Lion clean install, it really helped (MacBook Pro)

[ngenerator]

Who here is doing a "zero" out as they're doing a clean install of Lion via USB? Or, are you just installing it without any "cleansing" of the old drive?

I'm never sure if it's worth it to "zero" out an old drive or not. Yeah, there is a small security increase. But, does it help in any other way?

I 1-pass zeroed out my HD before doing my clean install. It took about 2 hours, but I feel more secure. I don't think it would make anything quicker or snappier that I know of.

I'm going to do a 7-pass before selling it, but that's just because of my OCD.

 

[Wolfpup]

I 1-pass zeroed out my HD before doing my clean install. It took about 2 hours, but I feel more secure. I don't think it would make anything quicker or snappier that I know of.

I'm going to do a 7-pass before selling it, but that's just because of my OCD.

Personally I wouldn't let a drive that's had personal info on it out in the wild, but if you do, I'd try Darrick's Boot and Nuke, which does better than just zeroing it out. That's...I guess better than nothing, but if it's literally just writing zeros (or any known data) you can technically backtrack to know what the data was.

Of course that's beyond the normal user, but still.

 

[rangen]

I 1-pass zeroed out my HD before doing my clean install. It took about 2 hours, but I feel more secure. I don't think it would make anything quicker or snappier that I know of.

I'm going to do a 7-pass before selling it, but that's just because of my OCD.

advisable indeed, though like you say, doing so doesn't pave the way for a 'cleaner' install

 

[ngenerator]

Personally I wouldn't let a drive that's had personal info on it out in the wild, but if you do, I'd try Darrick's Boot and Nuke, which does better than just zeroing it out. That's...I guess better than nothing, but if it's literally just writing zeros (or any known data) you can technically backtrack to know what the data was.

Of course that's beyond the normal user, but still.

Yeah, I'm still keeping it for a while longer until I get ready to sell it to my dad, then I'll 7-pass it out and deliver it to him. He's pretty harmless, and the 7 passes of random data (not just zeroes) should work fine.

 

[Wolfpup]

Is what Apple's calling "zeroing" out the drive actually using pseudo-random data?

 

[rangen]

Is what Apple's calling "zeroing" out the drive actually using pseudo-random data?

I don't believe so