Is it possible to permanently delete files from internal/external disks/volumes?

[applefan]

I have an old zip drive with disks and an aging ibook that I may be selling on ebay soon. I want to know how I can permanently delete files form these discs and drive so that they are not recoverable by the new owner. I've heard that after formatting a drive or disk that previous files are still recoverable. Is this true?

Thanks,

[Sun Baked]

Trashing the entire drive and reinstalling the OS is the only way to be sure you've killed you're personal info stored in the user/pref files.

Zeroing the drive should eliminate the files on the drive, since formating just eliminates the file catalog but leaves the files intact.

If you're still really worried, you can always duplicate a bunch of stuff (like a CD full of songs or pictures) over and over -- on a freshly formatted drive -- until the drive is full, then reformat.

[applefan]

Thanks Sun Backed. What's zeroing the drive? I'm not familiar with that term.

[Counterfit]

it writes a zero every spot on the disk, which erases EVERYTHING and leaves you with a clean slate.