This utility quickly and securely erases a device (hard drive) that implements the ATA Secure Erase capablity.
Features include:
- Automatic discovery of device to erase.
- Verifies device supports ATA Secure Erase feature.
- Interactive confirmation of erase.
- Read-back after erase to verify successful wipe.
- Fast. (My test 240GB SSD completes in less than a minute.)
Information on the ATA Secure Erase feature here: https://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/ATA_Secure_Erase
Latest version of this utility here: https://github.com/courtney-rosenthal/wipeout
- Initially device (hard drive) is disconnected from the system.
- Start wipeout with root privileges.
- Connect the hard drive to the system.
- Wait a few seconds for the device to be recognized.
- When propmpted, confirm the erase.
Here is an example run:
$ sudo ./wipeout.rb
Searching ... connect drive now .......... done!
Detected device = /dev/sdc
Model Number: INTEL SSDSC2CW240A3
Estimated erase time: 4min
Current partition table:
Disk /dev/sdc: 223.57 GiB, 240057409536 bytes, 468862128 sectors
Disk model: DSC2CW240A3
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x997b5757
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdc1 2048 468862127 468860080 223.6G 83 Linux
THIS DEVICE IS ABOUT TO BE COMPLETELY ERASED !!!
Proceed to erase /dev/sdc? (yes/no) : yes
+ hdparm --user-master u --security-set-pass secretPassword /dev/sdc
security_password: "secretPassword"
/dev/sdc:
Issuing SECURITY_SET_PASS command, password="secretPassword", user=user, mode=high
+ hdparm --user-master u --security-erase secretPassword /dev/sdc
security_password: "secretPassword"
/dev/sdc:
Issuing SECURITY_ERASE command, password="secretPassword", user=user
Wipe command has completed.
Confirming wipe was successful ... stand by ~30 seconds ...
Wipe is successful!
Courtney Rosenthal <cr@crosenthal.com>