How to completely erase a hard-drive (without leaving a trace)?

[Fallinangel]

I'm going to sell one of my hard-drives - it's a Samsung HD403LJ 400 GB - because I don't need it anymore!

However, I don't want the buyer to be able to recreate or rebuild my personal files, so does erasing the volume with "Disk Utility" suffice to delete all of my stuff, or will there still be some traces?

Is it even possible to wipe everything out just like that?

Sorry, if I sound paranoid and thanks in advance.

 

[Sigi]

how to completely erase a hard drive

Hi,

go to Disc Utility >select the drive > click "Erase" > click on "Security Options" and choose one of the options. If you want choose 35 times - but this will take a long time.

Sigi

 

[gnasher729]

Hi,

go to Disc Utility >select the drive > click "Erase" > click on "Security Options" and choose one of the options. If you want choose 35 times - but this will take a long time.

Erase once - no hacker can read it. (Maybe they can, if they have a huge budget, and some very specialised hardware. They would have to be really interested in you specifically).

Erase seven times - the CIA cannot read it (Maybe they can, but they would have to spend a long, long time doing it and they would only get bits and pieces. They would have to be really interested in what you were up to, and if they were that interested, they most likely know everything going on in your home anyway and will arrest you just before you try to erase the drive ).

Erase 35 times - it is gone.

 

[Fallinangel]

Thanks for the details.