
if the host OS fails you lose access to all your VM's.

However, because I don't just work in binary (unlike some g) 'of
course I will also use VM's because that too is another facet of what
someone looking for a solution where a VM might be of value (like
telephone support of various OS's) would be pertinent.

My Dad used to run OS 9.2 on his eMac and so I had a copy of
SheepShaver with 9.2 on XP so that I could quickly run an OS9 instance
and better help him though UI issues etc.

Now, I know some here are obliged to run 'Windows' simply because they
can't do all they need with native Linux so for them, running Windows
in a VM makes perfect sense. However, if they were *testing* Windows
and against lots of hardware there is a good chance the VM would get
in the way (as I experienced myself trying to get a Windows VM running
on a Linux host to 'see' some CD storage carousels [1]).

Again, horses for courses ...

Cheers, T i m

[1] And we only tried that because there was no native support for
said carousels on Linux.

On 17/01/2016 02:22, Johnny B Good wrote:

Smashing a modern disk with a hammer whilst effective against the casual
data miner is actually less effective against detailed forensic
techniques to recover sufficient snippets of incriminating data. You'd do
much better with just a single pass LLF. For anyone with something they
really want to hide, then an oxyacetylene torch or a really hot furnace
will provide the unquestionable destruction they so crave of their data.

It seems a shame to destroy even a drive as small as 1% of the current
top capacity drives available today (6TB - forget the 8TB Archival ****
from Seagate). A 60 GB drive can still offer enough storage to experiment
with even recent versions of windows or *nix based distros.

The one I threw away the other day was actually a 10GB IBM Deathstar
that I found lurking at teh back of the cupboard. I removed it from my
PC before it failed.

I could have found a PC with an IDE connection somewhere in the junk
room, but I just hit the HDD hard enough to bend the platters and smash
the head gear. I did take the lid off first, though.

On Sun, 17 Jan 2016 11:01:29 +0000, GB
wrote:

snip

The one I threw away the other day was actually a 10GB IBM Deathstar
that I found lurking at teh back of the cupboard. I removed it from my
PC before it failed.

I could have found a PC with an IDE connection somewhere in the junk
room,

Or a USB to IDE adaptor or desk quick-mount?

but I just hit the HDD hard enough to bend the platters and smash
the head gear. I did take the lid off first, though.


I completely stripped a whole batch of dead drives the other day and
now have a good collection of strong magnets and a bit more weight in
my 'ally' scrap bag. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On 17/01/16 11:44, T i m wrote:

I completely stripped a whole batch of dead drives the other day and
now have a good collection of strong magnets and a bit more weight in
my 'ally' scrap bag. ;-)

Is there an often used commercial airline flight path above your house?


--
Adrian C

On Sun, 17 Jan 2016 13:07:08 +0000, Adrian Caspersz
wrote:

On 17/01/16 11:44, T i m wrote:

I completely stripped a whole batch of dead drives the other day and
now have a good collection of strong magnets and a bit more weight in
my 'ally' scrap bag. ;-)

Is there an often used commercial airline flight path above your house?

Erm, no, I don't believe so? Do think the magnets might put them off
course or something? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On 17/01/2016 06:13, The Natural Philosopher wrote:


FFS even CP/M can be run on an emulator faster than it used to run on a Z80

http://www.andrewault.net/2010/02/01...-ubuntu-linux/


I would expect my phone to run a CP/M emulator faster than a z80 could.

On Sunday, 17 January 2016 13:38:11 UTC, T i m wrote:
Is there an often used commercial airline flight path above your house?
Erm, no, I don't believe so? Do think the magnets might put them off
course or something? ;-)

Just don't buy any satellite dishes from a bloke down the pub what works at Heathrow :-)

Owain

On 17/01/16 13:48, dennis@home wrote:


On 17/01/2016 06:13, The Natural Philosopher wrote:


FFS even CP/M can be run on an emulator faster than it used to run on
a Z80

http://www.andrewault.net/2010/02/01...-ubuntu-linux/



I would expect my phone to run a CP/M emulator faster than a z80 could.

Well, er - yes, probably !


--
The biggest threat to humanity comes from socialism, which has utterly
diverted our attention away from what really matters to our existential
survival, to indulging in navel gazing and faux moral investigations
into what the world ought to be, whilst we fail utterly to deal with
what it actually is.

If you're a terrorist, a single pass LLF is a much better bet than
smashing it with a hammer. If you prefer to "get physical" with the
destruction of a drive's data, then use either an oxyacetylene torch or a
very hot furnace. At least that way, you won't have to google a decade
old drive model to confirm whether or not PMRL was used before relying on
a LLF to erase the data.



A load of ********. There are plenty of programs that can be used to
wipe a hard drive, for free - Crap Cleaner for instance. And exactly
how many people get a hard drive in the hope of obtaining the secrets of
some unknown previous user. It's yet another myth probably coming from
Seagate, who's drives were known to spontaneously ****up if there was a
D in the day.


Ah! A man after my own heart (re the Seagate putdown). :-)

A LLF (just overwriting every sector with zeros using the manufacturer's
disk drive diagnostic or the dd command to do exactly the same thing -
the LLF isn't a true low level format) will more than suffice since the
drive makers started using PRML read techniques to permit elimination of
any redundancy in the written to track data patterns which the forensic
data recovery techniques used to be able to rely upon with the older
drive designs to collect enough incriminating snippets of data by which
to bring a successful prosecution in a serious crime case.

If your only concern is to protect against the casual hacker, a LLF,
even with pre-PRML drive models will more than suffice.


Simples answer .. just re record lots of old Max Bygraves toon's on them
no self respecting hacker would ever tolerate 'em;!...
--
Tony Sayer

On 17/01/2016 14:17, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 17/01/16 13:48, dennis@home wrote:


On 17/01/2016 06:13, The Natural Philosopher wrote:


FFS even CP/M can be run on an emulator faster than it used to run on
a Z80

http://www.andrewault.net/2010/02/01...-ubuntu-linux/




I would expect my phone to run a CP/M emulator faster than a z80 could.

Well, er - yes, probably !


Curiously, Wordstar on a Z80 ran superbly well. Such were the benefits
of hand-tuned assembler. I used Wordstar for ages after it went out of
fashion, as it was so productive. You could do everything without
removing your hands from the keyboard. (Yes, okay, you needed to remove
your hands from the keyboard when you went to the loo.)